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PRESS PACK

EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 10 MARCH 2020

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Press Pack Contents

Press Information………………………………………………………………………………………………..…3

Series Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………4

Episode Synopses 1 - 6 …………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Cast List…………………………….………………………….………………………….……………………………6

Character Biographies …………………………………………………………………………………………..7

Biographies ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10

Creative Interviews …………………….………………………………….………………………………..… 16

Cast Interviews ……………………………………………………………………………………………………25

Notes to Editors………………………..……………………………………………………………………….. 48

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Belgravia Press Information

Belgravia is a story of secrets and scandals amongst the upper echelons of London society in the 19th Century. When the Trenchards accept an invitation to the now legendary ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond on the fateful eve of the Battle of Waterloo, it sets in motion a series of events that will have consequences for decades to come as secrets unravel behind the porticoed doors of London’s grandest neighbourhood. The limited series reunites the award-winning creative team behind Downton Abbey; with Julian Fellowes adapting his bestselling novel for the screen and Carnival’s Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant executive producing alongside Liz Trubridge and Fellowes. John Alexander (Sense & Sensibility, Trust Me) will direct all episodes with Colin Wratten (Killing Eve) producing. The team is joined by a stellar ensemble cast including Tamsin Greig (Episodes), Philip Glenister (Mad Dogs), Harriet Walter (The Crown) Alice Eve (She’s Out Of My League), Tara Fitzgerald (Game of Thrones), Ella Purnell (Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children), Richard Goulding (The Windsors), James Fleet (Four Weddings and a Funeral), Adam James (Band of Brothers), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), Diana Hardcastle (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Paul Ritter (Chernobyl), Saskia Reeves (Luther) and Jack Bardoe in his first television role. Belgravia is a Carnival Films co-production with EPIX for ITV and is distributed by NBCUniversal International Distribution. The series has been commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill. The eponymous novel on which it is based is published by Orion Publishing.

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Series Introduction

At the now legendary Duchess of Richmond’s ball on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, young lovers Sophia Trenchard and Edmund Bellasis forge an ill-fated legacy that will create scandal for generations to come. Some years later when Sophia’s parents, the upwardly mobile Trenchards, move to the fashionable Belgravia, they find themselves rubbing shoulders with the venerated Brockenhursts. The two families share a history that threatens the inheritance and reputation of many.

There are those who would prefer the secrets of the past to remain forgotten, but as long-buried events resurface the truth behind the families’ connection becomes hard to conceal from the great and the good of British society. Soon an expectant heir, beleaguered household staff and avaricious adulterers conspire together to reap the benefits of this familial scandal. Prejudice and potential ruin must be overcome, and faced head on, if these family dynasties are to remain secured.

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Episode Synopses

Episode 1

The Trenchard family have recently ascended to the aristocratic society of London’s Belgravia, but a decades old love affair comes back to haunt them and jeopardise the happiness of many.

Episode 2

Anne tells Caroline a secret which puts the women in opposition; a surprise guest at a lavish party hosted by Caroline forces James to reveal a truth that threatens to tear the Trenchards apart.

Episode 3

The depths of Stephen’s problems are revealed, causing John to set his manipulative sights on Charles and Caroline as a way to make money; Susan isn’t shy about exploiting the Trenchard’s new social circle.

Episode 4

Tensions rise when Caroline organises an outing for Lady Maria and Anne, which sees the women compromised. Susan’s indulgent behaviour catches up with her, and Ellis begins to show her true colours.

Episode 5

A jealous Oliver threatens to ruin the lives of many as he makes a shocking discovery about Charles. John’s plans are jeopardised, making him dangerous; he enlists the help of the Trenchard staff to stoop to new lows.

Episode 6

Charles receives a mysterious olive branch, but the offer of reconciliation places him in grave danger. James must find a way to defend Charles’ honour before Lady Maria is lost to him forever.

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Anne Trenchard TAMSIN GREIG

James Trenchard PHILIP GLENISTER

Oliver Trenchard RICHARD GOULDING

Susan Trenchard ALICE EVE

Sophia Trenchard EMILY REID

Lady Brockenhurst HARRIET WALTER

Earl of Brockenhurst TOM WILKINSON

Lord Bellasis JEREMY NEUMARK JONES

Reverend Stephen Bellasis JAMES FLEET

Grace Bellasis DIANA HARDCASTLE

John Bellasis ADAM JAMES

Lady Templemore TARA FITZGERALD

Lady Maria Grey ELLA PURNELL

Charles Pope JACK BARDOE

Speer BRONAGH GALLAGHER

Ellis SASKIA REEVES

Turton PAUL RITTER

Jane Croft REBECCA CALLARD

Jenkins MARTIN BISHOP

Duchess of Richmond DIANA KENT

Duke of Richmond ROBERT PORTAL

Duke of Wellington NICHOLAS ROWE

Duchess of Bedford NAOMI FREDERICK

Cast List

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Character Biographies

Anne Trenchard (Played by Tamsin Greig)

A clever, strong woman, but not a bully. Born the daughter of a country teacher, she loves her husband and enjoys his success without sharing his social ambitions. Astute and thoughtful, she straddles the class divide with elegance and insight, her sound judgements occasionally derailed by her husband’s aspirations and her own emotional response to events.

James Trenchard (Played by Philip Glenister)

A self-made man who started out as a London market trader, James grasped the opportunity that war with Napoleon presented, becoming one of the principal suppliers to the Duke of Wellington. After the war, he has joined the Cubitt brothers in their building of a new London City of the Rich, Belgravia. James is a social climber of mountaineering proportions. The advancement of his family drives him forward, but it drives his wife to distraction.

Oliver Trenchard (Played by Richard Goulding)

He has the worst qualities of his father and none of his best. His belief in his own superiority is not supported either by achievement, intelligence or even birth. He wants everything his father wants, but unlike James, he is not prepared to work for it. Yet though he is shallow and greedy, there is a small and undernourished moral spark in him.

Susan Trenchard (Played by Alice Eve)

Beautiful, petulant and spoilt, Susan wants everything while giving nothing in return. The daughter of a successful merchant, her marriage to Oliver was a disappointment to James, who had hoped for someone with better connections, but he is sympathetic to Susan’s social climbing. Extravagant to a fault, her priority is her own social advancement. But, whatever her failings, she is not at all stupid.

Sophia Trenchard (Played by Emily Reid)

The beautiful daughter of James and Anne Trenchard whose passion blinds her to any other consideration. A young woman who is carried away by love and deaf to those who wish the best for her.

Lady Brockenhurst (Played by Dame Harriet Walter)

Once a great beauty, Lady Brockenhurst hides her private sadness behind a carapace of good breeding and a degree of aristocratic hauteur, which feeds her sense of superiority. A clever woman, and a talented artist, she shows strength and fortitude in adversity, forming unusual alliances to protect those she loves.

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Earl of Brockenhurst (Tom Wilkinson)

Tall and handsome in his youth, Lord Brockenhurst is a typical aristocrat who has lived his life according to an accepted code, one that he has never questioned. He loves his wife, however, even if their marriage is a courteous but essentially external affair of form and rule, manner and custom. His family circumstances have brought out his depressive tendencies.

Lord Bellasis (Played by Jeremy Neumark Jones)

Son and heir to the Earl and Countess of Brockenhurst, Edmund is a man with everything life has to offer: looks, money and rank, and the world is his oyster. But he is his own man and determined to go his own way.

Charles Pope (Played by Jack Bardoe)

A child of his own time. Charles is not a Regency rake; he is a Victorian entrepreneur. He is unaware of the truth about his birth but he is at peace with his modest place in society. That said, he is determined to rise and make his mark in this new world. Handsome, charming and thoroughly decent, his intelligence is matched by his youthful charm.

Lady Maria Grey (Played by Ella Purnell)

An attractive, forthright young woman brought up under a reasonably strict regime of nurses and governesses. She is intelligent and interested in the wider world, not just the latest fashion. Her mother has identified John Bellasis as an eligible match for her, but Maria dislikes his selfish, snobbish pride. She immediately recognizes Charles as a natural ally.

Reverend Stephen Bellasis (Played by James Fleet)

The younger brother of the Earl of Brockenhurst. He became a man of the cloth because it assured him of a large parsonage near his old home and a handful of livings then in the gift of his father. He is envious of his brother’s lands, money and title and has gambled away most of his inheritance. A weak and irresolute liar and generally a bad sort.

Grace Bellasis (Played by Diana Hardcastle)

The eldest of five daughters of a Gloucestershire baronet, Grace was not the catch she thought she was and ended up married to the impecunious younger son of an earl. She is a disappointed woman, but not beyond pushing the interests of her children, most of all those of her arrogant and spoiled son, John.

John Bellasis (Played by Adam James)

He is a handsome, selfish and greedy man, but he’s not stupid. He despises both his uncle, for doing so little with his inheritance, and his father, for throwing away what he had. John is not a gambler but he is extravagant, knowing that his uncle’s money will eventually come his way. He is pompous and arrogant and endears himself to no one. He seems much more interested in seducing other men’s wives than marrying a society beauty himself.

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Lady Templemore (Played by Tara Fitzgerald)

Mother of Lady Maria Grey. Lady Templemore suffered through a difficult marriage to her late husband. Rather than allowing her own daughter to marry for love, she is all the more determined that a good match is made. Clouded by her own fears, she is a controlling and manipulative parent, but she is not incapable of affection.

Turton (Played by Paul Ritter)

Butler to the Trenchard household, Turton has been with the family for many years. But with one eye to his retirement, he is not beyond the occasional money-making scheme, undertaken in partnership with Mrs Babbage, the housekeeper. He believes that it behoves him to take advantage of any chance that comes his way.

Ellis (Played by Saskia Reeves)

Lady’s maid to Anne Trenchard, Ellis is all smiles and deference in her mistress’s presence, but she resents the fact that she has been trapped in service all her working life. She thinks herself better than her mistress and blames the system for keeping her down. She is cunning and greedy, and out to make as much money as she can. Even after thirty years’ service with the Trenchards she needs little encouragement to be disloyal.

Speer (Played by Bronagh Gallagher)

Lady’s maid to Susan Trenchard, Speer is also clever and ambitious for herself but she is more honest and more generous than Ellis. She likes Susan and she means to help her, but she is also careful to make sure that, however things turn out for her mistress, she, Speer, will be all right.

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Biographies

Julian Fellowes

Julian Fellowes is a critically acclaimed and multi award-winning writer, director and novelist. His

screenwriting career began in the 1990’s with his Emmy award winning adaptation of Little Lord

Fauntleroy and the BAFTA nominated The Prince and the Pauper. Fellowes received the Academy

Award for Best Original Screenplay for Gosford Park which received a total of 7 Oscar nominations,

including Best Picture. The worldwide hit series Downton Abbey, was created, written and executive

produced by Fellowes, who is the sole writer for the series. Over its six seasons, Downton Abbey has

received 69 Emmy Award nominations, winning 15 awards. Fellowes has been nominated ten times

and won Emmy Awards for writing and for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie in the first season. For its

sixth and final season, the show received ten Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series,

as well as a nomination for Fellowes for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Downton Abbey is

the most nominated non-U.S. show in the history of the Emmys and has been nominated for 11 Golden

Globe Awards for its first five seasons, winning for Best Miniseries in 2012. It also won the SAG Award

for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Following the

series’ tremendous success, Fellowes went on to write and produce the Downton Abbey movie.

