The English | Interview with Rafe Spall (David Melmont)

Can you describe The English to the audience?

The English is an epic of Dickensian scope. It’s about revenge, taking what’s yours, the foundation of America, love and quite funny in parts.

How would you describe the show in 3 words?

Great American story

How would you describe your character in 3 words?

Heart of darkness

How did you come to be part of this project and what interested you the most on reading the scripts?

My involvement in The English came about because I had worked with Hugo Blick previously. I was doing a play in London, and he came and saw it and he said, “I’ve got something for you in this new thing I’m going to do, it’s a Western”. He asked me to read it and share my thoughts and if I’d like to be involved. It was an immediate yes even without reading the script and then I read it and it is of course, the heartbreaking work of staggering genius. The world, scope, characters, deep writing and locations. The opportunity to work with Hugo again – it was the easiest decision of my life.

What is it about Hugo’s writing and directing style that makes his production stand out from the rest?

This entire story has come from the mind of Hugo Blick. He’s not only a brilliant writer, but a truly brilliant director. He’s very kind, which might be surprising for some people, because he’s capable of writing such darkness. He’s always extremely calm, even if there’s fifteen horses in a scene, guns, stunts, wagons and 90-degree heat. Getting to work with him and be a part of delivering this thing that – in the reading of it – seems his magnum opus, is a genuine career high.

What was your favourite moment from the series, and why?

There’s been a few moments on set where I’ve gone “I’m in a Western, that’s crazy!”. This is the sort of stuff you imagined acting to be like when you were a kid. Usually, in my career, I’m in a car park in London somewhere in the drizzle. But this is very special and to be filming here in Spain with an exceptional world class Spanish crew has been a massive joy.

How have you found shooting in Spain?

This is my first time shooting in Spain. There are these extraordinary rocks and plains. I tricked myself into thinking I’m in the American West.

Can you tell us more about your character and what drives him?

David Melmont is a man accompanying an English Aristocrat – who is a second son of a big family – to the American West to do a recce of the land, where they intend to bring 50,000 head of cattle. My character commits an atrocity as part of a massacre, where 100 Native American women and children and defenseless people are murdered. He is truly bad to the bone, but at the same time, I’m still playing a human being – no matter how bad they are. It gives you a big launching pad to be very creative. It’s been a challenge, but one that I’ve relished and loved.

Could you describe your experience working with other members of the cast?

Acting opposite Emily Blunt in this has been incredible. She’s got such acting chops – very alive, brilliant, versatile, and fun. She paints with very fine brush strokes. This is a real cornucopia of a cast, with extraordinary talent – real black belts. You’ve got actors like Toby Jones and Ciarán Hinds and it’s a testament to the material that you’ve got all these talented actors coming to do the show.

I’ve loved seeing the emergence of a new star, Chaske Spencer. He’s just brilliant and he looks and acts like a movie star. He’s so still, detailed, beautiful and incredible.

Why do you think it is important to tell this story now?

When you are part of any story you have to ask yourself: “why now?”. There must be a social relevance and pertinence whenever you approach something. There are myriad reasons why this is pertinent now. Different people will get different things from it. It’s extraordinary to be a part of a story which is representing that experience and the harsh truths about the blood that underpins all Western civilization.

A theme of the show is class. A working-class man from England comes to the American West and has an epiphany about how that stuff doesn’t apply to him anymore – and that’s the American Dream. The American Dream is a positive thing, but there’s a dark underbelly to it. For certain people to achieve their dream, others have got to have a nightmare.

Can you tell us a bit about your costumes?

We’re lucky to have the wonderful Phoebe de Gaye as the Costume Designer on this. She’s been responsible for some of the most iconic costumes on British television. She saw the character as being a bit flamboyant. Her saying that inspired how I played the character. Then you go to the costume fitting and that’s my first entry point for a character, because once I’ve got a frock on, I know what I’m going to do with it. And you start moving about it in – especially with period costumes – it makes you stand and in a different way. A large part of what I’ve thrown at this character is down to her.

In a big scene in the show, I’m wearing an extraordinary ankle-length fur lined, fur collared coat, two pairs of trousers, a beautiful waistcoat and some extraordinary tiny sunglasses with the idea being that my character has become rich and has gone to New York or some other metropolis. He’s spent his money and has convinced himself that he’s wearing these clothes, even if on a drill site or getting covered in mulch. It’s because he owns them now, and he feels like he owns America.

Why do you think this series will resonate with a global audience?

This is a show for everyone. It’s glamorous, fun, evocative. The landscapes, sets and costumes are incredible. That’s the stuff that pulls you in and the things that keep you there are the universally relatable things: love, revenge, people trying to get by when they feel the world is against them. At the core of it are Emily and Chaske’s characters trying to do the right thing.

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