Poldark's Aidan Turner: 'This feels like my first grown-up role'

It attracted Sunday evening audiences of up to 15 million in the 1970s and was sold to broadcasters around the globe. Now, 40 years on, a remake of BBC period drama Poldark is hoping to recapture the magic of the original.

Based on Winston Graham’s acclaimed novels, the drama is set against windswept 18th-century Cornwall – where Graham spent much of his life. The lavish romantic saga tells the story of Ross Poldark, an army officer who returns to England after fighting in the American War of Independence. 

But rather than a joyful reunion with his family, he discovers that his beloved home and everyone in it has changed beyond recognition in his absence. The Britain he returns to in 1783 is in the grip of a turbulent crisis… falling wages, rising prices, civil unrest. 

His father has died and the land he has left Ross is barren. The local tin mines are going through a hard time and laying off workers, while the woman he was bethrothed to, Elizabeth (Heida Reed), assumed him dead and is now engaged to his cousin.

Irish actor Aidan Turner, best known for The Hobbit films and for BBC Three series Being Human, was approached directly with the role of the dashing leading man and admits it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.

“Ross Poldark feels like my first grown-up role, after years spent playing fantasy characters,” says the 31 year old, who won Best Male Newcomer at the Empire Awards last year, for his role in The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug. 

“He’s a literary hero: strong and rebellious, a real Robin Hood character. He doesn’t believe his own hype and although he’s an army captain, he’s more comfortable hanging out with miners than people of his own class – drinking whisky around a fireside, rather than dancing with debutantes at balls.”

Tipped to become the new Downton Abbey, the eight-parter revolves around Poldark’s attempts to restore his fortunes by reopening one of the family’s tin mines. But it’s the ongoing battle between his feelings for his ex-fiancée, Elizabeth, and servant girl, Demelza Carne (Eleanor Tomlinson), which is at the heart of the story.

The new revival remains faithful to the original series, which is still one of the most successful British adaptations of all time. Excluding the 1995 version of Pride And Prejudice with Colin Firth, Poldark outsold every BBC costume drama when it was released on VHS. In spite of this, Aidan confesses he wasn’t tempted to watch it ahead of his own performance.

“My parents were huge fans but Poldark was a complete mystery to me to begin with. I decided to read the books but I purposefully didn’t watch the show and I still haven’t, because it would have been too intimidating.

“I don’t want to let people down, especially fans of the character, but I don’t think it’s productive to think about how you can disappoint people,” he says. 

“The fan base of the 1970s adaptation of Poldark is very supportive, they have been very generous and kind and genuinely excited to see what we have done with this. It’s like breathing new life into it. But we need to remember that a lot of people haven’t seen the previous adaptation, as it was 40 years ago, and there’s a lot of people that won’t have heard of it either!”

In a nod to its predecessor, the original Ross Poldark, Robin Ellis, now 73, makes an appearance in the revival, playing the Reverend Dr Halse – the clergyman who Ross shares his coach with on his journey home in the opening scene. 

“Playing Ross Poldark was a very significant part of my life,” says Robin. “It has had only a positive effect on my life and was an absolute joy, so I was thrilled at the idea of coming back to play a small part in this. Reverend Halse is a nasty piece of work, part of the establishment, and one of the gentry that Ross despises. It was a totally new experience to play this sort of character and one I relished.”

Robin, who appears in two episodes, hasn’t graced our screens since 2006 and now lives in France, but Aidan was glad he came out of retirement to join them for the project. “We were very lucky to have Robin on board. He’s a really nice, very humble guy and still receives Poldark fan mail! That show was huge,” he says.

The revival was shot on location in Cornwall last summer and the cast were blessed with fine weather – which, Aidan laughs, made the drama look more like it was set in the south of France rather than Blighty. He said they were also lucky to be greeted by lots of encouraging fans wherever they went. 

“People know Poldark so well down there and are proud of it, so we were welcomed all the time. It reminded me of home in Ireland.”

So what are Aidan’s thoughts about sticking with the BBC costume drama long term?

“We think we have a really good show here, but who knows? There is no formula for success, so you just have to take a punt and hope for the best.”

Poldark, Sunday, 9PM, BBC1