Additional screenplay credits include The Chaperone, Romeo & Juliet, The Tourist, Vanity Fair,

Piccadilly Jim, Separate Lies (directorial debut) and From Time To Time which he also directed. For

television, his other credits include Titanic, Doctor Thorne and The English Game. In the world of

publishing, Fellowes has authored three novels; Snobs, Past Imperfect and most recently, Belgravia.

Belgravia has received critical acclaim by making the Sunday Times and The New York Times bestseller

lists, among others. Fellowes has also been a key contributor in musical theatre, writing for

productions such as School of Rock – The Musical, Mary Poppins, and The Wind in the Willows. In

January 2011, Fellowes was given a peerage and entered the House of Lords as the Lord Fellowes of

West Stafford.

Gareth Neame Gareth Neame is a BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe award winning TV producer and executive. He has

been CEO of Carnival Films since 2004 and responsible for many popular shows, most notably the

global TV phenomenon Downton Abbey, winner of three Golden Globes, fifteen Primetime Emmys

and a Special BAFTA Award. With a total of 69 nominations Downton is the most nominated non-US

show in Emmy history and the UK’s most successful scripted export. Following the success of the

television series, Neame produced the Downton Abbey movie which topped $190m at the box office,

making it the most successful release ever for its distributor Focus Features. In a career spanning 30

years Neame has been behind numerous award winning and highly acclaimed shows such

as Spooks, State of Play, Jamestown, The Last Kingdom, Page Eight and The Lost Honour of

Christopher Jefferies. In 2014 Neame was announced by 10 Downing Street as an Ambassador of the

GREAT Britain campaign and was appointed OBE in the Queen’s 90th birthday honours list for services

to drama. He has been listed in the Variety 500 index of most influential business leaders in the global

entertainment industry.

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Tamsin Greig

Tamsin Greig is a highly acclaimed, award-winning actress with numerous credits across theatre, film

and television. Remembered for her role in Black Books with Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey, Dr Caroline

Todd in Green Wing (Royal Television Society's Award 2006, BAFTA Nomination 2006 and British

Comedy Award Nomination 2005) and as Jackie in the BAFTA nominated Friday Night Dinner. Other

television credits include Elementary, Episodes (5 Series, BAFTA nomination), Diana & I, White Heat,

The Guilty, Emma, The Diary of Anne Frank, Love Soup, Going Postal, People Like Us and Happiness.

Tamsin has also received great acclaim for an array of theatre productions such as A Kind of Alaska &

Landscape (Harold Pinter) Labour of Love (Noel Coward); Twelfth Night & Gethsamene (National);

Longing (Hampstead); Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, (Playhouse; Olivier nomination

for Best Actress in a Musical), God of Carnage (Gielgud) and Much Ado About Nothing (RSC; Winner of

The Critics Circle Award and Olivier Award for Best Actress). Film credits include Tamara Drewe (British

Independent Film Awards Nomination and an out of competition hit at Cannes); The Second Best Exotic

Marigold Hotel, Breaking the Bank and Stop the World.

Philip Glenister

Philip Glenister has appeared in various TV series but is perhaps best known for his role as DCI Gene

Hunt in the BAFTA nominated BBC drama, Life on Mars and its sequel Ashes to Ashes. Philip also

starred in the BAFTA nominated Sky One psychological thriller Mad Dogs as Quinn, one-of four

friends who get muddled in the world of crime. His other TV credits include; Cranford, The Hollow

Crown II, Prey, Outcast and The Level. Philip has appeared in a number of feature films, namely

Golden Globe nominated Calendar Girls, The Kingdom of Heaven, The Other Boleyn Girl, Bel Ami and

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger.

Harriet Walter

Dame Harriet Walter is an acclaimed British actress, with a rich body of work spanning across film, theatre and television. Harriet’s recent film credits include Rocketman, My Dinner with Hervé, The Sense of an Ending, and Denial. Her other notable film credits include the Oscar-winning Atonement, Babel,'Mindhorn and Sense and Sensibility. Harriet has also had roles in some of the most well-loved television series of recent years, including The Crown and Downton Abbey. She most recently featured in Succession for HBO, Patrick Melrose for Showtime/Sky Atlantic and The End for Sky. Harriet is currently filming a lead in the next season of Killing Eve. Harriet is a seasoned theatre actor, having appeared in a number of productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2018, Harriet starred in The Tempest, Henry IV and Julius Caesar as part of ‘The Donmar Warehouse’s All-Female Shakespeare Trilogy’, which was also broadcast on the BBC in the UK, and on PBS in US. Walter has published four books and was appointed as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2000 and in 2011 she was made a Dame.

Tom Wilkinson

Tom Wilkinson is a multi-award-winning actor of stage and screen. Wilkinson won a BAFTA for his role

in the 1997 international box-office sensation The Full Monty and garnered another BAFTA nomination

for his performance in Shakespeare In Love. He later went on to win an Emmy Award and a Golden

Globe Award for Supporting Actor in HBO miniseries John Adams. Wilkinson also received Oscar

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nominations, in the Best Actor category, for In The Bedroom and for Best Supporting Actor in Michael

Clayton. On the British small screen, Wilkinson received BAFTA TV Award nominations for his roles in

Cold Enough for Snow and BBC miniseries Martin Chuzzlewit. His other notable television credits

include such long-form projects as the HBO movie The Gathering Storm and the BBC telefilm Measure

for Measure. An accomplished stage actor, Wilkinson has played the role of John Proctor in The

Crucible at the Royal National Theatre, the title role in King Lear at the Royal Court and the role of Dr.

Stockmann in the award-winning Enemy of the People, with Vanessa Redgrave. Tom’s most recent film

credits include Dead In A Week (Or Your Money Back), The Titan, Burden, The Happy Prince and The

Catcher Was A Spy. He will next be seen in the upcoming action-thriller SAS: Red Notice. Further

notable credits include Selma, The Lone Ranger, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Batman Begins.

Alice Eve

Alice is perhaps best known for her role in Star Trek: Into Darkness, directed by J.J Abrams, where she

played the role of Dr. Carol Marcus, starring alongside Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and Benedict

Cumberbatch. In 2016, Alice was seen as Marta in Criminal, starring alongside a stellar cast which

included Gary Oldman, Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Cosner. She will also be seen in Bombshell alongside

Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie. Alice’s extensive film credits also include Misconduct, She’s Out of

My League, Sex and the City 2 and Dirty Weekend. As well as film, Alice is also known for her varied

roles on the small screen. In 2016, Alice was seen alongside Bryce Dallas-Howard in Charlie Brooker’s

popular sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror in the Emmy-nominated episode Nosedive. Recently, Alice

was seen in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence and

starred alongside Ella Purnell, Bill Nighy and Matthew Goode.

Richard Goulding

Richard’s stage credits include St George and the Dragon at the National; They Drink it in the Congo at

the Almeida; King Charles III in London and Broadway, for which he was nominated for a Tony award;

a season with the RSC; King Lear (Almeida) and Posh (West End / Royal Court). Earlier this year,

Richard was seen in one-off Channel 4 drama Brexit playing Boris Johnson opposite Benedict

Cumberbatch. He will soon be seen in White House Farm Murders and is currently filming a large guest

role in series 4 of The Crown. Other screen credits include a regular role in new Channel 4

drama Traitors; two previous series and the Wedding Special of The Windsors; King Charles III playing

Prince Harry; MGM feature Me Before You, opposite Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke; Queen of the

Desert; The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep; BBC series Ripper Street and a series regular in Fresh Meat.

Adam James

Adam James has worked extensively on stage and screen, having stared in both series of the very

popular Doctor Foster for BBC and played to great reviews in Consent (National Theatre) and Girl From

The North Country (The Old Vic). He is set to appear in Michaela Coel’s January 22nd, a new BBC drama

about consent, gratification, and modern dating. Adam is currently shooting Mike Bartlet's new

drama Life along with Alison Steadman and Peter Davison.

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James Fleet

James Fleet has been a much-loved figure of the British stage and screen for many years. Recent

television appearances include Unforgotten, Death on the Tyne, Patrick Melrose, Indian Summers, The

Hollow Crown, Outlander, Partners in Crime, Plebs and Death Comes to Pemberley. James is perhaps

best known for playing Tom in the iconic British rom-com Four Weddings and a Funeral and Hugo

Horton in The Vicar of Dibley. James’ screen appearances also include numerous feature films such as

The Spy Who Dumped Me, Love and Friendship, Mr. Turner, Kevin and Perry Go Large, Charlotte Gray,

Sense and Sensibility and The Butterfly Effect. James is no stranger to the stage and has performed in

many of the UK’s most iconic theatres including Les Blancs, The Observer and Berenice at the National

Theatre, Mary Stuart at the Donmar Warehouse, Cloud Nine at the Almeida, As You Like It and Just

Between Ourselves at the Old Vic Theatre and numerous productions at the RSC including Twelfth

Night, A Midsummers Night Dream, Henry IV, I & II and A New Way to Pay Old Debts.

Ella Purnell

As a Screen International Star of Tomorrow 2010, Ella was first seen in Oliver! at the Theatre Royal.

Ella was then cast as Young Ruth in Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go starring alongside Keira

Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield. In 2016, Ella starred in Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s

Home for Peculiar Children alongside Dame Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson. Ella was also seen as

Young Maleficent in Disney's 2014 film Maleficent alongside Angelina Jolie, Ella Fanning, and Imelda

Staunton. She also starred in the historical thriller Churchill, which follows Winston Churchill in the 24

hours before D-Day. Ella was most recently seen in Sweetbitter, the coming of age screen adaptation

premiered its second series in summer on Starz. Last April, Ella was seen as Hester Argyll in the popular

BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence alongside Bill Nighy, Matthew Goode, and

Alice Eve. Further credits include Intruders, Kick Ass 2, The Legend of Tarzan and Access All Areas. Ella

will later this year be seen in a leading role opposite Dave Bautista in Netflix’s Army Of The Dead and

has recently wrapped shooting Showtime’s Yellowjackets opposite Juliette Lewis.

Jack Bardoe

Jack graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2019 and received theatre credits

in Iphigenia in Aulis, Richard III, Limberham, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Last Days of Judas

Iscariot, Philistines and Woman and Scarecrow. Jack has recently been seen on stage at The National

Theatre in Translations which is his professional theatre debut. Belgravia is his television debut.

Diana Hardcastle

Diana Hardcastle’s theatre career includes extensive work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The

National Theatre, The Almeida Theatre and Manchester Royal Exchange where she was nominated for

a Best Actress Award for her performance as Florence Lancaster in The Vortex. Her numerous

television credits include Fortunes of War, Love Song, Reilly Ace of Spies, 4 series of That’s Love and

Rose Kennedy in The Kennedys for The History Channel for which she won Best Supporting Actress in

the Canadian Gemini Awards. On film, Diana played a leading role in both Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

films, and most recently Jenny’s Wedding and The Boy. Diana is married to Tom Wilkinson.

