‘10 years after Poldark, I hope my brooding period drama fills the void’
The actor called his latest TV series a 'dream job'.
Sam Claflin has been a familiar face on our screens for over a decade.
He won the hearts of Hunger Games fans as Finnick Odair in the dystopian film franchise, left cinemagoers heartbroken opposite Emilia Clarke in Me Before You, and gave a sinister performance as real-life fascist politician Oswald Mosley in Peaky Blinders.
Now, the 39-year-old is playing arguably his most vengeful role yet, becoming the latest actor to embody Alexandre Dumas’ legendary literary character Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Cristo.
Metro recently spoke to Sam about portraying the compelling character, remarking how ever since Poldark began 10 years ago, it’s felt as though there’s been a gap on TV for a new brooding period drama… and perhaps The Count of Monte Cristo could fill that void.
‘I definitely hope so. I know there have been shows like Bridgerton that have brought a fresh edge to the genre, but I think there’s always an audience for these classic retellings,’ he responds.
‘As a kid who grew up watching The Three Musketeers and being such a fan of Alexander Dumas’ previous works, that world and that era is strangely exciting and almost fantastical, because it feels much before our time. So it almost feels like a history lesson.’
Poldark ‘put Aidan Turner on the map’, Sam remarks (Picture: BBC/Mammoth Screen) The actor says it was a ‘dream’ to star in the latest adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo (Picture: France Televisions/RAI) Comment nowWhat’s your favourite role that Sam Claflin has played? Have your say belowComment NowIt was apparently evident during our Zoom call how big a fan I am of dark period dramas, as he then added: ‘You can only hope that audiences are craving as much as you seem to be, but I definitely feel like it has all the elements that could, could make it a must-watch.’
Like us, Sam couldn’t believe it when he took stock of the fact that Poldark – which shot Aidan Turner to a stratospheric level of fame as the scything army captain Ross Poldark – is 10 years old.
‘I definitely am like you. I love historical drama. But I guess we haven’t had that much,’ he says. ‘I remember when it was all the rage, it put Aidan Turner on the map. It was a great series.’
Edmond Dantès has been depicted multiple times in films and TV shows over the years, with actors who’ve taken on the role including the likes of John Gilbert, Richard Chamberlain and Jim Caviezel.
The character embarks on a warpath for revenge when he’s wrongfully imprisoned for several years and separated from the love of his life. When Edmond returns to society, he’s transformed into the Count of Monte Cristo and is a shadow of the man he was before.
