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Joe Goldberg Wasn’t Alone the Whole Time You season 4, after a mental breakdown, Rhys Montrose became the psychological embodiment of Joe’s psychosis. Rhys was a real person, but one who had never met him. Joe became obsessed with Rhys’ life and eventually killed him as real life collided with his insanity.
In season 4 part 2Rhys was completely free with Jo. Ed Spellers Chewed up this meaty role and became the breakout star of the new season. But this is not his only notable role in 2023. The British actor who was a total scene-stealer as Stephen Bonnet outlanderalso starring in the new season of Star Trek: Picard As Picard’s son. HollywoodLife AD spoke exclusively with Ed about these memorable roles and what’s next.
At the end of the season, it seems that Rhys is gone from Jo’s mind forever, but then Jo sees him in his reflection in New York. Has Sera Gamble talked to you about what this means for Rhys since Part One aired?
Ed Spielers: I mean, not since Part One. During the shoot, I had a long conversation with Cera about the ending of part one and part two because there were some very emotional things coming up in the script, as you’ve seen. She wanted to break it, and she was quite forthright and flirted with the idea of saying, look, we’re looking at a potential in the seasons ahead, No hard fast selling on that. Nothing concrete. I haven’t heard anything since I was together pen [Badgley] On my podcast the other day and we were joking a little bit about it. I don’t know anything right now.
Over the course of the season, what do you think Rhys represented to Jo?
Ed Spielers: good question I think he’s a version of who he is to Joe. I think that’s the affable nature that you see in Rhys especially in the second half… not necessarily the volatility as I think that’s been in Joe, but the way that it’s like being this devil on your shoulder. I think there was a charisma for Rhys. I think maybe this is something that whoever wants to can reveal, although he has his own charisma. He has been very successful with Karishma. I think there’s a side of Jo that sees Rhys as he wishes he could be. It’s everything he wishes it could be, I guess.
This is the element of success that Joe never understood. Even when he thinks he’s got what he wants, Joe always springs back to get something else. I think Rhys is the embodiment of that successful, building-yourself-from-the-ground ideal that Joe has always aspired to, but never fully understood.
Ed Spielers: I think that’s a good thing, and I think the reason why she connected with Rhys is because there are similar parts. He is not just looking at the higher echelons of society. He is seeing someone where there is a clear similarity in their journey. I guess that’s why he goes, if he can do it, so can I.
I love that the dynamic between Rhys and Jo explores platonic passion rather than a romantic one. Especially in today’s world, there is so much envy. People are constantly comparing themselves to others. Along with Jo’s obsession with Rhys, she looks to have the life and image she aspires to and takes on it to an obsessive degree.
Ed Spielers: I think it sheds some light on the toxic world we live in at the moment, which is a dangerous thing, isn’t it? I’m on social media. I see it and you are its witness. It’s something that people are constantly grappling with, as well as what is a good level of appreciation of something in someone, and when does it spread too much into something, and to the point where it is harmful to you and Doesn’t let you be happy with who you are.
Throughout Season 4, you mostly got to work with Penn. What was the fun about getting Joe and Rhys to have a dynamic with him? Rhys advocated a lot of terrible things, but he never lied to Jo, at least.
Ed Spielers: The way it’s written, and what I love about the show, is that you can deal with these really controversial issues, heinous crimes, and still enjoy the way it’s made. allowed to take. You are allowed to get away with it. I think they have a great relationship going well because, yes, some of the things Rhys encourages Jo to do are terrible. But still, there’s a real levity in the way he does it. I think especially in that second part, though, he’s having fun. He was enjoying this moment very much. Penn and I discussed that a lot because as the show progressed, he and I discussed how it was going to work, how the audience might react to certain things differently. Passion turns into something much more platonic. But in terms of our day-to-day, I think Penn and I hit it off pretty quickly. He’s a fiercely intelligent man, but he has such a laid-back attitude and perspective that he’s a very calming presence. I really enjoyed working with him and being so close to him. I think he did because I think it was a different time for him. He was actually able to have a full conversation with a character, for starters. It wasn’t all going on in his head so there was a good back and forth game. He’s amazingly funny, and I think we really dialed in the comedic element, which was a lot of fun with him as well.