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Tara Fitzgerald

Tara Fitzgerald is a British actor who has film, television, and theatre production credits as well as

directing for two short films. She trained at the acclaimed Drama Centre in London where she studied

method acting. In 1991, Fitzgerald starred in her debut feature film Hear My Song and shortly after

was cast alongside Pete O’Toole in Our Song at the Apollo Theatre. She came to international attention

in 1993 when she starred with Hugh Grant in the Australian comedy Sirens. The film landed Fitzgerald

an Australian Film Institute nomination for Best Actress in a Lead Role. Two years later she again

appeared with Grant in the comedy The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a

Mountain. Fitzgerald won the New York Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Award for her Ophelia

opposite Ralph Fiennes’ in Hamlet. She then went on to win the Best Actress Award at The Reims

International Television Festival for her role of Lady Dona St Columb in Frenchman’s Creek. Fitzgerald

has also appeared in more than 30 episodes of the BBC television series Waking the Dead and played

the role of Selyse Baratheon in the HBO series Game of Thrones. Additional credits include Dark Blue

World and Secret Spanish.

Paul Ritter

Paul’s on-screen career launched in the early 90s when he starred in Seaforth, National Achievement

Day and the iconic police drama The Bill. He was then cast in a variety of acclaimed television series

such as Great Expectations, Midsummer Murders, Plebs, The Last Kingdom, Philip K. Dick’s Electric

Dreams, and Cold Feet. Recently, Paul is most arguably known for his continuous role as Martin in the

BAFTA nominated comedy Friday Night Dinner, which is currently in production for its sixth series.

Paul has also recently starred in Sky Atlantic’s historical drama hits Chernobyl and Catherine The Great.

Paul has also performed on stage across a variety of different theatre productions. As well as

originating the role in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (National Theatre), Paul’s

theatre credits include the Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Donmar Warehouse) and The Norman

Conquests (The Old Vic/Broadway), for which he received an Olivier nomination for Best Supporting

Actor and a Tony award nomination for Best Featured Actor. Film credits include the Son of Rambo,

Quantum of Solace, Hannibal Rising and Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince.

Saskia Reeves

Saskia Reeves is an English actress with an extensive career in theatre, TV and film. Some of her first

movies were December Bride, Close My Eyes, and Butterflykiss. Most recently Saskia has been seen in

Our Kind Of Traitor and is set to star in the upcoming Carlo Lavagna film Shadows. On TV she has

appeared in the hugely acclaimed Wolf Hall and many popular programmes such as Luther, Wallander,

A Child In Time, David Hare’s Worricker Trilogy and soon to be released Roadkill, and Us (written by

David Nichols from his novel of the same name). In theatre, Saskia devised and performed in the award

winning A Disappearing Number with Complicite, which toured the world and went to the West End.

She has performed at The National, RSC, and many other London theatres, working with wonderful

directors and actors in plays ranging from King Lear at the Globe to Separation at the Hampstead

theatre and the West End.

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Bronagh Gallagher

Bronagh broke through on the big screen in her performance as Berni in Alan Parker’s The Commitments. Bronagh has since gone on to work with other film luminaries such as Quentin Tarrantino in Pulp Fiction, Stephen Frears in Mary Reilly, George Lucas in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. She most recently features in Armando Iannucci's The Personal History of David Copperfield. Recent TV work includes Genius Picasso, Count Arthur Strong, You, Me & The Apocalypse, Moone Boy, The Vatican directed by Ridley Scott, Shameless, and Holy Cross (for which she won Best Actress at the Biarritz International Festival, 2004). Bronagh is currently filming the second series of Brassic for Sky One.

Emily Reid

Emily Reid’s recent credits include Sky One’s Curfew and playing the lead role in independent feature

film Leprechaun directed by Steven Kostanski. Reid upcoming projects include Roxana in ITV1

comedy/drama 6-part series Glass Houses opposite Dawn French, Vicki Pepperdine and Mark Heap,

and the co-lead role of Ophelia in Channel 5’s 4-part series The Deceived opposite Emmett J. Scanlan.

Jeremy Neumark Jones

Jeremy Nuemark Jones has trained in creative arts at the National Youth Theatre (NYT) and Oxford

University. During his time at NYT, Jeremy received theatre credits for an array of productions

including Macbeth, Private Peaceful, Selfie and The Real Inspector Hound. His professional television

career kicked off in 2012, when he starred as Elijah in Nicki Perkins’ short drama Jezebel. Following

this role, Jeremey went on to feature in the BBC’s critically acclaimed comedy Siblings, Grantchester

for ITV and, most recently, The Last Post. He will next be seen in the upcoming Amazon original The

Feed, a British psychological thriller set in a near-future London.

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Interviews with Creatives

Julian Fellowes, Writer

Q: Tell us about the genesis of Belgravia.

A: Orion had had success with earlier novels by me and they wanted another one, so I was invited to

a meeting with them, and we tossed around various suggestions. We had the idea of the double

timeframe and it seemed interesting to start with the Duchess of Richmond's ball on the eve of Battle

of Waterloo. I'd long been interested in that, particularly since I adapted Vanity Fair.

Q: Why was that so significant?

A: The ball was an extraordinary acme for a certain kind of tragic privilege. Uniquely entitled young

men with their nice fiancées, wives and sisters were dancing at the Duchess's ball. They then left the

dance floor to go straight to the battlefield. Many of the details fascinated me. As the men left and

the women were weeping, some people carried on dancing. Some of the young officers were still in

their dress coats when they died at Waterloo two days later. There's something about that image that

is both glamorous and incredibly sad.

Q: What did that backdrop afford you?

A: I wanted to focus on a cross-class relationship and one of the things about warfare and living away

from London is that normal social rules are suspended. It is said to be much easier to cut through the

barriers of society during a war than at any other time.

The other thing that interested me is the concept of Belgravia itself. It's unusual in London because it

doesn't overlay any buildings from a more ancient time. It was conceived as a whole, built on marshy

fields and executed as a total design concept. That gives it a uniformity that few other places in London

can match.

Q: What was behind the growth of Belgravia?

A: It was born of the prosperity that came at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Industry and trading

shot up. They generated enormous fortunes for individuals, and it became clear that Mayfair was no

longer big enough to accommodate everyone smart. The Marquess of Westminster, or his advisors,

realised this and they approached the brilliant Cubitt Brothers, who understood at once that the

proposed site on the edge of London was perfectly placed for a new development.

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Q: What is at the heart of the story?

A: It's about two very different women, played marvellously by Tamsin Greig and Harriet Walter. I

thought, "What can they have in common? How can I make it believable that they have a

relationship?”, and it occurred to me that if they have a joint grandchild, that would make for a

relationship they couldn't escape from. The story is based on secrets. The audience needs to be

constantly surprised. If there are no surprises, then a drama lacks energy.

Q: How did you find the process of adapting your own novel for the screen?

A: I've never adapted one of my own novels before, although I have adapted other people's. As an

adapter you think differently from a novelist. You can't allow characters to talk for as long on film as

they do in a novel. You have to limit that. But I’ve worked so much in film and television that I have a

visual concept of telling a story. As I'm writing, I'm seeing the film in my head. Quite a lot of Belgravia

slipped into a series format easily. It was already half way there.

Q: What more can you tell us about the adaptation process?

A: I was also spoiled because the novel is not very long, and I was given six hours of screen time. If it

were a film, I would have only had two hours, so I would have needed to lose an enormous amount

of the narrative. But here I could tell the whole story, which was a luxury.

Q: Why does this setting work so well for drama?

A: Because it was a period of great change. There was enormous prosperity thanks to the boom after

the fall of Napoleon, but it was also a period which indicated that Victoria's reign was going to be

marked by innovation and invention. She came to the throne in 1837, when Britain was still lodged in

18th-century values, and by the time of her death in 1901, the modern world had arrived. I'm always

interested in change and particularly in how supposedly immovable institutions alter and develop.

Q: What was driving this change?

A: Commerce is always a major ringmaster behind social evolution. Also, people were no longer

prepared to leave decisions to an emperor who lived in a palace and told them what to do. Absolute

monarchs were no longer what people wanted, although you see that more in upheavals abroad than

anything Britain ever went through. Britain had overcome absolutism long before then. We already

had an answerable parliament. We were ahead of our time, really.

Q: Can you elaborate on that?

A: Belgravia was a manifestation of prosperity, but it wasn't just the upper classes who lived there.

The aristocracy were no longer automatically in charge. They had to accommodate their neighbours,

as we must all do. If we live long enough, the world changes considerably and we just have to deal

with it. That's a lesson we are all obliged to learn sooner or later.

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Q: How did you go about casting Tamsin and Harriet?

A: They were both top of our list to play Anne and Lady Brockenhurst. Very happily, they both decided

they wanted to do it. It was lucky that they liked it and were available. They have different qualities

but contrasted very well with each other. Tamsin has this unveiled truthfulness, whereas Harriet is

more of a natural intriguer. They work very well together. They are perfectly cast.

Q: How would you describe Anne?

A: Anne is the moral tentpole of the story. She is not an extremist or a snob. She doesn't mind being

married to a successful man, but doesn't give it any more value than it deserves. Her only weakness is

her love for her daughter. She is the most morally upright character in the story.

Q: What about Lady Brockenhurst?

A: She is much more of a pragmatist. She is capable of compromise, but only when it's forced upon

her.

Q: What does Philip Glenister bring to the role of James?

A: I was thrilled with Philip. James was the hardest role to cast in a way because he is a snob and a

social climber and quite petty, but also fundamentally sympathetic. He is a very hard worker, but more

than that you have to like him for the story to work. That's quite a difficult challenge for an actor, but

Philip manages it completely. He remains likeable, even when James is at his most idiotic. Watching

the actors bring my writing to life is the greatest thrill of all.

Q: Why are you so fascinated by the past?

A: The past has always fascinated me, even as a child. I was very lucky to get interested while my great

aunts were still alive. When I was 15, I was able to talk to my Great Aunt Isie, who was born in 1880.

She was presented to Queen Victoria. That was really interesting to me. I was talking to someone who

was effectively from another planet. Later in life, I benefited as a writer from her teachings because

she was 10 years older than Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey.

Q: Why do modern audiences connect so well with period dramas?

A: Period dramas have to tell us about ourselves to catch on. There is something quite interesting

when you demonstrate that human nature doesn't alter. Crinolines and carriages may change but

audiences see people with impulses they recognise, making choices they would make. The fact that

those characters are in a top hat or a tiara doesn't make any difference.

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Q: Do you think people might make comparisons between Belgravia and Downton Abbey?

A: People are entitled to compare the two. They're not very similar. They are set in very different

periods, for a start, but they have some elements in common. For instance, if you were a strong and

ambitious woman in 1840 or 1912, you had to find different routes around the rules. You had to be

creative if you wanted to stay inside society while achieving what you wanted.

Q: What do you hope that viewers take away from Belgravia?

A: I will be very happy if people enjoy it. But if every now and then something in the story prompts an

extra thought on the way into work, that would be great too.

Gareth Neame, Executive Producer

Q: How has Belgravia turned out?

A: It has worked out very well - I'm thrilled. It's beautifully acted and directed. It is a very accessible

drama peopled with characters that we think the audience will love.

Q: Talk us through Julian's script.

A: Julian has written a wonderful script. It's very clever with extremely well drawn characters. It has a

lot of the things that distinguish Julian's writing. It's a comedy of manners full of social observations

about how people organise themselves into hierarchies. It’s also like a Victorian novel in that it

examines where characters have come from, their legacy and their expectations.

Q: What does Tamsin Greig bring to the part of Anne?

A: Tamsin is perhaps best known as a comedic actress so she is a slightly surprising casting for the role.

