Aidan Turner on Fifteen-Love: 'I've never played anyone more detestable'
The former Poldark star unpacks his "terrifying" character.
This feature contains discussion of sexual assault that some readers may find upsetting.
Aidan Turner has played a wealth of different men over the course of his career, but Fifteen-Love's Glenn Lapthorn might be the worst.
"I don't know if I've played anyone who's more detestable. I really don't," he told RadioTimes.com of his character, a successful and well-respected tennis coach who is accused of sexual abuse by his former protégée Justine Pierce (Ella Lily Hyland).
"But that was always the interesting challenge of playing Glenn: He doesn't see himself as that, he doesn't see himself as a monster. He would consider himself articulate and charismatic.
"He's a coveted tennis coach. If he takes you on and coaches you, there's no reason why wouldn't become a top-seeded player. He's a gatekeeper, and he knows he has that kind of power."
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Speaking about the relationship between Glenn and Justine, Hyland said: "One of the notes that I had throughout was to play this like a love story. Maybe there's a bodily instinct of something not being right, but cognitively she believes that she's in love with this person.
"And Glenn also correlates with the experience that she had of being at the top of her career. That holds a lot of power and nothing can ever touch how great she felt in that moment.
"It's quite hard to see Glenn as a bad person from Justine's perspective until we get to those more difficult moments, because it's this person that she trusts."
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Turner added: "He's lying to everybody about everything: to his wife; to his peers; to the people he works with; to students. Everything is a huge lie. He's spinning plates all the time and it's almost like he gets a kick out of it.
"It doesn't seem hugely stressful for him. He's in the eye of the storm and I think he feels regenerated by that, which is terrifying in its own way."
Read more:
- Aidan Turner and Ella Lily Hyland in new look at drama Fifteen-Love
- Fifteen-Love review: Prepare to be captivated by Ella Lily Hyland and Aidan Turner
If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, visit the NHS website or Victim Support for information and support.
Fifteen-Love will air on Prime Video on 21st July 2023 – try Prime Video for free for 30 days.
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