Current:Home > Stocks'A lot of fun with being diabolical': Theo James on new Netflix series 'The Gentlemen' -MoneyStream
'A lot of fun with being diabolical': Theo James on new Netflix series 'The Gentlemen'
View
Date:2025-04-14 21:33:19
Licentious business bro Cameron Sullivan may have checked out of “The White Lotus,” but Theo James has no plans to depart his villain era.
“You can have a lot of fun with being diabolical,” the 39-year-old British actor says. “I think the idea of making the audience despise you is a different challenge, and also the best stories are the ones which skirt the bounds of morality – what is good and what is bad? Who is selfish and who is selfless? They're the most interesting narrative tales.”
For James’ first role since frenemy Cam, who isn't afraid to hit on your wife, James traded sipping spritzes in Italy for "standing in a freezing car park in February outside north London" to star in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series, “The Gentlemen.” The spinoff of Ritchie's2019 movie features a new set of characters. “We're not going to see Matthew McConaughey, as much as I would have liked to have seen his sweet face,” James quips dryly.
Who's in 'White Lotus' Season 3?Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell and Patrick Schwarzenegger
In the series, James portrays British army captain Eddie Horniman, who's heir to his father’s Duke of Halstead title and estate, much to the chagrin of his too-reckless-to-function older brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings). Eddie soon discovers his family home also serves as a grow house for a cannabis empire run by the imprisoned Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) and his daughter Susie (Kaya Scodelario), who oversees operations.
“Sometimes in business you have to be tough, you have to do certain things that (aren’t) right to survive,” Winstone says of his cutthroat character. “What (Bobby) does, he does for his family.”
Desperate to sever ties with the Glasses and their illicit enterprise, Eddie shucks his moral compass and assists the kingpins with their crimes.
“Susie sees quite early on that (Eddie’s) got the guts for it,” says Scodelario. “She recognizes that, as a soldier and as an heir to an insane fortune, he's just as much of a gangster as she is.”
There’s an undeniable allure to the criminal underworld that Eddie can’t shake. “He becomes addicted to the power and addicted to what that causes in him,” James says, “even though he's kidding himself that he's still doing it for his family.”
There are similarities to “Breaking Bad,” when Bryan Cranston's Walter White admits in the series finale that he became a meth kingpin not selflessly for his family, but selfishly for himself. “The idea of a moral man being slowly corrupted by power has its parallels," James acknowledges. "What is different for this show and for Guy is you're melding the idea of hyper-privilege aristocracy in Britain.”
Up next, James will tackle “The Monkey,” which he describes as an “elevated horror film,” inspired by Stephen King’s 1980 short story about a toy monkey who can send someone to their death with the clap of its cymbals.
“Oz Perkins, who's a friend and a great horror director, is directing,” James says, “And I'm kind of excited about it.”
And just like Eddie, Duke of hashish, it’s a life that looks completely different than James' that appeals to the father of two. The actor seeks a future with a dimmer spotlight, one that involves more opportunities behind the camera. (James served as an executive producer on Netflix’s 2022 docuseries “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet,” as well as “The Desperate Hour” and PBS' “Sanditon.”)
“I'm quite a private person, and sometimes I think in the future I'd like to kind of gently step into the shadows and maybe live a different life,” he says. “There's an element of hustle that goes with being an actor … but I feel like when I'm old, grey and hobbling on one leg, I won't have the energy for that. So I'd prefer to be behind the scenes in that way.
“I'm lucky,” he adds. “I get to lead a life that isn't really affected by (fame) hugely, but I think for people who are incredibly famous, should we say, it can be very restrictive on their lives, and it can be very restrictive on their families.”
Nick Swardson escortedoff stage during standup show, blames drinking and edibles
veryGood! (6)
Related
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- AP news site hit by apparent denial-of-service attack
- 1 man dead in Kentucky building collapse that trapped 2, governor says
- Best states to live in, 2023. See where your state ranks for affordability, safety and more.
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Joe Jonas Reacts When CVS Security Guard Says He “Looks Crazy”
- Israel criticizes South American countries after they cut diplomatic ties and recall ambassadors
- Cornell University student Patrick Dai arrested for posting antisemitic threats online
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Who Is Peregrine Pearson? Bend the Knee to These Details About Sophie Turner's Rumored New Man
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Horoscopes Today, November 1, 2023
- Cleanup is done on a big Kansas oil spill on the Keystone system, the company and EPA say
- Bankrupt and loving it: Welcome to the lucrative world of undead brands
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Alabama parents arrested after their son's decomposing body found in broken freezer
- Cornell student accused of threatening Jewish students held without bail after first court appearance
- McDonald's, Chipotle to raise prices in California as minimum wage increases for workers
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Jason Aldean stands behind 'Try That in a Small Town' amid controversy: 'I don't feel bad'
A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed after visitors allegedly try to hold a young bear
Puppy zip-tied, abandoned on Arizona highway rescued by trucker, troopers say
Small twin
Kenya is raising passenger fares on a Chinese-built train as it struggles to repay record debts
Chic and Practical Ways to Store Thanksgiving Leftovers
Gender-affirming care is life-saving, research says. Why is it so controversial?