But she is a truly brilliant actress who can turn herself to anything. At its heart, this is a story of a

woman's love for her child. As Anne, Tamsin is so wonderful at playing that emotion. She tragically

loses her daughter and never gets over that. Anne is from the other side of the track from Lady

Brockenhurst, but they are united in grief, tragedy and their determination that their grandson will

have the best of life. It's very emotional and life affirming. Like a lot of female characters Julian has

created, Anne is also a very brilliant woman. You think, "What would women like that have achieved

if they were living today?"

Q: Did you already know Tamsin?

A: Yes. She and I went to university together. I even directed her in a play, Samuel Beckett's Not I

which is a half-hour monologue. She was the most talented actor I had seen at the time, and it didn't

20

surprise me at all that she went on to do so well in her career. She is highly talented, and a great

pleasure to work with.

Q: What was the thinking behind the casting of Philip Glenister as James?

A: He's really beloved by British audiences. We are meant to really like James. He is self-made and he

lacks polish, but he is very likeable. We thought that likeability was a quality that we would recognise

from Philip's previous performances.

Q: What is it like working with Harriet Walter?

A: When you watch Harriet she is just effortless, she comes in and knows exactly what she is doing.

We are blessed to have an actor of such experience and renown. She is supremely confident and just

a joy to work with.

Q: What are John Alexander's qualities as a director?

A: We go back a long way with John. He directed The 7.39 and quite a few episodes of Jamestown. He

is such a sensitive, deep thinking, artistic and stylish director. Nothing seems to faze him. He's great

with actors. The whole thing has been a joyful experience with John at the helm.

Q: This is a limited series, isn't it?

A: Yes, this is a limited series. It's based on Julian’s book of the same name, and the story is fully played

out over the course of the six episodes. The characters deliver very well over six hours. This is a great

age of episodic TV, but there is still a place for a miniseries with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Belgravia draws you in with a mystery, but it's also extremely moving. The end of episode one is quite

a tearjerker.

Q: Are you worried that audiences will think it is Downton Abbey 2?

A: No. If audiences relate it to Downton Abbey, that's no bad thing. It ticks a lot of the same boxes

which Downton fans may enjoy. But I hope viewers see that Belgravia is quite different and look

beyond the fact that there are aristocrats and servants in both dramas. The storytelling and the period

are quite different in Belgravia.

Q: Why does Julian's writing strike such a chord everywhere?

A: The reason Downton Abbey was so popular all over the world is that all human beings organise

themselves in a tribal, hierarchical structure. That's the only way we know how to live among each

other. But a lot of people don't write about that. Julian had such a great understanding of why it's

important for some people to live inside a society and to keep others out. He understands about the

glue that keeps society together.

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Julian writes with great understanding, interest and affection and does a brilliant job of making us

believe we are actually in that world. His language takes us into that world without putting us off. He

finds a way of making his language both period and contemporary, which makes it pleasurable and

not jarring. He also writes about romance in a way that might seem old-fashioned, but that appeals

right round the world. He also writes very well about duty.

Q: You and Julian have a marvellous working relationship, don't you?

A: Yes, we have a really good partnership. It shows how a producer and a writer can complement each

other in a very effective way. We are now working together on setting up a new series called The

Gilded Age. It's always such a delight working with him. There are always a jacuzzi of different things

to enjoy about a Julian Fellowes drama!

Colin Wratten, Producer

Q: What attracted you to Belgravia?

A: It's just a fantastic show! This has been a very enjoyable 12 months. Carnival really know what

they're doing, and Julian's scripts translate to the screen so beautifully from the novel. I have read the

novel and loved it. I really liked the fact that there are lots of twists and turns in the story. This was a

wonderful chance to work with Julian. This show was just too delicious to turn down!

Q: Tell us more about what makes Julian's writing so special.

A: Belgravia is a period drama. It shows people who are really excited that it only takes two days to

get to their country house in a carriage. It deals with class problems. It's the sort of comedy of manners

and upstairs-downstairs drama that Julian writes incredibly well. But Julian also writes women

incredibly well, and at its heart Belgravia is about two strong-willed matriarchs who are separated by

a class divide but who are both suffering from the death of a child.

Q: What themes does Belgravia cover?

A: It is high stakes throughout. There's a lot at stake for everyone – for instance, Charles's legitimacy

is a massive question. It also covers the gender politics of the time. The eldest son inherited everything

back then, and the second son had to go off to be a clergyman scratching around with very little money

and no title – purely because he wasn't born first. Everyone is fighting for an inheritance. Everyone

has a lot to gain and a lot to lose.

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Q: Why is this such a compelling period in history to set a drama?

A: It's a very interesting time because it deals with evolving social advancement. You have industrialists

and nouveaux riches suddenly rubbing shoulders with, and living in the same area as, aristocrats. It's

a very rich world.

Q: Can you talk us through the below stairs characters in Belgravia?

A: The servants in Belgravia are slightly less moral than they are in Downton Abbey. That makes for a

very interesting dynamic. We are used to seeing to very noble, upstanding servants like Carson, the

butler in Downton Abbey. But here the servants are different. Some of the below stairs characters in

Belgravia have no pensions, so they have to earn a few extra pounds whenever opportunities might

arise. The servants are omnipresent. So, when the aristocrats talk about their secrets, the servants

hear everything and start to piece things together between them...

Q: The period details are spot on in Belgravia, aren't they?

A: Absolutely. Julian is known for his attention to detail. I've never done a show where that is

constantly required. We had an etiquette adviser on set all the time. For instance, he would advise

the actors that people back then didn't touch. They never shook hands. They would bow and curtsy

instead. Sometimes actors would say, "OK" or "hi", but the adviser would point out that people then

didn't say that at that time. We had to be rigorous about the formality of our vocabulary. The actors

playing the servants were even taught which side to clear the table from.

Q: What were the major challenges you faced as the producer of Belgravia?

A: There were several major challenges, including the very large cast. There are 65 characters, which

is huge. We also had 107 different locations and sets. A lot of them were locations for just one scene.

When you're writing a novel, you can write what you like. Your mind is conjuring up a shop or a library

or the Athenaeum Club. But on TV, you have to see all these places. In addition, all the aristocrats have

two houses – one in Belgravia and one in the country so we needed to find all of those, which was a

very big ask!

Q: Can you run through the casting process for us?

A: Belgravia was a joy to cast because Julian's work attracts such a high calibre of actor. We were very

blessed. We didn't have to do a lot of auditions. We were able to make straight offers to a lot of actors.

We approached Tamsin Greig, Harriet Walter, Tom Wilkinson, Tara Fitzgerald, Alice Eve and Adam

James, and they all said yes. It was a very mutually enjoyable experience - we could say, "Who do we

want?" and everyone responded positively. It is such a delight when that happens!

Q: How do you think viewers will be feeling at the end of Belgravia?

A: I hope they will be left with a sense of joy from watching this drama. It is full of hope, love and

romance. We also enjoy watching people from a bygone era and thinking that we’re glad we don't live

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like that anymore. But in addition, we enjoy seeing where we came from and how our ancestors

behaved. For instance, the fact that people back then changed their clothes five times a day seems

absurd to us. Audiences will take away real enjoyment from seeing history done to a very high

standard. Ultimately, I hope they'll fall in love with the characters and really care about them. Will

everyone get what they’re looking for? That question will keep viewers hooked throughout.

John Alexander, Director

Q: What drew you to Belgravia?

A: I was sent all six scripts, which is very unusual. As I read it, I found it such a page-turning read.

Ultimately, I love the fact that it is a story of two women and their shared loss of a child. It's a heart-

warming, uplifting classic family saga which highlights the themes of love, death, romance, jealousy,

betrayal and loss.

Q: What makes Julian such an outstanding writer?

A: When you read a Julian Fellowes script, what you are conscious of is the great dialogue. He really

gets inside characters, and his writing is witty, original and poignant. As the director on a Julian

Fellowes project, your job is to disappear because it's all about the writing and the performances.

These are great scripts for performers and the cast responded so well to them.

Q: Why does the setting of Belgravia work so well?

A: It feels like the original executive homes’ estate built for new money. But at the same time old

families rubbed shoulders with them. Their coming together created the emerging middle class.

Q: What directorial approach did you adopt on Belgravia?

A: I was looking for a style of elegant simplicity. You know the settings are sumptuous and you know

audiences will want to enjoy those sumptuous settings. As a director, you don't want to reinvent the

wheel or find a modern twist on a period drama.

Q: What was your major challenge on this production?

A: One of the biggest challenges was the fact that the drama is set in Belgravia, a very distinct part of

London with white stucco buildings and very grand architecture. There is no way you could film there

because it's now full of embassies and high security, so to find that world was a challenge. It led us

around the country to locate other similar squares.

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Q: What did you find in the end?

A: The best we found was Moray Place in Edinburgh. The problem is that it is sandstone rather than

the brilliant whites of Belgravia. But as it was the best location we had, we had to deal with that and

created the white appearance through CGI. You are always nervous when you're a hostage to fortune

in that way, but I think it looks brilliant.

Q: What do Tamsin Greig and Philip Glenister add to their roles?

A: Julian plunges us straight into the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. I initially wondered if we would

feel sufficiently engaged with the characters in the chaos of the aftermath of the battle because we

reach that point so quickly. You need to really invest in the characters to feel the power of the story.

But in the event, we had such a fantastic cast, it wasn't a problem. Tamsin and Philip work beautifully

together. Within the first 15 minutes, you've already bought into them and are travelling the road

with them.

Q: Tell us more about Tamsin.

A: She's a fantastic actor. I have worked with her before on White Heat. That was the first time I had

come across her in a dramatic role – I had previously associated her with comedy. She's a marvellous

dramatic actress who has done lots of amazing work on stage. In Belgravia, she beautifully plays a

woman who carries loss throughout her life. It is wonderfully understated, but you feel it and can't

help but share her sorrow.

Q: Why is Philip so well cast as James?

A: I've worked with Philip before as well on Life On Mars. That was a very different character, but he

got James straightaway. He is a rough diamond. He possesses the bluster of someone who has come

up through the ranks. Now he is in the world of executive homes and Rolex watches and 4x4's. He still

has that brashness, but he is also emotionally engaging. Philip is wonderful in the scenes where he is

reflecting on the death of his daughter and can't tell his grandson who he is. He gets the humour of

the role, but there is also great heart and depth to him.

Q: What do you hope that viewers will take away from Belgravia?

A: It's exciting that it's a closed story – you get genuine satisfaction from the cathartic ending. Julian

tells a story with twists and turns, but in the end, fate has a way of putting things right. The end of a

season can often be dark or cynically looking forward to a second series. But Belgravia has a very

positive, optimistic ending. What I loved most about this project is the sheer pleasure it provides, and

I hope viewers will feel the same.

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Cast Interviews

TAMSIN GREIG

Q: What did you find compelling when you first read Belgravia?

A: What I was intrigued by was the fact that even though women seemed less powerful at that time,

Julian has put two women – Anne and Lady Brockenhurst – centre stage and has focused on their

power, which is that they have secrets about the continuation of the family line. It's what they do with

that information which drives the story.

Q: How does it unfold?

A: Anne is the one who sets the catalyst amongst the pigeons by going to Lady Brockenhurst and

saying, "You don't know this, but you need to know it now". The fascinating thing is, she is just not

doing it for her own ends. Her husband is a social climber and wants to be accepted, but Anne doesn’t

care. She is only interested in the truth.

