Rupert Friend swiftly amassed a remarkable record within a few short years thanks to his ability to play both the sophisticated gentleman and the uncouth street gangster with equal plausibility. Rupert Friend enjoyed a successful run owing to the popularity of his most recent blockbuster, “Anatomy of a Scandal.”
With 75.56 million hours seen, it dethroned the second season of “Bridgerton,” which was a fan favorite, as the most viewed English language series in mid-April as per Forbes. The show’s male protagonist, Friend, told Bustle that “the entire series is an interaction-starter for a variety of different themes.”
Did you know that the Oxfordshire native didn’t grow up watching movies, given the numerous acting credentials he currently lists? There are several other facts, though, that we believe you are unaware of. Let’s embark on the journey and find out all there is to know about Rupert. Let’s dive in!
Who is Rupert Friend?
British actor Rupert William Anthony Friend became well-known for his performances in Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005) and The Libertine (2004), both of which earned him awards for best newcomer. He portrayed Albert, Prince Consort in The Young Victoria (2009), Albert Wickham in Pride & Prejudice (2005), Lieutenant Kurt Kotler in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), psychologist Oliver Baumer in Starred Up (2013), CIA agent Peter Quinn in Homeland (2012–2017), Vasily Stalin in The Death of Stalin (2017), Theo van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate (2018), and Ernest Donovan in Strange Angel (2018-2019).
Rupert William Anthony Friend is a screenwriter, director, and lyricist in addition to being an actor. For Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, he also took home the ‘Outstanding New Talent’ Golden Satellite at the 2005 International Press Academy Awards.
He took risks as an actor by playing characters that were frequently out of the ordinary in films like the tragic Holocaust drama. Before landing his breakthrough role on American television as CIA analyst Peter Quinn on the critically acclaimed action-drama “Homeland” (Showtime, 2011-), he starred in the British biopic “The Kid” (2010), about a man who overcomes childhood brutalities and a life of crime to become a successful author. From the start of his varied career, Friend continually showed a desire to take on complex parts; this work ethic quickly brought the talented young actor critical acclaim and widespread recognition.
His work demonstrates how well-rounded he has become, from historical period pieces to action anti-hero parts. He will also appear in Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” sometime in 2022, along with a large, glitzy ensemble cast.
Let’s now take a closer look at some unknown facts about the man behind the name as the actor ushers in a new decade with exciting things on his plate.
Facts You Don’t Know About Rupert Friend!!
His dream wasn’t to become an actor
Rupert Friend entered Hollywood logically, unlike many performers who claim to have grown up aware of their innate desire for acting. He revealed to W Magazine, “I didn’t have a realization that I wanted to be an actor. I came to the decision that I didn’t want to spend my life doing just one thing”. It looked like the appropriate match to have a profession in acting, which would supposedly provide him the freedom to experiment with different characters.
He once made out with Johnny Depp for a part
In 2004’s historical drama “The Libertine,” Rupert Friend had his big screen debut. He made a grand entrance into the movie business by co-starring with megastar Johnny Depp, with whom Friend allegedly had to share a kiss to get the part. “I had to make out with Johnny, get run over by a pike, and die in front of him. It was s Such a baptism by fire in the deep end”. Friend spoke to W Magazine about his encounter.
Depp played 17th-century poet John Wilmot in the movie, and there was a lot of talk about a supposed gay kiss he was about to have with a relative newbie to the industry. Rupert Friend is an actor who is somewhat unknown but incredibly attractive, according to a source who called Friend a “fortunate person.” Depp had already made a name for himself in Hollywood by that point, having starred as Captain Jack Sparrow in the 2003 launch of the blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy.
Although Friend and Depp appeared to be lovers in “The Libertine,” their explicit moments were deleted from the final production. The movie expresses John Wilmot’s bisexuality but “is not as engaged in that part of his activities,” according to Roger Ebert. Friend would brag in later interviews about making his acting debut beside Depp, whom he referred to as “the best teacher ever.”
Taking up a part in “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” terrified him
For his 2008 movie “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,” Rupert Friend took a break from playing innocent characters early in his career. He dressed in Nazi garb.
Friend portrayed the evil German commander Lieutenant Kurt Kotler in this Holocaust drama that recounts the life of two young boys during World War II. He had a complicated connection with this character. He admitted he was “frightened” of exploring his more sinister side.
According to The Times, Jack Scanlon, who was 11 at the time and played the little Jewish child in the distressing sequence, is implied in the movie that Friend’s Kotler is abusive to him. With young actors around, Friend told RTE that he needed to keep his character apart from him off-screen.
He had a secret wedding with Aimee Mullins
Rupert Friend’s low-key revelation that he was married in June 2016 shocked his fans and the media. The British actor, who successfully kept the details of his marriage a secret for a month, posted a photo of himself and his wife, Aimee Mullins, a star paralympic athlete who had been his longtime partner, on Instagram. He included a romantic picture of the couple in an embrace on what folks said was their wedding day, along with his message.
