October 8th 2024.
Next on the agenda was Emily Atack's experience filming the TV adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper's steamy novel, Rivals. Surprisingly, it wasn't the nudity that had the actress worried. In the series, Emily plays Sarah Stratton, who is first introduced engaging in a game of naked tennis with the charming Rupert Campbell-Black. Metro caught up with Emily and her co-star Claire Rushbrook, who plays Lady Monica Baddingham, to discuss the show.
"I was worried about that," Emily, 34, admitted. "I thought, 'Oh God, am I gonna have to actually know how to play tennis?' Funny that was my worry, rather than the nudity." She added, "It ended up being quite a liberating experience, actually."
Emily felt so comfortable on set that she joked about forgetting she was naked. "I remember I had the towel and the robe in between takes; but by the end of it, honestly, I couldn't put my clothes on, I was just running around like, 'Woo'," she laughed.
However, Emily credits her ease on set to the amazing crew, director, co-stars and intimacy co-ordinators. The morale was high, and the bonds formed were tight. They even gave each other a hug after filming intimate scenes. "We all spoke about our nudity scenes and all spoke to each other, and after we'd all done a nudity scene, we'd all give each other a hug," Emily explained.
Claire added, jokingly, "You put your clothes on first." Emily also admitted to having some pre-filming jitters, but she had consented to the nudity in Rivals and was aware of what she had signed up for. "It's scary when you have to do something like that, for sure," she said. "But I just think: I'm exactly where I need to be and I'm behaving as I should. This is a role that I've been cast in. It's a scene that I signed a contract for that I said I was comfortable with."
Set in the fictional county of Rutshire in the 80s, Rivals follows the story of Rupert Campbell-Black and Lord Tony Baddingham's rivalry, which starts to impact the day-to-day operations of a TV network. Meanwhile, romantic sparks fly between various characters. Claire's character, Lady Monica, is married to Lord Tony, but she seems to be more focused on her dogs than her husband. "They say never work with children or animals, but did this ring true on Rivals?" Claire was asked. "No, these dogs are actor dogs, so like us, they took direction very well. They've got handlers," Claire, 53, replied. Emily added that they were even banned from playing with the dogs in between takes because they needed to be focused on their handlers' signals.
Claire explained, "They've got to absolutely be focused on their handler, who will then just give them a signal, and they will do what they're told. So, if you're playing and distracting them, they'll be distracted."
When it came to getting into character, Claire said she drew no inspiration from real-life people. Instead, she drew on her costume and the opulent country house where they filmed to let the character "seep in." Emily, on the other hand, believes that women will identify with her character, Sarah. "She represents how women felt back in that time when they had to use their sexuality to get what they wanted," Emily explained. "A character like Sarah Stratton could so easily have been unlikable, but she's funny - and you actually really root for her, hopefully, as it goes on." She added, "[Rivals] shows these real vulnerable sides to her and shows why she feels she has to be manipulative and conniving to get what she wants because she feels there's no other choice."
Emily was thrilled to play the role, and her loved ones were equally excited. "My friends and family were just like, 'Oh my God.' My mum was like, 'Oh my God, Jilly Cooper,'" she shared. Claire received a similar reaction from her loved ones. "I'm from the generation where we were all reading Jilly Cooper, and our mums were also all reading her books," she said. "So, there was great excitement amongst my lot."
In fact, Emily even got a taste of real-life Rivals by attending one of Jilly's infamous parties at her country home. "We got a bus there, and we called it the Rivals party bus," she recalled. "I sat and chatted with Richard Madeley for ages. That was pretty cool." She added, starstruck, "The Madeleys were there. That was great. Richard and Judy. I was like, 'Oh my God, Richard and Judy.'" Claire chimed in, "Jilly was very gracious, wasn't she? It was a garden party, so we got to experience true Englishness."
Rivals is available to stream on Disney Plus from Friday, October 18. If you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, get in touch with the entertainment team at The Agency by emailing us, calling 020 3615 2145, or visiting our Submit Stuff page. We'd love to hear from you.
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