Q: Can you expand on that?

A: Yes, Belgravia is about the rise of the middle classes and the nouveaux riches overtaking the entitled

aristocracy. But what unites Anne and Lady Brockenhurst and jumps over all social classes is grief.

That’s the thing that drives Anne to reveal to Lady Brockenhurst that she has an heir. It is women who

hold that information, and that’s the most powerful thing. The series shows how political manoeuvring

can create extraordinary change, but emotions can create great change, too.

Q: Why does Anne not care about social status?

A: There is a line in Julian's novel which says that Anne was unintentionally well bred because she

wasn’t interested in being well bred. That is such a wonderful clue to her character. She is someone

who is happy with who she is. Titles are not interesting to her. That’s really intriguing. She is someone

completely at peace with who she is. Then she suffers a terrible tragedy, and that becomes her

centrepiece. That is where the drama lies.

Q: What makes Julian’s writing sing?

A: He really knows how to turn a page. You really want to know how this incredibly complex web of

characters will work out their problems and how the effects of their actions will be lived out.

Q: Is Belgravia merely a story about masters and servants?

A: No, it’s much more than that. Belgravia is not a just a story about upstairs and downstairs. It’s much

more complex,there is no vertical divide between masters and servants. The characters are much

26

more three-dimensional. For instance, someone has an affair, and in the process they gain information

that becomes useful. The web goes everywhere. Julian is very good at spinning webs that affect people

on all levels of society, not just employers and employees.

Q: How was it working with Philip Glenister?

A: I loved it. I had never worked with him before. I was excited about it, and it really lived up to

expectations. It felt very honest and very present working with him. He is also very funny and great

company. He has a lovely sense of playfulness. Time goes very quickly when you’re doing scenes with

Philip.

Q: You have worked with Paul Ritter before on Friday Night Dinner, where he plays your husband. Did

you enjoy being reunited on Belgravia?

A: Absolutely. Paul is one of those actors who can literally do anything. It’s thrilling to be on set with

him. We had to deliberately not talk about our other project. I did love the irony that in Belgravia he’s

playing my butler, but he wields a certain power over her. He has to save his bacon, and he is holding

certain information that could help them do that.

Q: Anne has a lovely dog in Belgravia. How did you find it working with her?

A: They say never work with animals, but that’s a false narrative. She was this dachshund called Emma,

and she was really sweet. She definitely kept me sane!

Q: Why are viewers so passionate about period dramas?

A: Because we do them very well. We are really accomplished at bringing those eras to life. We have

a wonderful attention to detail. All the people who work on period dramas in costume, hair and make-

up are at the top of their game. They are able to create something absolutely real and of its time.

Q: Can you give us an example?

A: In 1841, crinoline was not invented, so women had to wear four or five heavy petticoats underneath

their dress. Obviously, we had to wear that because it’s such an incredibly authentic production. That

way, the actors are completely immersed in the experience of the otherness of being alive back then.

Q: What else draws us to period dramas?

A: British history is so interesting and powerful and informs so much of who we are now. We have

extraordinary access to our past. All children know why they came into the world and what their first

word was. It’s part of our mentality to want to know our own story. In the same way, we’re doing

something quite healthy with period drama. We’re not escaping from today and saying, “That was a

better time.” We are saying, “What brought me here?"

27

Q: How did you find it wearing the period costumes?

A: It was hard, especially when you're not used to being constricted in that way. Anything you do in

those costumes takes a mental and biological reorganisation. There is no way to prepare for that,

unless you spend your time before filming wearing a corset! It turns out that the body needs to be

able to move and breathe and stay healthy!

PHILIP GLENISTER

Q: What attracted you to Belgravia?

A: I seem to have a pattern - I do a costume drama once every ten years! I did Vanity Fair in 1998 and

Cranford in 2008. So, the timing was right for my next ten-yearly costume drama!

Q: Tell us more.

A: It's Julian Fellowes, obviously. He's got a pretty good track record! So when he offered me a role in

this, I thought, "I'd better take it! At my age, I'm not going to get the next Fast & Furious!" This is a

wonderful role in a wonderful drama, and I'm delighted to be involved.

Q: How would you describe your character?

A: James is a nouveau riche, self-made property developer. He starts off as a supplies man for the

Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. 25 years later, he's become extremely successful and

built Belgravia. That's not a bad achievement for old Jimmy Boy!

Q: Is he eager to mingle with high society?

A: Yes. He wants to be hobnobbing with dukes and duchesses. He is a great networker who will go to

the opening of an envelope – unlike his wife, who always wants to stay at home. Anne is quite happy

with an OBE, but James wants to be a sir!

Q: What else is going on in the lives of James and Anne?

A: Through all this, they're hiding this dark secret which revolves around their daughter and grandson,

and involves Lady Brockenhurst. It's a great tale. I spent Christmas reading it, and it's a genuine page

turner.

Q: What was it like working with Tamsin?

A: It was lovely. She's great fun and has a great sense of humour. We did a lot of laughing, which is

not always good when you're in front of the camera! One day we were shooting a dinner party scene

in a country house near Reading. People will see five minutes on screen, but it took all day to film it. I

28

said to Tamsin, "This is insane. We’re all dressed up to the nines having a six-course lunch at 9.30 on

a Tuesday morning when everyone else is going to work". Tamsin replied, "Remember, we do get paid

for it!", "I know, don't tell anyone!".

Q: What sort of audience will Belgravia draw?

A: It will appeal to a very broad audience. It's not too often that the family can watch something

together, but they will all sit down together and enjoy Belgravia. It's giving us a history lesson at the

same time as a wonderful drama. That's why period drama sells so well around the world. When I was

filming Living the Dream in the US, the neighbours came round and said how much they loved British

TV. I asked them, "Have you heard of Life on Mars?", "No, we've never heard of that, but we love

Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife".

Q: Did you have a good time working on Belgravia?

A: Yes. This has been a really enjoyable job. It was a great atmosphere on set. It was a brilliant cast

and crew and also a brilliant producer, Colin Wratten. If every producer was like that, it would be

amazing. I remember one day when we had to do this shot where we arrive back from the Battle of

Waterloo. There were a lot of extras and horses, and we had to do seven or eight takes. When we

wrapped, I noticed Colin went up and shook the hand of every extra, telling them, "Your contribution

has been immense, and it will look wonderful on screen". That is class.

Q: What other big scenes did you have to shoot?

A: The director, John Alexander, had some hellishly big sequences to film. But he was so well-prepared,

he never lost his temper or got panicked. For instance, he had to shoot the ball before the battle of

Waterloo at the Assembly Rooms in Bath, which was an epic sequence to film. I can't praise the crew

enough. You can see why so many producers want to come to this country. We have so much talent

in front of and behind the camera.

HARRIET WALTER

Q: How would you characterise Lady Brockenhurst?

A: To begin with, she's quite an old school aristocrat. She is very conscious of her place in society, as

was everyone during that epoch. But she's experienced a tragedy which has made her more

vulnerable. Without her son, she doesn't have the assurance of a bloodline carrying on. She is facing

a future which is bleak, until she meets Anne and everything changes…

Q: What is the secret of Julian's success?

A: If we could find out what that formula is, we'd all be doing it! It helped that he had already

written the novel and had the dialogue on hand. His lines trip off the tongue very easily. There is a

29

lot going on between the lines. There is a delicacy and ambiguity about it, but makes it very easy to

act.

Q: You have worked with Julian before, haven't you?

A: Yes, I was in Downton Abbey. People will probably compare Belgravia with Downton Abbey, but

this is very different from that series. Where it is similar is in the fact that Julian creates characters

on every level of the social order and has an equal amount of interest in all of them. That aspect

always appeals.

Q: How was it filming with Tamsin Greig?

A: I very much enjoyed it. She's marvellous. That was a great bonus of working on Belgravia. She's

very entertaining, and there's never a dull moment working with her. We had a great time together.

Q: Did you enjoy shooting at the many wonderful locations that feature in Belgravia?

A: Absolutely. Being in those places absolutely helped me to get into character. It's a great treat. You

feel like you're getting a National Trust tour without the tourists!

Q: How would you describe the costumes in Belgravia?

A: The costume designer James Keast is a genius. The difference between the costumes of the rising

middle classes and the upper classes is very subtle, and the general viewer may not see the

difference. James could have gone over the top and made the middle-classes wear very garish and

showy clothes, but it's much more clever than that. Anne is a character who is very sensitive and

would hate to be immodest or make a social gaffe, and her clothes reflect that.

Q: What lessons might viewers take away from Belgravia?

A: Viewers will learn something about the rise of middle-class in the 19th century and feel that

things today are preferable. There are still plenty of societies in the world where women are kept

down, but British people today are free to talk to anyone and go anywhere.

Q: Why do we adore period dramas so much?

A: There is something safe and comforting about looking at the past and thinking that we are well

out of it. We can look back and smile. It's a safe distance away. At the same time, the people in

period dramas are very similar to us, and that makes it really interesting. It's like looking at old

paintings and realising that they were flesh and blood like you and me. They may have had different

moral structures and clothes, but they were still pretty much us.

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TOM WILKINSON

Q: What drew you to this drama?

A: There are all sorts of great things about Belgravia, not least the fact that it's written by a friend of

mine. I choose my projects very carefully now. It's nice to be in that position. But if Julian Fellowes

offers me something, I always try to do it. He is an excellent storyteller. He really knows how to put

things together. Above all, it is his brilliance as a storyteller that appealed to me.

Q: Where did you and Julian first meet?

A: I first got to know Julian as an actor, and that's how we got to be friendly. We were shooting a

period drama together sitting in a carriage. We had to shoot the scene again and again. You get to

know someone pretty well when you are sitting in a carriage together all day!

Q: How did you find it working with your wife, Diana Hardcastle?

A: It was delightful. We have worked together a few times now. The first time I was nervous, but it

turned out to be spectacularly good fun, and Belgravia was, too. I love being on set with her. We had

three scenes together in Belgravia and that was great fun. I just like being with her!

Q: How was it collaborating with the rest of the cast?

A: It was great. They were very easy to work with, but then really good actors are always easy to

work with. I've never known a good actor who is tough to work with.

Q: Why do we love period drama so much?

A: The Jane Austens and the Brontës tell really good stories which are very easy to watch. From a

narrative point of view, they are excellent stories, and that's why we keep coming back to them.

They are wonderful tales, and that's the reason why they have lasted.

Q: What do you think the takeaway from Belgravia will be?

A: I hope people really enjoy it and want to watch the next episode. That's all one can hope for.

That's true of every good drama, novel and movie. You ask yourself, "Is it incredibly watchable?”,

Belgravia certainly is.

Q: Finally, did Julian write this character with you in mind?

A: If he did write it with me in mind, he certainly didn't tell me!

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ALICE EVE

Q: Why were you so taken by Belgravia?

A: Julian Fellowes was a huge appeal. He is such a wonderful writer. Every question is answered on

the next page. He is also very good at writing women. He understands psychology without gender

bias. He simply sees people as people.

Q: What other qualities does he possess?

A: He take no prisoners. He tells it like it is. He writes about scheming and shows that there is such a

thing as strategising. It's unusual for that to be so brazenly discussed without the writer taking a

moral stance. Julian is just saying, "This is how it is. It's human nature".

