The League of Austen Artists: oblonsky

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

RIPPER STREET: Adam Rothenberg finds dream part in 'Ripper Street' (RED EYE)

SHOW PATROL
March 02, 2013|By Curt Wagner, @ShowPatrol | RedEye

Set in London's rough East End in 1890, "Ripper Street" tells the story of H Division, the police precinct charged with keeping order in the aftermath of Jack the Ripper's reign of terror. Rothenberg plays American Homer Jackson, an ex-Army surgeon and ex-Pinkerton detective recruited by Inspector Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) to help the police, including Reid's right-hand man, Sgt. Bennet Drake (Jerome Flynn), to solve crimes.

Just as Jackson's the only American working with H Division, Rothenberg was the only American on set during filming.

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/ripper%20street

"I don't want to say [it was] totally life imitating art because I'm not nearly as interesting as Homer," he told me during a phone call from Gramercy, N.Y., where he lives. "But, yeah, there was a lot of that ... and that really helped in the flavor of the show. I actually kind of learned what being an American was all about by being surrounded by people who weren't. And, of course, that's part of what the show explores."

How Jackson, the consummate outsider, fits in with his new British "friends" has been one of the series more interesting aspects. Reid asked, then cajoled and then threatened him to remain at the inspector's beck and call to perform autopsies and use the burgeoning science of forensics to help solve cases. A fan of any vice you can imagine, Jackson's also gambled, gotten drunk (many times), been beaten up and clashed with the more straight-laced Drake, as well as Long Susan Hart (Myanna Buring), with whom he shares a dark secret.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Ripper Street New drama for BBC One starring Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Adam Rothenberg (BBC)

Matthew Macfadyen plays Inspector Edmund Reid

Date: 28.11.2012Last updated: 05.12.2012 at 12.13

Category: BBC One; Drama

Tell us something about the character you play in Ripper Street

Reid is a very dedicated, forward thinking policeman. What I find interesting about him is that there’s nothing jaded or on the back foot about him. I wanted to get away from the sort of classic, seen it all, done it all copper and he’s definitely not that. He’s quite progressive and interested in technology and the innovations of the age, which were enormous, especially in Victorian times. So he’s an interesting character. He’s got quite a lot of anger and he has a fairly dark past. He has made a terrible mistake and that sort of haunts him. So, there’s a lot to play with. It’s good fun.

How would you describe Ripper Street?

Ripper Street is a very visceral police drama set in the reign of Queen Victoria in Whitechapel in London, in the aftermath of the horrific Jack The Ripper murders.

What drew you to the character of Reid?

It’s always really the writing. That’s what either grabs you or doesn’t. And Richard Warlow, the creator and writer, has made a very original thing really. He’s got a wonderful way of creating the language and so this show is sort of bombastic, big and colourful and grimy as well. There’s lots of stuff in there.

What is the dynamic like between the three main characters?

I certainly love acting with those two and the way it’s written they complement each other very well. There’s me, who’s the sort of driving force of the threesome; and then there’s Drake played by Jerome who’s got this lovely quality - he’s the brawn and he’s also got a great sincerity and strength to him; and then there’s Jackson played by Adam, who’s just sort of brilliant, he’s got a brilliant mind - I mean he’s wayward and he’s infuriating but he’s, incredibly gifted at forensics and pathology and all the rest of it. As a threesome they sort of work really well. And there’s respect and there’s also mistrust. And there’s antagonism between the three of them so it’s a good mix. I hope!

Reid respects Jackson because of his skill. This was an age where the amazing advances that we take for granted now hadn’t happened: forensics, forensically fingerprinting and DNA. It was very basic sort of police work I suppose but for them it was cutting edge. Things were happening at an alarming rate, technologically. And so I think they would think of themselves as very modern and very progressive... which is interesting. It’s a period procedural but it doesn’t feel like that to them, obviously.

READ MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/ripperstreet/matthew-macfadyen.html