Tuesday, 29 May 2018

Poldark S4: Tom York is Sam Carne

 
Tom York as Sam Carne  Photo: BBC
Demelza’s little brother, Sam Carne, gets into a few scrapes in this series of Poldark. Tom York reveals some of the drama we can expect to see, including a Cornish wrestling match.

‘Sam agrees to a Cornish wrestling match with the brutish Tom Harry (Turlough Convery) for the love of Emma Tregirls (Ciara Charteris), who has promised to attend church with him if he wins. Sam agrees to fight in the hope of finally providing her with the chance to fall in love with Methodism in a way that he has. Filming the match was so much fun. It is a real joy as an actor when you have something so physical to get your teeth into.

'We had to wear the traditional Cornish wrestling jackets, which were our only weapons against each other, as you grab on to each other’s jacket in order to pin your opponent down on the ground. The object is to lift and throw your opponent so that he falls flat onto his back. It was exhausting. It was choreographed but we really wanted to get an authentic feel for it so we had a lot of room to play around within that and get really involved. It is a really long fight so when you see us panting and sweating there is no acting and very little make-up. It was a really immersive experience and it was great fun. From the reactions of the people who were watching it is going to be very exciting.’

Tom reveals that this series kicks off to a very dramatic start.

‘This series covers the time period where crisis is at the highest level it has ever been in Cornwall. The miners and local community find out that grain is being shipped away from this starving population because they can get a better price for it abroad, and so people get very angry and want to do something about it. For Sam, violence is not the way to get something done but people are starving…
From the first moment, in classic Poldark style, Sam gets straight in the middle of something he really shouldn’t be in the middle of and drama takes hold straight away.’

Tom reveals what else is in store for Sam and his family this series.

‘Sam is slowly starting to integrate himself into Ross and Demelza’s lives, although still with trepidation because there is still friction there due to different beliefs and ways of living their lives. Whereas he was dogmatic last year he is much more malleable this year and is trying to find a more generous approach to living.

'He wants to love his family and be a good man and his way of navigating his beliefs previously was inhibiting his ability to do that. After the great shock of the first episode he relaxes and begins to accept his family for the good people that they are.’

Sam’s relationship with his younger brother, Drake, changes this year. Tom divulges a little about their bond and why that shift is necessary.

‘A lot has happened and continues to happen with Drake and he is in a much more difficult state this series. So because of that, the dynamic really changes between these brothers. Sam’s natural instinct is to protect but he realises that it is not working and whatever he seems to do Drake just seems to fall further into this dark place. Sam has to let Drake just be, more than ever and allow his brother to deal with things by himself more than he is used to.

'That in itself is a real lesson Sam is learning, he always wants to do what is best for other people but he has maybe seen last year that trying to control everything for everyone doesn’t work so this time he is trying to let Drake figure things out for himself.  He hopes that by giving him that space he will make the right decisions. It is a difficult lesson for a big brother to learn.’

Relaxing into his faith and into the notion of letting things be isn’t something Sam finds so easy when it comes to matters of the heart…

‘In a big way it comes down to fighting for love this series for Sam. He fights with himself a lot because Emma, as you have seen from previous series, is not necessarily who we would all say Sam is destined to be with but you can’t help whom you fall in love with and Sam falls in a really big way.

'The relationship with Emma is what I am most excited for audiences to see because it is a beautiful one but also a difficult one that I hope people will be able to relate to. Emma represents so many things he wishes he could be and some things he definitely doesn’t wish to be… but he can’t help loving her and even though he knows she is probably not right for him he can’t stop his heart. I think a lot of people can relate to that struggle.’