Q: How did you prepare to play this character?

A: Julian and I had a long conversation about Susan. If a woman at that time had a desire for a

career, life would have been all about navigating the male hierarchy, so she couldn't do that. But,

like many women of her time, within the confines of her society, she's trying to find ways to liberate

herself.

Q: What else has shaped Susan?

A: She and her husband Oliver have not been able to conceive a child. From that moment, a shadow

is cast. If there was anything to salvage from the marriage, she would have salvaged it by now. But

the die has been cast, and the fear is that they're not going to make it.

Q: Why not?

A: Oliver is a bit of a nightmare – that doesn't help! He's a bit spoilt, like any person who has been

given everything all his life. He has high expectations, but of course life doesn't always provide. I

don't think they have a romantic life to speak of. They have very different life philosophies. They're

not occupying the same space. It's not a good match. It works practically, but not in terms of the

heart.

Q: Why are we so drawn to period dramas?

A: We are going through a turbulent time at the moment. There is nothing remotely predictable

about what's happening. So we love to look back to another era and escape.

Q: How did you find it wearing these costumes?

A: They were not easy for women, but I don’t want to complain – that would be churlish! They look

lovely, but that comes at a high price. They certainly weren't as comfortable as modern clothes,

which is why we are in modern clothes now and why we have evolved!

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Q: Did you enjoy working on Belgravia?

A: Absolutely. It was a lovely job. We went to some beautiful locations and had a wonderful

experience. The only problem was that one of the locations was on a flight path. You'd be in the

middle of a big scene and suddenly have to stop for a plane overhead. I'm not sure you can ever run

away from the modern world.

Q: What do you hope that viewers will come away from Belgravia saying?

A: The characters in Belgravia are timeless and universal, so I hope people in different countries will

enjoy it. But above all, I hope that people are really entertained. I truly believe in entertainment. It

has high value – it was ever thus.

RICHARD GOULDING

Q: What first hooked you about the prospect of appearing in Belgravia?

A: It's just a great story. As soon as I read it, I thought, "This is really exciting". It's very good fun, but

it's also a gripping tale about marriage, legitimacy, great families and London." It also has a great cast,

and it's a classic big ITV costume drama. It ticks all the right boxes. The whole thing is brilliant.

Q: What are the strengths of Julian's writing?

A: He's an expert on our history. Downton Abbey was testament to that. Every detail is there. He also

knows how to structure story, so that every episode is exciting and has a hook. He shows that nobody

is perfect and that everyone is flawed and has a conflict to solve. Julian has managed to create 20

characters who all have a significant part to play. That's an amazing skill.

Q: What is your view of your character, Oliver Trenchard?

A: I was really drawn to him immediately. He has a mixture of flaws, and as an actor there's lots to get

your teeth into. Oliver's father James has built himself up from nothing to be incredibly successful

businessman. He has a very entrepreneurial spirit and a great talent for getting things done. Oliver is

expected to follow in his footsteps, but he can't cut the mustard.

Q: Tell us more.

A: Oliver is full of anxiety. He has a temper and is frustrated. He is married to Susan, a woman who is

very sharp elbowed and much more ambitious than he is. They've been married 11 years and have no

child, which is a problem. The assumption is that she is barren, which would mean there is no chance

of a child. They are also living with his parents. The family have a country house in Somerset. Oliver

wants to move there to be a country squire, hunting, shooting and fishing. But his father would look

on that as a failure. It is not a happy existence.

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Q: What is the problem at the heart of the Trenchard family?

A: Oliver's older sister died when he was young, and she's left a huge hole in all their lives. It's been

an enormous loss for the family. They're still grieving, and it affects everything. Oliver is always pining

for his father's love, but he can't get it for those reasons.

Q: Would you describe them as aristocrats?

A: No. The Trenchards are very rich and live in Belgravia alongside the aristocrats, but there is a glass

ceiling they'll never penetrate because they don't have noble blood.

Q: What was the experience of wearing the costumes like?

A: They look great. I feel as if I was born in the wrong era! I was very happy in the frockcoat, the frilly

shirt and the high-waisted trousers. I felt sorry for the women tied into their corsets, though. The

women at that time had a horrible existence. The men's costumes are very dashing and not nearly as

painful as the women's. The women got it in the neck, literally.

Q: Are there parallels between then and now?

A: Definitely. Modern-day society is still about the nouveaux riches versus the aristocrats. Our country

hasn't changed very much. Belgravia is all about sex, money, ambition, social acceptance, flashy

wealth, and the machinations of a class-based society, which are still very much alive today. Those are

still the things that make the world go round.

ADAM JAMES

Q: What appealed to you about Belgravia?

A: Everything! The offer was a lovely surprise. I was rehearsing a play called Shipwrecked with Tara

Fitzgerald at the Almeida Theatre in London. We came back after Christmas and I said, "I've had a

lovely offer from Julian Fellowes", she replied, "So have I!". We were giddy about the possibility that

we would work together again. Also, I didn't have to audition for the part. It's an honour and a

privilege when you don't have to do that hoop jumping. It's great to feel appreciated.

Q: Were you also attracted by Julian's writing?

A: Absolutely. It's a terrific script. Reading Belgravia, I had a similar sensation to when I read the first

series of Doctor Foster. I couldn't get through Belgravia quickly enough. It's a real page turner. As

soon as I read it, I thought, "This is great!" As I recall, I was absolutely hooked from the very first

scene of Downton Abbey. Julian’s stories are so brilliantly told that you get inevitably drawn into

them.

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Q: Can you expand on that?

A: Julian is really good at drawing characters so vividly, infusing them with life and weaving them

into the narrative. It's all about the human condition. That's all we want to watch, whether it's a

period or a contemporary drama. We love to see the machinations of families. He also covers

universal themes such as young love, loss, grief and relationships breaking down. Julian is an

absolute master.

Q: Tell us about your character.

A: You always have to have a rogue, someone the audience love to hate, and John is that man. The

great thing is that all of John's machinations to maintain his title and inheritance meant I got to work

with all of the cast, which was lovely.

Q: Do you portray him as an out and out baddie?

A: No, I don't play him as a bog standard villain. There is a human aspect to John which Julian draws

so beautifully. It's great playing a character who is so detailed.

Q: What motivates John Bellasis?

A: Plain, venal ambition. He is trying to attain the lifestyle he's been brought up to believe he will

inherit. But it's hard to defend his behaviour. The minute he discovers his inheritance might be

threatened, he does everything in his power to win. He uses all the tools in the box from charming

humour to slightly stronger tactics. He's always got his eyes on the prize. He's learned a mode of

self-preservation. He knows how to look after number one.

Q: How would you summarise your experience on Belgravia?

A: I had the most wonderful time. It was a marvellous cast – half great mates and half heroes that I

was desperate to work with. Every day we were at these incredible locations. It will look glorious.

The designers have worked their magic. It was an absolute joy being part of this superb production.

It was the happiest three months I can recall. I skipped into work every single day!

JAMES FLEET

Q: Why will viewers be captivated by Belgravia?

A: It's a real page turner. It's one of those great stories. You sit there reading it and thinking, "I hope

it works out – oh no!" Julian has written a tremendous, classic story that really draws you in. Like

Julian's excellent film, Gosford Park, this is another great story about lost children. That's a timeless

theme that works on you. Mothers looking for lost children is the most powerful plot device you can

imagine.

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Q: Can you outline your character for us?

A: The Reverend Stephen Bellasis is a great character to play. He is the younger brother of the Earl

and he's very annoyed that he hasn't got the title. He was hoping he might have got half the estate,

but as a younger brother you get nothing. Now he's hoping the Earl will die soon so he can take

over!

Q: What other vices does this man of the cloth have?

A: He is very jealous and materialistic, like his son. He thinks he's been cheated by life. He is a vicar,

but he has absolutely no religious faith whatsoever. He makes a real fuss about having to do any

services. He also has a lot of gambling debts because he likes playing cards.

Q: Does he have any other flaws?

A: He doesn't care what other people think about him. You and I spend our lives worrying about

what other people think of us, but he just doesn't care. He asks people for money, and if they say no,

he doesn't bear a grudge – he just asks someone else. He is entirely self-centred. It's wonderfully

freeing to play him.

Q: Did you enjoy working with this cast?

A: Absolutely. It's a marvellous cast. I've worked with almost all of them before. It was one of those

read-throughs where you say to yourself, "Oh my God, I saw him on TV last night!".

Q: Why are period dramas so popular?

A: People like to watch an era that is pre-cars and pre-mobiles. Everything was very different then. It

was impossible to get as far as Shrewsbury. If you didn't have a mobile, you would have to write a

letter or go to a phone box or be overheard at a ball. That world presents characters with more

difficulties and so makes the plot more interesting.

Q: What do you think viewers' reaction to Belgravia might be?

A: I hope that people will love it. There are a lot of wonderful, wonderful performances in it. The plot

is brilliant as well. You always want to see the guy who is getting away with something receive his

comeuppance. It will draw people in because it's a very high-quality, epic family drama. I hope it will

be a big hit.

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ELLA PURNELL

Q: Why were you taken by the idea of playing Lady Maria Grey in Belgravia?

A: I was drawn to this character because she is very different from many young women in period

dramas. Usually, these dramas are set in a very challenging time for women, and they do not have a

lot to say. But Maria is a very free-spirited, multi-dimensional woman. I'm sure there were women

like Maria back then. We didn't always nod our heads and do as we were told. Maria has her own

thoughts and stands up for herself. She has got a mind of her own. You don't see that very often in

period dramas. Julian does a brilliant job of writing real women.

Q: Can you elaborate on that?

A: It's absolutely a female lead series. Anne, Lady Brockenhurst, Maria and her mother all have

fascinating stories.

Q: What befalls Maria during the series?

A: Her mother and brother have fallen on hard times and don't have the money to support

themselves. So Maria is expected to marry John, who will be the next Earl of Brockenhurst, to give

them financial security. But the problem is that she doesn't like John. He contradicts everything she

stands for. She doesn't believe in the superficial notions of title and money that she is supposed to

value.

Q: What else does she not like about John?

A: He has a closed mind, and he is superficial. He is unable to see anything beyond himself. Maria

finds him quite boring. They don't have much in common.

Q: What happens next?

A: Maria meets Charles. He is passionate and loves travel. She's never met a man like that before.

She is intrigued and instantly falls in love with him. Then her main difficulty is trying to find a way to

convince her mother that she should be with Charles. The hardest part of it is that Maria feels she is

letting down her family. That's very painful for her.

Q: Tell us more about the relationship between Maria and her mother.

A: We rarely see such an intriguing mother-daughter story. For Maria, it is not about money. It's

about control and betrayal by the woman who is supposed to be protecting her. Maria tells her

mother, "You make me feel like a bad daughter". There's a lot of pain behind that.

Q: Do you think Maria's mother is a villain?

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A: No. Her mother is just doing what she's been taught to do. She does not have malicious intent.

Maria and her mother come from very different generations. The story is told against the backdrop

of the Industrial Revolution, a time of great change in Great Britain. Maria symbolises a new way of

thinking. She is very far ahead of her time. Back then, women were not supposed to have opinions.

Q: If you met her in real life, would you be friends with Maria?

