Andrew Scott To Play Gay Con Artist Tom Ripley In Upcoming Netflix Series
Image: Netflix Facebook
Irish actor Andrew Scott (1917, Pride) is set to play gay con artist Tom Ripley, in the new Netflix series Ripley.
The series is written and directed by Academy Award winner Steve Zaillian (The Irishman) and also stars Johnny Flynn (Lovesick, Emma), Dakota Fanning (The Equalizer, The First Lady), and Eliot Sumner.
The synopsis reads, “Tom Ripley is a scammer scraping by in early-’60s New York when he crosses paths with a wealthy man who hires him to travel to Italy and convince his son [played by Johnny Flynn] to return home.
“But entering their world of opulence changes everything. And so begins Tom’s new life, coloured by deceit, fraud, darkness, and yes, murder.”
‘A Heavy Part To Play’
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Scott talked about the role.
“I feel like you’re required to love and advocate for your characters, and your job is to go, Why? What’s that? You don’t play the opinions, the previous attitudes that people might have about Tom Ripley.
“You have to throw all those out, try not to listen to them, and go, Okay, well, I have to have the courage to create our own version and my own understanding of the character.”
Scott continued, “It was a heavy part to play. I found it mentally and physically really hard. That’s just the truth of it.”
Based On Book By Patricia Highsmith
Ripley is based on the books of Patricia Highsmith. In total, she wrote five books about Ripley, starting with The Talented Mr. Ripley in 1955.
A film adaptation, called The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow was released in 1999.
Scott recently starred in the gay drama, All of Us Strangers, along side Paul Mescal (Normal People), directed by acclaimed queer filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend).
Scott first got major attention in 2019, after playing The Priest in the second season of the award-winning comedy-drama Fleabag. Since then he has appeared in the World War 1 film 1917 and the Netflix series Black Mirror.
Ripley will premiere on Netflix in 2024.