Do you think Jo will be able to get rid of Rhys forever?
Ed Spielers: I hope not because it means I can get to do something else. I mean, it’s a good question. I imagine he should be able to deal with that in order to give some closure to the story, to give some closure to that part of the story. But I think the thing with Joe is that it doesn’t mean that how he actually behaves is going to put a stop to this impulsiveness and the monstrous things that he does. I think the moment we’re exploring, is this a reason for this? Is this a reason for him behaving like this? I guess at some point Rhys has to get rid of him.
How do you think Rhys feels about Kate?
Ed Spielers: Because of everything that happened around Kate and her father and her background, I think he sees a very strong woman in Kate. In the long run, he thinks she’s basically a good match for Jo because I think it could allow them to work with each other. With Kate not in his life, does it give Rhys more longevity? I think that because they end up setting the very wealthy in New York, I think that Rhys will think that this is something that he can take advantage of and use to his advantage.
You also play Jack Crusher in Star Trek: Picard? Did you know going in that you were going to play Picard’s son?
Ed Spielers: I knew long ago. Once the offer was made, I was told that he was going to be Picard’s son. I feel strange saying that for so long I have been shrouded in secrecy. Now I can say this. The offer was made. I knew that much. but in terms of a full breakdown of what was happening, until I talked Terry Matalas, the audience, and he gave me everything, all the details, all the action of what’s going to happen. This is very important. Jack’s story is grim. He described it as an origin story. That’s his pitch. That is his thinking. That’s what we’re thinking and hoping.
When you tell the origin story and with Picard ending, is this the jumping off point for Jack?
Ed Spielers: In an ideal world, yes. this is terry [Matalas] Wants. I would love that. Haven’t received any signal from Paramount or Alex KurtzmanAny such person, if so necessary. star trek Such a respected show, and it’s had such a huge fan following over many decades. I think as a natural consequence, this means that universes can always exist, and that means that characters can always have other lives. I think it’s a breeding ground that can create more. I loved this role from start to finish. I get very emotional thinking about it because it means a lot to me and my family. This is a very long answer, but I guess that’s what I’ve been trying for so long to get here. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve been trying to find a way to land a job here and it’s been great for the most part. It finally happened and it happened at a point where things weren’t working out with work, so I feel very, very privileged and that part has a very dear place in my heart. I would love to do more.
Obviously, being Picard’s son it’s a lot of pressure. Do you feel that way at all?
Ed Spielers: Absolutely. I mean, you can’t escape the pressure. I think what I’ve learned over the years and especially You And picard It’s that you have to turn that pressure into some kind of positive energy and an outlet that can enrich you instead of suppress you and I think allow you to express yourself. I’m a big fan of sports, especially football, so I always look at what their regimes are, what their training schedules are and how they approach things because I’m fascinated by it. There are similarities in acting. You are out on your own a lot of the time and you have to focus, so there was pressure. But I had to turn it into a good resource and have some fun with it. Because when you work with these people the pressure is off because they want to work too. They want to focus on making these scenes as good as possible.
How was your first conversation with Patrick Stewart?
Ed Spielers: Our first conversation was we went for lunch. He and I kind of broke bread, shared a glass of wine, discussed all things England, Yorkshire football, theatre. I think we bonded very quickly. He is an amazing person. For someone still striving to better themselves at an older age and still wanting to change every day… They did series two and three back-to-back day in and day out. This is a lot, and he still brought it with me. I think we built a rapport because we didn’t always have to say a lot to each other. I think we love wrestling with each other in the scenes. The relationship evolved and the relationship was ongoing with me and him through the narrative. We became famous.
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