A: Definitely. I like a woman who thinks for herself and stands up for herself. Maria is very brave and

kind and empathetic. She wants to make great changes for women, and she has a very astute

understanding of women. She is also hyper aware of her privilege, but she wants to use her position

to do good. I love Maria!

JACK BARDOE

Q: How did you get the part of Charles Pope in Belgravia?

A: I was in my third year of drama school and started auditioning for jobs. This is one of the first

things I was offered. I'm so lucky. I loved Downton Abbey and all of Julian's other shows. This has all

the right ingredients for great drama. It's a magnificent story. It is such a privilege to be the

character at the kernel of it all.

Q: How would you sum up Charles?

A: He's a really great guy. He's very upfront, there is nothing hidden about him. He sees the good in

others. He is also ambitious and has a huge appetite for life and bright-eyed optimism about the

world. He even refuses to see the bad in people who trip him up. He has a very good heart.

Q: Tell us about his relationship with Maria.

A: She's a very beautiful young woman, which can't be ignored. But what really attracts him to her is

the fact that she shares his appetite to explore. He's found someone with an appetite for life that

mirrors his. She refuses to sit back and enjoy the things afforded by her birth-right. She wants to

grow and build. That draws him in.

Q: What marks out Julian as a writer?

A: He has a great eye for characters that people love to get behind. They're very rich and layered

people. Even though they are clearly from another time, they are so real that we can very easily

relate to them. Julian cultivates this incredible story which will inevitably pique people's interest.

Q: What did you think about the locations for Belgravia?

A: They were amazing. I felt like I was being taken into all of the most beautiful places in Britain. You

forget you're working sometimes. As the sun rises over Brocket Hall, you think, "Crikey, I have to get

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into costume and work now. This is a pretty good job!". You're very lucky if you can say your

workplace is as beautiful as that.

Q: How do you hope viewers will respond to Belgravia?

A: I hope people feel the same way I felt when I first read it. This story gives you a tremendous lust

for life – that's the kernel of Belgravia. What's going on at the moment can drain your appetite for

life, but we love drama like this because it's escapism. If Belgravia can do that for people, it would be

wonderful.

Q: Do you think people will compare Belgravia to Julian's other great success, Downton Abbey?

A: I hope so! It would be incredible if we had anything like the success of that marvellous series.

Q: How would you encapsulate the experience of working with this cast?

A: It's been brilliant. I was dropped in the deep end, but actors of this calibre really take care of you.

They look after you and give you so much. One week I was at drama school doing a showcase, the

next week I was filming with Harriet Walter. It's been an absurdly great privilege to be involved.

DIANA HARDCASTLE

Q: What was the main attraction of Belgravia for you?

A: For me, it's always about the script, the script and the script, and Belgravia is without question a

genuine page turner. Julian has done a very good job writing something really compelling. It has

everything. It is a period drama, a love story, and also a thriller. Julian has written some belting roles

for women as well. There are many terrific major female roles, but all the smaller roles for women

are crackers, too. It is riveting from that point of view.

Q: What other aspects of Belgravia stood out for you?

A: The other yardstick for me is that I always need a couple of moments in the script where I think, "I

want to say that". There were certainly several bits in Belgravia where I thought, "Thank you, I'd love

to do that!".

Q: Talk us through your character.

A: Grace is a very interesting and rather tragic woman. She is married to a compulsive gambler. She

has put up with a lot, but she's by no means a fool.

Q: Can you outline Grace's relationship with her son?

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A: He is the apple of her eye. She provides for him and adores him. She would do anything for him,

and indeed does. She is terribly lonely, so she confides in him. She is well aware that he is a

thoroughly bad lot, but like many people who have been betrayed, she thinks it will be different this

time. But he is totally untrustworthy. He is a nasty piece of work.

Q: How did you find it working with your husband, Tom Wilkinson?

A: I play his sister-in-law in Belgravia. It's always very nice to work together. We've done it quite

often in the past, and now we keep being asked to work together, so I suppose we must be doing

something right! It is always really good fun.

Q: What was it like wearing the costumes?

A: When you're an actress over 40, you spend most of your life wearing corsets and frocks! In the

theatre, that goes on for only three hours, but in a TV drama like this you're in costume from nine in

the morning till seven in the evening, and they're really heavy. If you're trying to get in and out of a

carriage in a hat, all the weight is on your back, so everyone is looking to sit down the whole time!

Q: Why were women made to wear these uncomfortable outfits?

A: There was a political side to it. Women were definitely kept in their place by these clothes. They

couldn't move with any degree of freedom.

Q: What do you hope viewers are saying to each other at the end of Belgravia?

A: Of course you want people to enjoy it and talk about it. I hope audiences are left wanting more.

TARA FITZGERALD

Q: What elements made you eager to be involved with Belgravia?

A: That's easy, Julian Fellowes' writing. He creates such a particular world in such a clever way. He

revitalises the period he visits and provides intimate knowledge of the people who inhabited that

world. He is so intelligent in his portrayal of the mores of that time. His attention to detail is so

strong that you believe he knows these people, and that isn't always the case with writers. He makes

that world seem very authentic. He's super bright, but wears his intelligence very loosely, so his

writing appears effortless. It's a tremendous skill.

Q: Can you elucidate that?

A: Julian's brilliance lies in the fact that his characters have this immediacy. Even though they lead a

rarefied existence, they're still possessed with universal problems. That's why his writing strikes a

chord. He has great confidence, and that in turn instils great confidence in the actors and the

audience.

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Q: Were you given instructions about how your characters would conduct themselves?

A: Yes. We were advised by experts in protocol. We were all given advice on pronunciation and

made aware of the dos and don'ts in that society. We were taught things as simple as how to use

cutlery and hold glasses. We were shown how we would come into a room and be presented to

society. Those little tells are very well observed and enrich the characters. They are saying to the

viewer, "You can trust this world".

Q: How would you summarise Lady Templemore?

A: She's a mother struggling with her wayward daughter. A lot of mothers will know about that. It's

an eternal struggle. The root of it is the restrictions of the time. Lady Templemore clashes with her

daughter because she has fallen for someone beneath her. Lady Templemore is initially delighted in

the marriage she has arranged and doesn't agree with her daughter's choice. It's a classic mother-

daughter conflict.

Q: What drives Lady Templemore?

A: She's trying to make someone much younger than her understand that feelings that seem like

love may change. Lady Templemore believes she is doing her best for her daughter's well-being. That

motivates her. Look at animals with kids in the wild. If they think their children are threatened,

something very primal comes out. It's a protective instinct.

Q: What emotions will Belgravia arouse in audiences?

A: I hope viewers will enjoy a wonderful love story. It’s also a story of revenge and a gripping thriller.

It's very textured and lots of threads run through it. How the characters interconnect is really

fascinating.

Q: How did you find it working with Ella Purnell?

A: It was a blessing. She's wonderful. I couldn't have hoped to be working with someone better. She

brought so much to it. I really admire her. We got on so well that there is nothing staged about our

performances. It was very easy – I didn't have to try very hard. She's so talented.

PAUL RITTER

Q: What was the major appeal of Belgravia?

A: I just thought it was an absolutely great story. I’m also a sucker for these sagas that stretch across

decades. It’s a classic story of a family that suffers the worst thing anyone could suffer combined

with a heap of complications due to social mores. It’s about the way time and events bring about

some healing. It’s a terrifically well-constructed and very affecting tale. That’s far easier said than

done, so hats off to Julian.

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Q: How would you describe Turton?

A: He weasels his way through this story, which I very much enjoy. He’s one of those underbelly

characters who are always very charismatic. This is a guy who is terrified of ending up in a pauper’s

grave. I love the way he is a complete loner. In the novel, Julian describes how Turton goes into the

local pub where a gin is automatically poured for him. Everyone knows him there, but he

communicates with no one. He has got some strange, bristling resistance to the world.

Q: What more can you tell us?

A: Turton would love to occupy a better station in the world, but at the same time he is very

conservative and very approving of the rigid stratifications of society. As a sociological study, he is

fascinating and contradictory. On the one hand, he has deference towards his employees, but on the

other, he has a barely concealed contempt for them. He’s a rolling ball of contradictory feelings.

Overall, he’s out to survive, but in the process he is unintentionally very funny, which is great fun to

play.

Q: Why has Turton been reduced to this weaselling and scheming?

A: His savings aren’t going to see him through to the end. He’s desperate to stay in London. He has a

morbid fear of the countryside. Back then, if a wealthy London household looked kindly on a

domestic servant, when he started to struggle with the stairs, he would be pensioned off to the

country seat. But Turton has London ingrained in his pores. He’s terrified of being exiled to the

country and then ending up penniless.

Q: What else?

A: He has engineered himself a more comfortable position, and he’s desperate to see out his life

without unnecessary hardship. So he engages in constant pilfering from the household. When he

gets a chance of a big payday from John Bellasis, he can’t resist. It scares him witless, but he still

feels he has to do it. Even though he has this deep resentment that he is on the wrong end of the

social bargain, ultimately the terror of winding up in poverty drives him to betray the family.

Q: Did you enjoy being reunited with Tamsin Greig, your co-star from Friday Night Dinner?

A: Yes, it was wonderful to be working with her again. It was great fun seeing her, although we

established a rule at the beginning that we wouldn’t talk about Friday Night Dinner too much. There

were a lot of scenes around the table in Belgravia where we would have to pass the potatoes. But

after five seasons of Friday Night Dinner, you learn how to pass potatoes properly!

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SASKIA REEVES

Q: How did you react when you heard you'd got the part in Belgravia?

A. I was delighted. I've quietly wanted to do a costume drama for a very long time, but you can't

control things. A film director once told me that, "There is no such thing as a career, a career is

falling uncontrollably from one point to another". That's what happens in this business. So long ago,

I gave up on the idea of things happening in a linear fashion. You think, "I did a good job there – that

means I'll be doing loads of work now". But it just doesn't happen like that. So when the part of Ellis

fell into my lap, it was just beautiful. I feel very lucky. It is one of the best made programmes I've

ever been in. It's made with such economy. There is no fuss, and everyone is incredibly on their

game. It's a lovely production to be involved with.

Q: Walk us through your character.

A: She's a lady's maid. At that time, it was pretty rough to be an uneducated working-class girl.

Domestic work was considered a way out and often provided a good income for your family. Ellis

finally got to work with the Trenchards and has stayed there. She's been very loyal and committed.

Q: What other skills does Ellis possess?

A: She's a very good seamstress. She's particularly good at sewing handkerchiefs. In 1850, there

were no sewing machines, so maids had to be very skilful at sewing and redesigning things.

Q: How does Ellis find working for the Trenchards?

A: She's hacked off. At that point in our history, we were starting to have a new wealthy, middle-

class. Ellis is working for a middle-class family, which would not have been her chosen path. She

would have preferred to work for posh people in very big houses, but she is stuck with it. It's a very

tough life. You were not paid very much and you gave your whole life to service. You weren't

allowed to have relationships or get married.

Q: What happens to Ellis during the series?

A: She's a genuinely good person, but she gets distracted and tempted. It's not something she jumps

at wholeheartedly, but she is driven into giving information about the family for money. Then things

get out of control, and the situation becomes too deep for her to get out of. Dreaming of a better

life, she gets tempted. Unlike other characters, she has never succumbed to underhand behaviour

before, but she gets hoisted by her own petard. It's human nature. You want to feel sorry for Ellis.

