Freddie Wise is Geoffrey Charles Poldark

Photo: BBC Poldark trailer

Freddie Wise is still in shock after landing the role of an older but not necessarily wiser Geoffrey Charles in the final series of Poldark. He explains just how much it means to him to join the cast of such a popular BBC show: ‘Being told I had got the role of Geoffrey Charles was surreal because 99.9% of your time as an actor is spent being rejected so when you experience success it feels a little odd at first! My mum and my sister are huge Poldark fans so were quite aggressive in their well wishings for my auditions. I genuinely still can’t believe that I am in a show that is going to be seen by so many people! Everyone on set was so lovely that when I was filming I was allowed to just be in the moment and tell the story without feeling any pressure.’

Freddie describes what is in store for Geoffrey Charles is at the start of the new series: ‘When you meet Geoffrey Charles at the beginning of the series he is very lost, particularly after losing his mother, Elizabeth (Heida Reed) at the end of series four. At the same time he is a product of his upbringing, everything is repressed and the way to deal with things is by drinking or spending money you don’t have and doing material things to avoid dealing with any of the real emotional aspects of it all. He is trying to find a purpose and he looks up to Ross (Aidan Turner) and has always wanted to see himself as this kind of alpha male type so he decides he wants to join the military at Great Marlow to prove to himself that he can be a man with purpose, as the idea is that when you are an officer you are a gentleman. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or what class you belong to, that is your status and that appeals greatly to him.’

Having never been welcomed or loved by his stepfather, George Warleggan (Jack Farthing), Freddie explains that the relationship between these two is as fractious as ever. ‘Their relationship is very contentious; they despise each other. When you are young, if someone sees you in a certain way you tend to play up to that. George sees Geoffrey Charles as a spoiled brat and so whenever he is in the company of George he will play up to that picture of himself and succumb to it. Those moments to film were amazing for me as Jack is such a brilliant actor.

‘Geoffrey Charles is much more similar to George than he would care to admit. They’re both obsessed with the family name, they’re both silently obsessed with status and they are also both grieving and unable to properly deal with that.  Both of them share this immense grief but neither of them would address it with the other, certainly not in a way that is caring.’

Photo: BBC

Whilst Geoffrey Charles’s relationship with George is antagonistic at best, he has a bond with and admiration for Ross and Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) that is even stronger this series: ‘Geoffrey’s relationship with Ross is very strong and what is interesting is that he would always look up to Ross as the man he should aspire to be but he also starts to realise this series how much Demelza has, behind the scenes, done for him. She was there for him when he was sick and he realises that she has actually been an important person in his life and he hasn’t shown her the gratitude he should have. Scenes with Ross were easy to play because when you have Aidan Turner putting his arm around you and acting brotherly it feels great and is similar to what Geoffrey Charles is feeling.’

Freddie reveals that Geoffrey falls in love this series with a fiery and independent young lady, Cecily Hanson (Lily Dodsworth-Evans): ‘When Geoffrey Charles first meets Cecily he tries his luck with her and is shut down which causes him to come crashing down back to reality and realise that he is not nearly as cool as he would like to think. When they meet each other again they develop a companionship that neither of them have had with anyone their own age. To have someone they are equal with is new and exciting and they start this wonderful friendship.

‘Soon however he develops feelings for her as she shows him that it is ok to be the person he really is, which is a sensitive young man and an emotionally engaged, vulnerable person. She also allows him to see that there are problems in the world far greater than his and she teaches him to be a lot less selfish. When you find true love that person is meant to make you want to be the best version of yourself and that is what happens subconsciously for Geoffrey Charles when he meets Cecily.’


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Source:  BBC Press Pack