Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Rupert Mannion comes up as The Devil in his ex-wifes phone.
Really, can you blame her?
Its all so diabolical, his name might as well be RupertMinion.
A lot of us are very insecure, Head explains.
So its such fun being able to play someone else who isnt.
I know we have more important matters to discuss, but can we start with Ruperts Darth Vaderesque coat?
It exuded authority and you looked fabulous in it.Well, thank you.
I then whispered that same thing intoNick Mohammeds ear.
Wearing a coat like that is wonderful.
When you walk away, you know youre flowing and have a cloak behind you.
It was a fun little twist to put in there.
Your character endsTed Lassoas the sole villain who doesnt redeem himself.
Are you happy with this outcome?Yes, I am.
I loved episode ten, the Super League scene, where the whole thing with Rupert and Rebecca happens.
But then, no.
Lets havea spinoff series.
What does this mans heart and soul look like?Hes a narcissist.
Jason and I were talking about how there are elements of him being a sociopath.
Its like everything in the show: Its based on how characters have grown and have been built.
It may have been his childhood or his teenage years.
It made him into a rich man, but not somebody who was necessarily productive.
Hes very good at seeing things and making people feel enriched.
His sexual behavior, which he always thought he could get away with, was suddenly in the light.
I wanted to play it like he finally realized he wasnt going to get away with it.
Weve primarily seen that in a material sense, both what he owns and his choice in trophy wives.
But how do you think that applies to a level of fulfillment?
Why would you do that?
How is that going to be good for anyone?But they believe the world revolves around them.
If he wants Miss Kakes, hell get Miss Kakes.
Hes bored with Bex because shes dealing with his [daughter] now.
Its hard to say what he wants, because he just wants to win.
He doesnt really think twice about anything.
He just assumes hes right.
The whole thing with narcissism is until a narcissist actually owns it, they dont know who they are.
Its a mental journey.
The whole show is about the way that were all becoming who we are.
We shouldnt be scared of building and learning.
Thats what makes life.
But someone like Rupert isnt going to go through that.
Hell probably feel like hes been prosecuted and singled out.
Hell say Miss Kakes came on to him.
Thetenth episoderevealed another side of Rupert when he took the moral high ground for that proposed Super League.
This was the only time we got a better understanding of why Rebecca used to be attracted to him.
In what ways did you want to ensure you humanized him?I allowed warmth to come through.
Any part is about playing a person, not a character.
All of us have a lot of levels.
The third season was about allowing us to see more of him and his manipulation.
But he wouldnt think hes being manipulative.
He would think hes helping people do what was right for him.
When I read the script for episode ten, I thought it was so lovely.
Jason and I talked about it early on.
I chatted to him a lot about where I was headed.
We talked about how sociopaths dont cry.
But that said too much.
It needed to be more fragile, so we went with nothing at all.
But it goes back to him wanting to have power.
You play what you feel.
I remember several years ago I went to an acting school in Los Angeles called Beverly Hills Playhouse.
The teachers whole ethos was: The words will take care of themselves.
Just play the emotions.
Try them out in the air.
Nicks journey was more specific and potentially more complex.
I can understand why he wanted to know further details.
But with Rupert, the course was cleverly set.
Him dropping out of sight was essential.
But here, it didnt all play on-camera.
Not all is said.
The show asks us to have a thought about that.
But its not as powerful as wanker.
And a newspaper headline a few days later confirms he was ousted at the club.
Something that would undermine the core of his business.
Because there has been a bit of that.
People who have lots of money can be pulled to that sort of thing.
