Rufus Sewell interview: ‘Victoria’ star chats about Agatha Christie’s ‘The Pale Horse’
Victoria star Rufus Sewell returns to our TV screens this weekend.
The 52-year-old English actor, best known for his roles in Parade’s End and The Man in the High Castle, leads the cast of the BBC’s new Agatha Christie adaptation.
He appears alongside Kaya Scodelario (Skins), Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster), Sean Pertwee (Elementary), Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Indian Summers), Poppy Gilbert (Call the Midwife) and Claire Skinner (Vanity Fair) in the new two-part period drama.
Watch the trailer:
The Pale Horse begins at 9pm on Sunday 9th February on BBC One in the UK.
The official synopsis reads: “When a murder investigation is launched into the death of a young woman, a mysterious list of names is discovered in her shoe -prompting an inquiry not only to find the killer, but also to understand the list of names. Who wrote the list, and who do these names refer to?”
Based on Christie’s 1961 novel, The Pale Horse sees Rufus Sewell play antiques dealer Mark Easterbrook.
Here, Sewell chats about the role and what to expect from the adaptation:
Tell us the story of The Pale Horse…
“The Pale Horse is actually an old village pub where three women who are rumoured to be witches live. There are a series of deaths that are inexplicable until they seem to be brought together by a list of names found in a dead woman’s shoe.
“Mark’s name is on this list with a question mark after it, and he doesn’t know why. In his past he lost his first wife and that haunts him. When she died he remarried very quickly after which was his way of coping with grief. That is certainly how some of his friends see it.
“This is the story of tracking down what’s behind these murders, why they’re connected and how and why they are connected to him.”
Can you describe your character?
“Mark Easterbrook is a man of his time. He comes from a very comfortable background, is used to wealth and has extremely good taste. He works in high-end antiques and has his own, very large store in a smart part of town. He likes flash motorcars and is a society person and is relatively well known. He has a certain confidence about him, which carries him quite far.
“He got married quickly to a very young and beautiful woman. To all intents and purposes he is someone who makes his life look good from the outside, but on the inside it’s a different story. He has a side to him that you wouldn’t necessarily spot.”
What drew you to the script?
“It has a viciousness to it, a dry, witty nastiness which appealed to me. It also has a surprisingly dark turn. In terms of genre, it’s a little bit indistinct. You may think that it’s one thing, and it may or it may not turn out like that. I was really surprised by where it went.
“I’ve always loved watching Agatha Christies and I’d never made one, so I was delighted to have the script sent to me.”
Which scenes have you found particularly memorable to do?
“Filming scenes with Henry Lloyd-Hughes has brought out such a different aspect of my character because we have a bit of fun together – our characters go out on the town together. It’s a very different feel with those scenes and they were great fun to do.
“All of the actors are so fantastic – Kaya, Georgina and the three brilliant women playing the witches! And Bertie Carvel was really wonderful, he’s a completely different character to who Mark Easterbrook is.”
Which other characters do you find intriguing?
“Hermia is an interesting character because you meet her at a certain stage in their relationship, where it’s very acidic between them and there is a lot of tension.
“You can tell that she’s lonely and haunted. They’re very separate, but there is a desire there, on at least one of their parts, to make it closer. Kaya was wonderful to work with.”
How do you think the show will feel different to a usual whodunit?
“It’s like reading something that’s a cross between An Education, The Wicker Man and Jacob’s Ladder. There’s an element to this story that is really quite surprising.
“It reminded me of a phrase Hitchcock once made about one of his film scripts: “It’s a nice, nasty little piece.””
What has Sarah Phelps brought to this adaptation?
“Sarah has eeked out the underlying energy, the twists and the turns that this story takes slightly more than in the original. People think they know this character but I don’t think they will after they’ve seen this.
“Sarah’s dialogue and scene descriptions are fantastic; it’s a delicious read for actors. It’s so well written.”
What’s it been like to be transported back to 1961?
“England in this period is new to me – it feels like a different world. It’s an exciting period to explore with great suits! It’s interesting for me because I come from a very different background to Mark and I really enjoyed slipping into that.
“I often find myself playing characters like this when the truth is so very different.”
What is it like being directed by Leo Lonsdale?
“This has been a great experience and quite intense in a way because we had to start with really big scenes. I like that because if you start with an incredibly important scene on your first day, day two is easier than usual because you’re already really blooded.
“I liked working with Leo the director very much, I could trust her. She’s really young and really talented.”
Why should people tune in to The Pale Horse?
“It appears to do everything it says on the tin, but look closer and it is breaking the mould. It’s set in hip London of the early 1960s which I don’t think audiences ever really associate with this genre or Agatha Christie, so it’s familiar yet strange.
“What I’ve always loved about Agatha Christie is the misfits she writes; she creates these wonderful, central characters who are both odd and so wonderful.”
The Pale Horse will be available to watch in the US later this year on Amazon Prime.
Poirot: The Complete Cases Collection DVD box set is available on Amazon.