Rivals fans aren’t the only ones who have developed an appreciation for Declan’s mustache — either Aidan Turner.
“It’s so funny. I don’t think I’ve said that to anyone yet. But usually, whether it’s a costume, facial hair or a highlight, I’m always very eager to release them when the work is done,” Turner, 41, who plays the beloved character on the hit Hulu series, exclusively said Us Weekly. “It almost feels out of place walking around wearing the character’s costume. You want to get away from the city and things and just leave it all behind. But I found that quite complicated.”
Turner recalled finding ways not to say goodbye to Declan and his iconic facial hair.
“I was apologizing to the showrunner Dominic (Treadwell-Collins). I was like, ‘I’ve got to keep this mustache for a couple of weeks because we have reshoots.’ And he said, ‘Okay, maybe about a week.'” And sure enough, we did a few reshoots,” he recalled. “But I remember at the time thinking, ‘I really don’t want to get rid of this.’ And when the reshoots were done, I think I saved it for another week when I didn’t need to.”
Rivals put in a lot of work to make their cast very different on the show. Based on Jilly Cooper’s novel of the same name, Disney+ and Hulu’s Rivals centers around the feud between two men fighting for control of a television station in 1980s Britain. It stars a cast including David Tennant, (…)
After having so much fun reviving Declan, Turner he didn’t want to let go of the character or his stock, adding: “I lied to a few friends saying they might call us for more pictures. I wasn’t ready to get rid of it – and that had never happened to me before. I think the universe does tell us things and there is something to it. There was a reason I didn’t want to get rid of him. I loved the series so much and I really responded to this character and didn’t want the world to end.”
Fans — and the cast — are still waiting for news of a possible renewal. But if and when Turner gets the call for another season, the actor said he’ll be ready to go growing a mustache.
“I was slow to get rid of the character before the next job, which is strange. But yes, I did,” he shared. “(Bringing him up for Season 2) would be a really fun thing. I can’t wait to grow it again. I would love that.”
Based on Jilly Cooperthe novel of the same name byDisney+ and Hulu Rivals centers around a feud between two men fighting for control of a television station in 1980s Britain. Besides Turner, Rivals stellar ensemble David Tennant, Katherine Parkinson, Victoria Smurfette, Alex Hassell, Bella McLean, Nafessa Williams, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer.
As the networks make decisions about their programming, Us Weekly will continue to track what’s been renewed and what TV shows have been canceled. Slow Horses was the first show to score a 2024 renewal. In early January, Apple TV+ picked up the series for a fifth season, which will be based on Mick (…)
A word for Rivals traveled quickly, with many viewers tuning in about the romance of the age gap between Rupert (Hassell) and Taggy (McLean). Fans then latched onto Turner’s performance as Declan, a journalist trying to balance being a current father and husband with his quest to tell stories that matter.
“It’s always wonderful (to hear how well the show and Declan are being received). Any actor who says they don’t want to hear such nice things, I don’t believe them. It’s always nice to hear those things, especially in the early days of a show’s release,” he said us. “I know how it’s been received in this country (the UK), which has been really positive.”
Turner, who has been in the industry for almost two decades, knew Rivals it was something special.
“There’s a funny thing that happens when you’ve done a lot of work over 20 years. Some things you land the plane, some you miss the airport completely,” he quipped. “When you land the plane, you start hearing from people you haven’t heard from in a while. My friends I haven’t talked to in months just emailed me saying they love the show. And it’s like, “Wow, I must really touch people.”
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Turner continued: “But not having the social media element keeps you very much out of the loop. But I like hearing that it’s being taken on a really positive level. … I guess to some extent it’s always a surprise when people respond to a show and really like it.”
While Turner saw the potential with Rivalshe knew audience reception and the reaction was out of his hands.
“You want great things for your project, especially (with) the U.S. It’s such a huge English-speaking market, so it’s a very big territory for that market. But you just see how people react,” he noted. “Being an actor, there are a lot of disappointments and some performances that you think will travel but don’t – and you get confused by that. I just gave up years ago trying to understand what businesses want and what the markets are choosing. So it’s so nice to hear you say these things (about support). It puts a real smile on my face.”
Rivals currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