He disapproves of his Anatomy of a Scandal character
The hashtag for the Netflix miniseries “Anatomy of a Scandal” has been “consent” since its April 15 release. It notably centers on the role of Rupert Friend’s character, high-ranking British politician James Whitehouse. He is already seen negatively due to his circumstances, including being accused of rape, and Friend seems to agree with this.
He said, “I didn’t want to take the role because I didn’t like the guy at all, let alone the world in which he moved.” He observed that his “convinced of his innocence” mentality was the subtlety of his personality.
He is a brilliant writer
Rupert Friend is a brilliant person! He is not just an accomplished actor; he is also a writer. Friend wrote the lyrics for the jazz album “Everything We Hold” by the British band Kairos 4tet, which was released in 2013. A member of the musicians contacted Friend because he was pals with him, according to Little Black Book. But it was something that he had never done before. Friend alluded to his early reluctance to don the lyricist hat while in an interview with Esquire.
Friend has also written for the screen in addition to songs, especially two short films, “The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of the Suicide Brothers” from 2009 and “Steve” from 2010. (per IMDb).
He can’t focus on one thing for very long and gets bored easily
Rupert Friend’s dislike of routine was what drew him to the acting industry, where he could portray a different character each day thanks to W.
This is closely related to another quality of the 40-year-personality, making it difficult for anything to maintain his attention for an extended period. He doesn’t watch a lot of television because of this as well.
He said that he had started “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” but lacked the motivation to carry them through to the conclusion. So maybe the same desire to never be satisfied is what makes Friend so wonderful.
He has always refrained from bringing up Keira Knightley in interviews
Co-stars of the 2005 historical drama “Pride & Prejudice,” Rupert Friend and Keira Knightley, had a relationship for five years, during which time the media relentlessly covered it. The hardship of their public lives as celebrities was cited as one of the causes for the couple’s eventual separation in 2011.
Even after the pair split up, Friend seems to have stuck to his rule, not to mention Knightley in interviews. The publication said in a different story that Friend and Knightley “struck a contract,” not to mention one another in the media, even while they were a thing. In reality, the paparazzi and media attention that followed them during their five years together was a heavy weight on them.
He’s honestly a fun guy
Contrary to what his aggressive on-screen personas may have you believe, Rupert Friend is actually rather entertaining. Fun, too! The British actor, who finds it challenging to remain committed to one subject for an extended period of time, stated in an interview with The Observer that he hopes his nature doesn’t predispose others to find him boring.
Friend would certainly like to be involved in more comedic ventures despite all the teasing he does.
He was bullied as a youngster
Rupert Friend hasn’t been afraid to reflect on challenging times in his youth. The British actor had frequently discussed his earlier encounters with bullying when he was a young lad. Friend said that his early years of growing up in rural Oxfordshire were mixed with bad periods when he was “fighting” in an interview with Emily Blunt, his co-star in “The Young Victoria.”
“I wouldn’t say they were actually fights, because fight implies that there were two people involved, and I don’t think I ever managed to successfully hit back.” he said.
Friend experienced bullying because of his looks, particularly his specs and haircut. Additionally, he said for Oxford Mail, “having names with a cartoon bear didn’t help.” The article, which was a eulogy Friend wrote for a cherished theater instructor, also mentioned how, with her guidance, he was able to establish his safe haven as a “heavily harassed” youngster and cultivate an imagination, which he later described as “the tool I use every single day of my life.”
He dislikes routine
Rupert Friend committed himself early on to avoid repetition. According to The Observer in 2009, Friend had a somewhat itinerant lifestyle without a stable residence or common goods like a television.
In fact, the persistent concerns about his future that young people are sometimes subjected to are what first made him consider becoming an actor. He characterized it as “the only job that I could sort of think about that was different every day and challenged you in different ways every day…. You didn’t have to be a lawyer or an astronaut. You could be both.”
He was originally going to appear as a cameo on Homeland
Initially contemplated to be only a guest appearance, Rupert Friend’s part earned him his first Emmy nomination. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Friends’ portrayal of CIA assassin Peter Quinn throughout the show’s five seasons was consistently a fan favorite. Friend referred to his role as “a remarkable human being” and one that was unusually complicated in a Los Angeles Times interview.
Conclusion
Like many British coming-of-age tales, the story of young Rupert Friend begins in a small, nearly retrograde one-horse town in the English countryside.
The work of Friend as a theatrical actor has received recognition, although he favors movies and television. According to him, “doing the same thing every night” is not something he would like.
He was initially hesitant to accept parts in longer-running television series; initially, he passed down the chance to test for Homeland. Friend has said that, in his opinion, an actor’s imagination is their most valuable resource. He performs a lot of character background studies.
We hope you found this voyage on knowing Friend informative!