 Source: BBC Media Centre

Related Links:
Poldark S4: Rebecca Front is Lady Whitworth
Heida Reed is Elizabeth Warleggan
Jack Farthing Talks George Warleggan
Poldark S4: Gabriella Wilde is Caroline Enys
Poldark S4: Luke Norris is Dwight Enys
Poldark S4: Christian Brassington Talks Reverend Osborne Whitworth
 Poldark S4: Harry Richardson is Drake Carne
Poldark S4: Ellise Chappell is Morwenna Whitworth
Beatie Edney Talks Poldark S4
Poldark S4: Ciara Charteris is Emma Tregirls

Thursday, 25 May 2017

Dramatic Start to 'Poldark' Series 3


"Fourth!" Aidan Turner covers his mouth with his hand and gives this aside, then looks around with a boyish grin as the audience bursts into laughter. I'm at the press preview for Poldark series three and the Q&A panel (Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson, Luke Norris, Jack Farthing and Karen Thrussell) have just been asked if they're happy Poldark's going out in June. It catches them off guard. Has June been confirmed? Can they say? Then Aidan breaks the tension by pretending to know the date and teases Karen Thrussell.

Aidan Turner
We've just watched the first episode of Poldark and, boy, is it good! It's fast moving with lots of drama, tense scenes and a sprinkling of humour. It's set a few months after the end of series two with an uneasy truce between Demelza and Ross; Elizabeth pregnant and married to George Warleggan; and Caroline and Dwight finding love.

The episode opens with the dramatic scene of Elizabeth's horse bolting. The scene was shown at the BFI and Radio Times Festival and, yes, it still judders before your eyes. Talking us through it Aidan says, "There was quite a big horse scene at the beginning. I don't think I'm telling tales out of school to say we went back to shoot it again because it took so long to get it right. We had the stunt guys around for that scene. It was a difficult one to nail down. But it's always fun playing around with the horses."  So is he now known for his horse riding? "Yeah, "he grins, "I'm known for horse-action. That's meeee!"

Eleanor Tomlinson
Elizabeth's baby is born and, while there may be some question on the baby's paternity, executive producer Karen Thrussell assures us, "We don't know who the father is. In the books it's not clear."  "What about the little scar?" chips in Aidan to much laughter. Karen continues,"We don't know and neither does Elizabeth for certain and neither does Demelza and neither does Ross."

The episode moves on apace then all of a sudden, excitingly, there's a moment on the beach I'd expected to see in series two and its absence caused not a little disappointment. But here it is!  In a different context to what I'd thought but a thrill to see it on screen at last! Were the fans listened to? I like to think so!

Ross pays a visit to George Warleggan at his impressive bank. Will there be fisticuffs this time? "Certainly with Ross he's getting older and more mature," says Aidan,"There are only so many barroom brawls you can get in to before somebody loses his life. They have their families to consider. It's part of growing up." Does that mean George has improved? "He's definitely worse," says Jack, "But he's also got better because you see more of him emotionally: his angst, his vulnerability."

Jack Farthing
Ross's good friend Dwight Enys has his own joys and disappointments in this first episode. Luke says, "Dwight tries to be a fundamentally decent, wonderful man and fails quite a lot. He's a guy whose moral compass is really right on but circumstances conspire against him - a lot! He makes some bad choices too."

Several of the scenes I saw filmed on my visit to Bottleyard Studio last year are in this first episode, and those of you who've read my set report may pick up on Demelza saying "pudding" and letters arriving at Nampara without a seal!

It wouldn't be Poldark of course if there weren't waves crashing against the rocks and a gallop along
the cliffs although this time it's not Ross but Demelza speeding away!

Luke Norris
So who can you expect to see in this first episode? Well, in addition to the main cast there are some returning characters: Ray Penvenen (John Nettles), Tom Carne (Mark Frost), Captain Henshawe (John Hollingworth) and Harris Pascoe (Richard Hope). There are some new faces too. Ellise Chappell is Morwenna, Elizabeth's cousin and Harry Marcus plays Elizabeth's son Geoffrey Charles, who joins Aunt Agatha as another Poldark thorn in George Warleggan's side. Harry Richardson and Tom York play Demelza's brothers Drake and Sam. Eleanor says, "Working with them both was amazing. Tom York and Harry Richardson are my best friends now. I had such a blast and it's so lovely to have new people coming into the cast. It brings a real new energy."

