After the global success of Baby Reindeer, creator and actor Richard Gadd is back with another emotionally charged drama. His latest series, Half Man, is all set to premiere on Lionsgate Play on July 3 and reunites audiences with the kind of deeply human storytelling that made Baby Reindeer a cultural phenomenon.
Created by Gadd and starring him alongside Jamie Bell, Half Man explores the complexities of brotherhood, trauma, masculinity and identity. Set across multiple decades, the six-part drama follows estranged brothers Ruben (Richard Gadd) and Niall (Jamie Bell) as they are forced to confront a painful shared past after years apart. Half Man has already drawn attention for its intimate storytelling and powerhouse performances.
Speaking about casting the younger versions of the lead characters, Gadd revealed that he immediately knew who he wanted after watching their auditions.
He said, “I love Mitchell Robertson and Stuart Campbell (young Niall and Ruben respectively), and I want it on record that they were my favourites for Niall and Ruben from when I first saw their self-tapes. It was the same with Jess Gunning (Baby Reindeer actress) where I just knew from her first audition that I was experiencing exceptional talent.”
He continued, “I cannot describe it, but it is like I see the character in my head, and I just need an actor to come in and echo it back at me and these boys did that and then some! They are true professionals through and through and I never doubted them for a second. It is also a joy to give young, Scottish talent their moment to shine. They would be a gift to any production they work on.”
Jamie Bell, who essays the role of Niall, also spoke about sharing the screen with Gadd and navigating the emotional intensity of the series.
“Working with Richard has been extraordinary. He’s a phenomenal scene partner who has been immersed in taking on that role of Ruben. He’s changed his physical look and he really pushed me in the best way. The scenes are of such an intense variety between us and we started the shooting schedule with the beginning and ending of the series, which were physically and emotionally demanding scenes. I hope that on screen we’ve formed a relationship with Niall and Ruben that people will feel invested in and want to go on a journey with,” said the actor.
He continued, “Amidst the intensity of the scenes, we have a hard time keeping straight faces the whole time; Richard is an actor that I corpse with a lot, which I didn’t anticipate! His writing is intensely uncomfortable, intensely human, intensely tragic and intensely funny, and so naturally at times when we are performing the scenes we find it amusing. And sometimes when I am performing in a scene without Richard, I can hear him laughing off set, which is like music to me, as I find myself abhorrently unfunny, so to hear him laugh is a relief.”
Following the critical acclaim and awards success of Baby Reindeer, Half Man marks Gadd’s next major television project as both creator and actor.
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