Andrew Scott is ruling Netflix as he took on the iconic role of Tom Ripley in the latest Netflix thriller ‘Ripley‘. Matt Damon has also played Tom Ripley’s character in the 1999 film adaptation of the story, ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley‘, setting the bars for Scott’s performance rather high. Amid all the pressure because of a laudable precedence to his role, Andrew Scott has admitted to having felt intimidated.
Scott stars alongside Johnny Flynn and Dakota Fanning in the show. Despite his much-acclaimed work, he said he finds comparisons to Matt Damon rather daunting. During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Scott opened up about the challenges of stepping into the shoes of a character previously brought to life by another acclaimed actor.
When Kimmel mentioned the overwhelmingly positive reviews of the show and suggested that Scott outshines Damon, the actor admitted to feeling intimidated. “For me, it was intimidating because, you know, it’s a film that people love and I’m certainly included in that. I absolutely adore that film,” Scott said.
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Andrew Scott Credits ‘Ripley’ Director Steven Zaillian For The Show’s Success
The ‘Fleabag‘ actor also credited creator Steven Zaillian for persuading him to take on the role. Zaillian’s vision for the show, which is based on Patricia Highsmith’s classic novel, had a film noir aesthetic like the early 60s cinema, Scott said.
“He wanted it to be very film noir. It’s all set in black and white. It’s very Hitchcockian. You know, it’s like it’s sort of it’s very crime based,” Scott said of Zallian. “And you know, he wanted it to feel of the period of set and very, very early 60s, and it’s exquisitely shot. It really looks like like no other kind of form on television. And we get to spend a huge amount of time with the character,” he continued.
Scott further said that Zaillian has paid intricate attention to details in the production, because of which its visual style and immersive storytelling stand apart. Directed and written by Steven Zaillian himself, ‘Ripley‘ also features Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf and Dakota Fanning as Ripley’s girlfriend.
The 1999 film adaptation based on the same story starred Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was written and directed by Anthony Minghella, and had gained critical acclaim and five Academy Award nominations.
Released on April 4, ‘Ripley’ is available for streaming on Netflix.
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