Sadly, Jud (Phil Davis) is absent from series three. But there's a new character coming back into Ross's life: Tholly Tregirls (Sean Gilder). Tholly was around when Ross was a boy and was a good friend to both Ross and his father, Joshua Poldark. Sean says he believes Tholly knows Ross better than anyone. Debbie Horsfield explains, "With Tholly you can see where Ross got his bad lad tendencies. The problem is, Ross has changed in these 13 years. He isn't always the wild tearaway though there are still those tendencies. He is his right-hand man in many escapades."  Aidan enjoyed working with Sean, "Sean is such a cool fella. We just got on great."  And is it true they had fun in every scene? "We're really cool people to hang out with," he jokes.

Poldark will be back on our screens on BBC One in June. Get ready to fall in love with it all over again!

Photo credit: Evie Bowman for Poldarked

Please remember to credit Poldarked when reposting from this article.

Related links:
Letters, Puddings and Drama: On the Set of Poldark Series 3
Pics from Poldark S3 Preview Screening
Ross and Demelza: A Happier Time

Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Pics from 'Poldark' S3 Preview Screening

Here are a few pics from the Q&As at last night's Poldark S3 preview screening. Sorry, there's no report as news from the event is embargoed for a while.

Poldark S3 Q&A, Aidan Turner, Luke Norris, Eleanor Tominson, Jack Farthing
Photo: Evie Bowman


Poldark S3 screening, Eleanor Tominson,
Eleanor Tomlinson 


Poldark S3 screening, Luke Norris
Luke Norris


Poldark S3 screening,Aidan Turner
Aidan Turner 

Poldark S3 screening,Aidan Turner
Aidan and Jack Farthing




Poldark S3 screening,Aidan Turner


Poldark S3 screening,Aidan Turner




Karen Thrussell, Luke Norris, Eleanor Tomlinson


Poldark S3 screening,Ellise Chappell
Ellise Chappell (Morwenna)

Poldark S3 screening,Harry Richardson, Tom York, Debbie Horsfield
Debbie Horsfield, Harry Richardson (Drake), Tom York (Sam)


All photos by Evie Bowman.


Friday, 11 November 2016

First look at 'Poldark' Series Three



In this first look at Poldark Series Three we see some of the familiar faces who'll be returning and get a glimpse of the new characters Sam and Drake Carne (Harry Richardson and Tom York,) Morwenna Chynoweth (Ellise Chappell), Tholly Tregirls (Sean Gilder), Reverend Osborne Whitworth (Christian Brassington) and Hugh Armitage (Joshua Whitehaouse).

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Drake, Sam and Morwenna Cast in Poldark S3

Exciting news!
Drake and Sam Carne, Demelza's brothers, and Morwenna, Elizabeth's cousin, have been cast in Poldark S3 and don't they all look just right?

Poldark S3, Harry Richardson, Ellise Chappell, Tom orke, Drake, Morwenna, Sam Carne
Harry Richardson, Ellise Chappell and Tom York


If you haven't read the books then let me just say that these are important characters with some of the best story lines and are very much a part of the Poldark saga. 

Sam takes after his father and is a devout Methodist holding on to his faith no matter what he faces. He'll be played by Tom York whose credits include two other Mammoth Screen productions Endeavour and Agatha Raisin.  He was also in an episode of  Death in Paradise earlier this year (but not the same one as Heida Reed). Tom comes from Hampshire.  He trained at LAMDA in London for four years from the unusually young age of 17. You can follow him on Twitter at @TomYork_ 

Harry Richardson has been cast as Drake, the good-natured younger brother who knows how he should behave but can't resist going his own way. Harry was one of the leads in the period drama Doctor Thorne. He graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2014 and, although he has lived in Australia for some years, he went to school in England until he was 12.

Morwenna comes to live in Trenwith as governess to Elizabeth and Francis's son Geoffrey Charles. Ellise Chappell has been cast in the role. Last year Ellise appeared in the National Youth Theatre's REP Season and she was on our TV screens recently in the drama New Blood. Ellise's Twitter is @Ellisehere

Filming on Poldark S3 started this week so the cast are already busy.

But what I want to know is, who is playing Hugh Armitage?
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