As Richard Gadd’s boundary-pushing BBC drama Half Man moves toward a dramatic climax, lead star Jamie Bell has revealed that the process wasn’t “easy or fun.” The six-part series follows the volatile relationship between “step-brothers” Ruben (played by Richard) and Niall (played by Jamie) across three decades, from their fraught adolescence in Glasgow in the 80s through to the present day, where Niall’s wedding is interrupted by a violent confrontation.
Polar opposites—Niall, a shy, soft-hearted lad, and Ruben, a rough, tough “alpha male”—their conflicting personalities create an even more fraught dynamic that viewers can’t help but watch with morbid curiosity. Known for tackling dark themes in his work, Gadd’s latest project doesn’t hold back in its exploration of toxic masculinity, abuse, and twisted families.
There are several tough-to-watch sequences between the two protagonists, infused with emotional and physical violence, psychological torment, and decades of baggage that are almost impossible to untangle. All this means it’s not easy viewing, and—according to Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell’s account—it wasn’t a walk in the park to film either.
“It’s a brutal, beastly thing that Richard has created. I’d be lying if I said it was easy or fun to make,” the Peaky Blinders star said in a recent interview. He went further in his praise of the scripts, calling it a “sensory experience” to read them, especially flattered to know the role of Niall was written with him in mind.
“He truly takes you to those places in your own life. It probes experiences you’ve kept hidden away somewhere and chosen to forget,” the Bafta-winning actor, 40, told The Guardian. And he understood, more than most, the troubled attraction Niall had for Ruben, even if it was self-destructive.
“I grew up in an all-female household and did ballet, so I used to attach myself to tough, troubled guys too. Not my kind of crowd at all, but I’d rather have them on my team than not,” he shared, adding that he also relates to Niall’s “self-loathing,” especially when it comes to his professional life.
Review: Half Man’s TV Reporter Milo Pope shares his four-star review of the series…
What unfolds over the course of the next five hours of television can all rather simply be described as just pure and utter drama—in the plainest and best sense. Ruben and Niall’s fascinating dynamic, which is in equal parts hate, adoration, and jealousy, is constantly shifting and changing as twists and turns come heavy and fast.
Exploring themes of toxic masculinity, trauma, and brotherhood, I genuinely found myself switching sides between the pair of them a dozen times—going from hating them at one point to sympathising the next.
Read the full review here.
The final episode brings it all to the table, both metaphorically and literally. He points to one face-to-face sequence between the pair that mixes in their men’s history and makes for truly fine TV.
“There’s nothing to cut to, no guns or gimmicks, just two men looking at each other and coming clean,” he said. Then added about another moment where he vomits: “Throwing up on screen is always bizarre. You fill your mouth with oatmeal, banana, peas and carrots, then spew it out.”
Following in the footsteps of Richard’s TV debut, Baby Reindeer, Half Man has raked in glowing reviews from across the board, hailed as a “bleak and chilling,” “brave,” and “striking” story. Discussing his inspiration behind the show, he told the BBC: “Mainly I just thought it was interesting to take two men, put them in a period where society has progressed and then flashback to a time when society was at its most unaccepting.”
The first five episodes of Half Man are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. The final episode comes out on Friday, May 29.
