By Francesca Halliwell
LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Reports that Meghan Markle had been in talks to join Guy Ritchie’s “The Gentlemen” sparked plenty of discussion at the Netflix series’ season two world premiere on Wednesday, with lead actor Theo James saying he was “intrigued” by the speculation.
While “Breaking Bad” star Giancarlo Esposito said someone with such a high profile could be “a great plus or a great negative”, Hugh Bonneville dismissed the reports as “a genius piece of marketing”.
“I’d suggested Keir Starmer for the role, but nobody seemed to take an interest,” the “Downton Abbey” actor quipped.
Reports in late August had linked Markle to a role in season three of the crime drama shortly after she and Prince Harry announced plans to return to Britain. However, subsequent media reports suggested the proposal had been dropped amid a “backlash” to the speculation.
Series co-writer and executive producer Matthew Read pointed out that Ritchie has “a great tradition of casting people from unexpected places”, adding the level of interest in potential cast members demonstrated how invested audiences have become in the show.
Following the success of its debut series in 2024, “The Gentlemen” season two returns with Eddie Horniman, played by James, seeking to grow his criminal empire a year after inheriting his family’s vast estate and title.
James, who rose to prominence with his role in “Divergent”, told Reuters the new season explores what “centuries of landed gentry” and vast inherited wealth can do to a person.
“(Horniman) is beginning to realise that violence begets some sense of power, and he’s willing to enact violence to get where he wants to be,” he revealed.
In the latest season, filmed in locations including Italy’s Lake Maggiore, Horniman teams up with drug empire heiress Susie Glass and her father Bobby, played by Ray Winstone, who sees him as a natural fit for the criminal underworld.
Veteran crime-film actor Winstone said the series resonates because it blurs the line between organised crime and the establishment.
“Who are the gangsters? Is it really the kid out of the street or is it the hierarchy, the gentry? Because how did they get there in the first place?” he said. “It’s like turning the tables a little bit.”
Season two introduces several new cast members, including “365 Days” star Michele Morrone, “The Leopard” actor Benedetta Porcaroli and British television presenter Maya Jama.
James joked that newcomers needed to be “briefed” prior to filming on Ritchie’s unconventional directing style. “We always say … imagine you have a script and then burn it, because you’re never going to be saying a single one of those lines,” he said.
Bonneville, another newcomer to the series, said Ritchie’s “maverick and bonkers” approach to filmmaking created a lively atmosphere on set, while Esposito remarked it comes with a sense of “danger”. “Well, that is showbiz, and it’s a wonderful thing,” he added.
“The Gentlemen” season two will be released on Netflix on Thursday.
(Reporting by Francesca Halliwell; Editing by Jamie Freed)
