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Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Iwan Rheon
(photo: Dave M. Bennett/Getty)
Warning: Possible casting and plot spoilers both for Misfits and Game of Thrones ahead.
It's tough doing an oversees phone interview with U.K. actors when the connection is spotty and the Olympics festivities are going on full blare in the background. But Misfits stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Iwan Rheon were game if we were, and it was particularly sporting of Rheon as he's no longer even on the series. (He left at the end of Season 3 when his character traveled back in time.) But Rheon is thrilled that American TV audiences are finally getting to see the show [now airing on Logo] since he and the rest of the Misfits cast and crew "put so much work into it, and so much love."
Here's six things we learned via our chat that might interest fans of Misfits, Iwan Rheon, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett... and even fans of HBO's Game of Thrones.
1. Of the Season 1 cast of Misfits, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett is the least like his character.
His character Curtis is a track and field star, whereas Stewart-Jarrett "regularly loses at table tennis." The actor is also not nearly as serious as the character he plays, something that comes across on our call. Curious who in the Season 1 Misfits cast is the most like the character they play? Stewart-Jarrett and Rheon both agree it's a tie between Lauren Socha (Kelly) and Robert Sheehan (Nathan).
2. Sorry guys, the mysterious new Season 4 Misfit "Alex," is probably not going to be gay.
Season Four new cast members Natasha O'Keefe (Abbey), Nathan McMullen (Finn),
Karla Crome (Jess) and far right, Matt Stokoe (Alex)
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(source)
The casting call that went out for new character Alex described him as "the sexiest guy on the estate. He is super good looking, all the girls fancy him, but for some reason he is very standoffish, he doesn’t seem interested in girls. Everyone reads this as being extremely suspicious and suspect it’s power related."
That description led more than a few commenters to speculate that Alex might be gay, but when I asked Stewart-Jarrett whether Season 4 had a storyline that LGBT audiences might be especially drawn to - and in particular to give us more information about Alex's storyline - he was careful not to get gay fans' hopes up...
Stewart-Jarrett: [Of Alex.] Well, that isn't in a sense that kind of storyline. [pauses] I'm trying to think through the storyline now... I don't think that's a storyline that would really reflect that to be honest with you. I think the one more relevant to gay and lesbian audiences would be the one in season three, with Curtis changing into a woman.
No guarantees of course, but it doesn't seem like Stewart-Jarrett would have made the above observation if new guy Alex played on Team Gay.
3. Speaking of Curtis changing into a woman - we've probably seen the last of Curtis's female counterpart, Mel.
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When Season 3 left off, Curtis had traded in his gender switching power for the power to raise the dead. Still, I asked Stewart-Jarrett, currently on a break from filming Season 4, if maybe his characters' female embodiment Melissa (played by actress Kehinde Fadipe) would possibly make a return appearance. Says the actor, "no, it's kind of done because of that power swap thing. I gave up that power and in giving that up I suppose she dies. That part of me dies."
I asked if Curtis would have a different power at the start of the new season, or will he keep the ability to raise the dead? The actor let on that his supernatural ability "pretty much stays the same, which is unfortunate for him. It's a great power, but it has its setbacks."
(Not the least of which is that the people and animals he brings back are flesh hungry zombies!)
4. Iwan Rheon is very cagey about discussing his alleged new gig on Game of Thrones.
Rheon has reportedly landed a role in Game of Thrones' upcoming third season. There are first-hand accounts of him being spotted on set, and then there's that picture of him hanging out with other GoT cast members at a Belfast pub near where filming is taking place...
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As rumor has it, Rheon will be playing Ramsay Snow, Lord Bolton's bastard son and a truly nasty piece of work. (In the books, Ramsay spends a lot of time flaying people alive, cutting off fingers, pulling out teeth and such). I asked the actor if he could confirm that he would be playing the villainous Ramsay Snow, and here's what he had to say on the subject...
Rheon: Well I'm playing... I'm possibly in the show.. and if I was to be in the show I'd be playing a character called "the Boy"... Uhm, yeah, I can't really talk about it.
As I said, cagey, but Collider and various GoT fansites make a good case that "Boy" is actually the bastard of Bolton, Ramsay Snow. Draw your own conclusions.
5. Iwan Rheon's acting career might be taking the forefront, but he is one hell of a musician.
If you haven't already, check out Rheon's EP Changing Times, available on iTunes. Here he is performing one of the tracks...
Says Rheon of his sideline recording career: "I've always been into music like from a very young age, and I've always played guitar and written songs and all that – and I love it, but the way it's all turned out in my life... the acting's sort of taken the leading role if you like. So it's turned out like that... which I quite like because it means I can do the music in my spare time and write and record stuff. And if anyone wants to listen to it that's great. It's very much a no pressure thing."
6. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, like many of his countrymen has gotten quite a kick out of Mitt Romney's gaffe-prone foreign tour.
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Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty
I asked him his impression of the U.S. Republican Presidential nominee's visit to the U.K.
Stewart-Jarrett: "Romney put his foot in it badly. So badly! He's done like a few of them. First he did the whole 'We're not ready for the Olympics' bit, and then he called the leader of the opposition [Edward Miliband] 'Mr. Leader'. So yeah, he's not doing great at the moment. Is he ever going to release his tax returns?"
Apparently, even the British are scratching their heads over that one.
U.S. audiences, be sure and check out Iwan Rheon and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett on Misfits Thursday nights at 10/9c on Logo. And on July 31 BBC releases for the first time in North America Season 1 of the series on DVD.