Q: How was it filming scenes with Tamsin Greig?

A: She's lovely, kind, funny and very, very professional. She's a heavyweight. She really knows what

she's doing. She's a really good actress.

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Q: What was it like wearing Ellis' one outfit?

A: In a way it's easier, it's a uniform you put on every day. But after I had hankered for period drama

and wanted to wear those lovely vintage dresses for so long, it was slightly disappointing that in the

event I only got to wear this one outfit!

BRONAGH GALLAGHER

Q: What made Belgravia so irresistible for you?

A: The sheer quality of the writing. Julian is a classic TV dramatist. He's got that boxed off. All his

scenes are the perfect length, and all his characters are perfectly drawn. He's also got his own

language going on - that's a real forte of his. He's just brilliant at what he does.

Q: Any other reasons for deciding to do Belgravia?

A: Yes. The cast are all good pals of mine. I was in a Poirot with Alice Eve about 14 years ago. It was

one of her first jobs. I was in The Girl from the North Country with Adam James, and the astonishing

Saskia Reeves is an old friend. With such high-class writing, cast and direction, what wasn't there to

love?

Q: How would you describe your character?

A: Speer is like a lot of people at that time. She's had to become very calculating about getting

money. These people in domestic service worked their whole lifetime for very little. They didn't have

anything else going on. They were single and institutionalised. It was very common for them to try

and catch anything they could under the table.

Q: Can you flesh that out?

A: Speer has her eyes on the prize. She knows her lady is up to something, and Speer knocks it out of

the park! She is manipulative, crafty and funny.

Q: Did you have a good time working with Tamsin Greig?

A: Definitely. She's a legend. We'd worked together before on Tamara Drewe, and we've been

constantly bumping into each other over the years. She's always been a great supporter of mine. We

hung out together as much as possible on Belgravia.

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Q: Did you and Tamsin sometimes get the giggles on set?

A: Yes. She's hysterical. We had a few carriage scenes together. We would just have to look at each

other and we'd start laughing. We couldn't handle those scenes. We were devils together!

Q: How did you find the costumes?

A: I'm not going to lie, it wasn't easy. Authentic 1840's women's outfits do not just have corsets, but

also three layers of petticoats, a wig and a hat. Standing in the middle of Hampton Court wearing all

that in 28-degree temperatures was quite challenging!

Q: What do you think the takeaway from Belgravia might be?

A: It's a beautifully written piece performed by great actors. It shows that the family unit can contain

a lot of secrets and lies. But what's important is honesty - it's the best policy. There was a lot of

secrecy about illegitimate kids back then, but in the end we're all equal and we all have to treat each

other as equal. I hope that's what audiences will take away from this.

Q: Did you enjoy your experience on Belgravia?

A: Absolutely. We had a lovely group of people. We were looked after so well by the producer, Colin

Wratten. It was the best gang you could ask for. It was a pleasure to come to work every day.

EMILY REID

Q: How did you react when you heard you'd got the part of Sophia in Belgravia?

A: I was ecstatic, obviously. The character is such a gem. The audition was a really nice process,

which isn't always the case. I was so, so happy when I got it. I've been so lucky to be part of this

wonderful production.

Q: How would you sum up Sophia?

A: She's got a huge heart, passion and zest for life, at a time which didn't cater for that in women.

She doesn't hold back. She's not constrained by the mores of the time. She's a rebel.

Q: Tell us more.

A: She follows her heart. Her family are living in Brussels which is not like London. Social rules have

gone out of the window in Brussels, and so Sophia is not aware of them. She has a wonderful

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relationship with her father. He's a dreamer, and that's been passed down to her. She believes

anything is possible, and that's her great tragedy.

Q: How so?

A: The great tragedy of her story is that this is a woman who is following her heart and trying to do

the right thing, but it ends in the most awful way for her. It shows how difficult it was for women

back then to lead a normal life, fall in love and have a child.

Q: Do you think Edmund really loves her?

A: Yes, he is sincere in his love. They're completely in love with each other. It's a huge testament to

Edmund that he falls for someone so far below his social station. That would have been a very big

deal.

Q: What makes Julian's writing stand out?

A: What he does brilliantly is write real women. Each female character in Belgravia is so original.

That's so special. In so many stories from that period, the women are sidelined. Julian is so ingenious

in creating really authentic women. I also love the fact that this project champions women. It's

wonderful to see a period drama that genuinely focuses on women.

Q: What other qualities does Julian possess as a writer?

A: His attention to detail is amazing - each character is specific. Also, nothing is wasted in his

dialogue. It's poetic, concise and beautiful. When lines are as easy to learn as his, that's a great sign. I

love his stuff.

Q: What was it like working with Tamsin?

A: I love her. She's such an incredible actor. I learnt so much from being in scenes with her. That was

really exciting. I'm very young and green. From Tamsin, I learnt the importance of playing with your

screen partner and always being present. Tamsin is very present, which is not always the case with

actors. She would also tell me little things about movements and gestures. She would say, "My

character would do this", and I'd think, "Oh my God, that opens up the whole thing?".

Q: What about Philip?

A: I have so much love for him. He's so fun. It's the most fun I've ever had working with someone.

You're never bored with him. The way he plays a scene is different in every take. Even if a scene is

tragic, it's very important to enjoy it. Philip allows you to do that. After every scene with him, I'd

leave with a smile on my face!

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JEREMY NEUMARK JONES

Q: For you, what was the big appeal about Belgravia?

A: It's a total page turner. It's a realisation of Julian's novel, which adds to its readability. Also, I'd

never done a period drama like this before. And Edmund and Sophia's role in the series is so pivotal.

They only appear in episode one, but their story has ramifications throughout the next five episodes.

I couldn't possibly turn it down!

Q: Could you please summarise your character for us?

A: Edmund is someone you could easily think is up to no good. Viewers might think he's a cad. When

I initially spoke to John Alexander, the director, I said, "I'll play him like a smiling assassin". But John

replied, "No, you have to play him as sincere. He means it. He loves Sophia". Edmund is actually a

very sweet guy. If it wasn't for the Battle of Waterloo, he wouldn't have ended up with Sophia. He's

a victim of circumstance.

Q: How did you find it wearing those period military uniforms?

A: It was amazing. You feel great when you catch sight of yourself in the mirror, and the costume

really helps you get into the part. There is a lot of pomp about Edmund. You see him on his horse

dressed to the nines. That underlines his social status. It's crucial to show where people stood in that

period.

Q: How was it working with Tamsin Greig?

A: She's wonderful. She's an absolutely marvellous actress, but she will also crack jokes and not take

herself too seriously. The amazing thing is that she has all the time in the world for you. I'll say to

her, "I got a call back for another job," and she'll take a lot of time to give you advice. That's a very

humbling experience.

Q: Did you also enjoy working with Philip Glenister?

A: Definitely. He's brilliant. I've been a huge fan of his since Life on Mars. He is such fun. Period shoes

are not very comfy. Philip had a new pair of bright white trainers, and he couldn't wait to take off his

period shoes and put his new ones on!

Q: Why are we so fascinated by period drama?

A: On set, I was speaking to the Dutch actor playing the Prince of Orange, and he told me they didn't

have the same obsession with history in Holland. It's a completely British thing because we have had

a long period of uninterrupted social development. Period drama is so popular because it helps us

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make sense of the present by thinking about the past. All the best period drama is like that. You

don't have to read too far to feel that it's relevant to today.

Q: What do you hope that people's response will be to Belgravia?

A: I hope it will be a drama that people can't wait to come back to every week. People were

obsessed with Julian's last series, Downton Abbey. They were completely gripped by the highs and

the lows of those characters, and I hope this will have the same effect. I hope viewers will come back

every Sunday night and really invest in these stories.

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Notes to Editors

ABOUT CARNIVAL FILMS Carnival Films is a division of NBCUniversal International Studios and one of the UK’s leading drama

specialists. The company is responsible for the global television phenomenon and movie sensation

Downton Abbey, which topped $190m at the box office and set a new opening record for Focus

Features. Carnival’s current slate includes hit series The Last Kingdom for Netflix and the television

adaption of Robert Harris’ novel, The Second Sleep. Other shows produced over Carnival’s history

include Jamestown, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, Poirot, Hotel Babylon, Whitechapel and Dracula, as well as

award-winning mini-series such as Traffik, Any Human Heart, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies

and The Hollow Crown anthology. Carnival has received a host of national and international awards

including Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, and has been recognised as the UK’s best

production company at both the Bulldog Awards and Broadcast Awards.

ABOUT ITV ITV entertains millions of people and shapes culture. We are a leading media and entertainment

company, with the largest commercial television network in the UK and a global production business,

with over over 55 labels. Creativity, quality content and engaging audiences in the UK and around the

world is at the core of everything we do.

We are More than TV. We reach over 40 million viewers every week with our programmes on ITV's

family of channels, as well as the ITV Hub, which is available on 28 platforms and on over 90% of

connected televisions sold in the UK. ITV delivers 99% of all commercial audiences in the UK over 5

million viewers and in 2019 is achieving its highest share of viewing in 11 years making it a

powerful partner on TV, the advertising platform with the best rate of return when compared to other

media.

As advertisers use more targeted advertising as part of their marketing communications, ITV has

concluded an agreement with a leading ad tech provider, Amobee, which will enable ITV to deliver

programmatic addressable advertising around its premium video inventory on the ITV Hub. This,

together with the investment in data and analytics, provides advertisers with mass, quality, trusted

reach together with targeting ensuring ITV remains a powerful medium for helping companies grow.

ITV as part of its More than TV strategy, has created a scaled Direct to Consumer business in the UK,

including recently surpassing 500,000 subscribers to its ad-free catch-up service, Hub+. In November

2019 ITV launched BritBox, a streaming service with the BBC bringing the very best in past, present

and future British programming and award-winning content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel

5 to viewers all in one place.

ITV Studios produces 8,900 hours of original programming each year, across 55 production labels. Our

global footprint spans 14 countries including the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, The Nordics, Italy

and the Netherlands and our global distribution business sells our catalogue of 45,000+ hours to more

than 3000 broadcasters and platforms.

As the media landscape continues to change rapidly, ITV is focused on building upon its unique

combination of creativity and commercial strength, transforming digitally to create a more diversified

and structurally sound business.

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ABOUT EPIX EPIX®, an MGM company, is a premium television network delivering a broad line-up of quality original

series and documentaries, the latest movie releases and classic film franchises – all available on TV,

on demand, online and across devices. EPIX® has tripled the amount of original programming on the

network and has become a destination for original premium content with series including Godfather

of Harlem, starring and executive produced by Forest Whitaker; Pennyworth, the origin story of

Batman’s butler Alfred; Perpetual Grace, LTD, starring Sir Ben Kingsley; spy thriller Deep State; and

docu-series NFL: The Grind, from NFL Films and hosted by Rich Eisen; as well as upcoming premieres

of new series Belgravia, from Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame and the creative team from Downton

Abbey; drama Chapelwaite, based on the short story Jerusalem’s Lot by Stephen King and starring

Academy Award winner Adrien Brody; docu-series Slow Burn based on the hit podcast and the two-

part music docuseries Laurel Canyon. Launched in October 2009, EPIX® is available nationwide through

cable, telco, satellite and emerging digital distribution platforms as well as through its EPIX NOW app,

providing more movies than any other network with thousands of titles available for streaming.