{"id":440049,"date":"2026-05-22T13:13:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/440049\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T13:13:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:13:08","slug":"the-days-i-had-to-have-sex-with-randoms-i-thought-thank-god-jamie-bell-on-eye-popping-drama-half-man-television","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/440049\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The days I had to have sex with randoms, I thought thank God!\u2019 Jamie Bell on eye-popping drama Half Man | Television"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not many actors are relieved when they have to film an eye-poppingly explicit sex scene, but that was the case with Jamie Bell<\/a> on Half Man. His role involved chemsex in saunas, dogging in car parks and illicit quickies in library loos. \u201cHonestly, I was so grateful to be shooting that stuff and not fucking 16-page dialogue scenes, where you\u2019re emoting and it\u2019s so intense,\u201d says Bell. \u201cOn days when my character had to have sex with random people, I\u2019d think: \u2018Thank God!\u2019 Frankly, it came as a welcome reprieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard Gadd\u2019s first TV show since the Emmy-gobbling global Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, Half Man chronicles the combustible, codependent relationship between two \u201cbrothers from another lover\u201d. Niall (Bell) is bookish, bullied and closeted. Ruben (Gadd) is the swaggeringly violent ex-con son of his mother\u2019s girlfriend. The six-part drama \u2013 which reaches its devastating finale next week \u2013 traces the inseparable duo\u2019s toxic relationship across three decades.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no-holds-barred TV, full of sex, violence and gut-punch plot twists. \u201cIt\u2019s a brutal, beastly thing that Richard has created,\u201d says Bell. \u201cI\u2019d be lying if I said it was easy or fun to make.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, brother \u2026 Bell with Richard Gadd in Half Man. Photograph: Anne Binckenbank\/BBC\/Mam Tor Productions<\/p>\n

The role of Niall was written specifically for him. \u201cI didn\u2019t realise that when I initially read the scripts,\u201d says Bell. \u201cBut later, when I met Richard in Los Angeles to discuss it, he said he wrote it with me in mind. I was incredibly flattered \u2026 It\u2019s a sensory experience reading Richard\u2019s material. He truly takes you to those places in your own life. It probes experiences you\u2019ve kept hidden away somewhere and chosen to forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gadd never intended to play Ruben himself until Bell persuaded him. \u201cWhen we first met, we didn\u2019t know who was going to play Ruben,\u201d he says. \u201cI was like: \u2018Well, why don\u2019t you?\u2019 It seemed obvious to me. For Richard, it meant putting his body through hell, on top of writing and producing. When I suggested it, I didn\u2019t realise what the demands on him would be. But I\u2019m grateful he relented.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was Bell already an admirer of Gadd\u2019s work? \u201cNot at first. My wife [American actor Kate Mara] had been watching Baby Reindeer, so I\u2019d seen Richard\u2019s face \u2013 usually accompanied by Kate going: \u2018Oh my God, this show is wild!\u2019 I went: \u2018Hang on, I think I have a script from this guy. He\u2019s making a new show.\u2019 She was like: \u2018Well, you\u2019re an idiot if you don\u2019t do it.\u2019 When I did sit down and watched Baby Reindeer, I was blown away.\u201d<\/p>\n

double quotation markThere is a clear theme throughout my work of parental dysfunction. People must go: Orphans? Fathers and sons? Get Bell for that!<\/p>\n

He was drawn to his Half Man character\u2019s complexity. \u201cI thought: \u2018Woah, this man is on such a destructive downward spiral \u2026\u2019 He\u2019s got everything he wanted in life but still can\u2019t accept who he is. Niall is living as several different people and he\u2019s not comfortable with any of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell really empathised with gentle Niall being drawn to such an aggressive alpha male. \u201cRuben is this disaster of a man. A bull in a china shop, destroying everything and everyone in his wake. Why doesn\u2019t Niall step away? Partly self-preservation. Niall feels vulnerable whereas Ruben is intimidatingly powerful. He can be Niall\u2019s protector. People fear him. Because of that, Niall latches on to him almost parasitically. Ruben becomes his life support system. I understood that 100%.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in an all-female household and did ballet, so I used to attach myself to tough, troubled guys too. Not my kind of crowd at all but I\u2019d rather have them on my team than not.\u201d<\/p>\n

No rest for the wicked \u2026 Jamie Bell in Half Man. Photograph: Anne Binckebanck\/BBC\/Mam Tor Productions<\/p>\n

He also relates to Niall\u2019s self-loathing. \u201cI\u2019ve had that for ever,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s gotten worse as I\u2019ve got older. I love what I do and I\u2019m blessed that I still get to do it after all these years but I can\u2019t watch anything I\u2019m in. I hate the finality of it. You leave going: \u2018You fucked that one up. Ruined it. You\u2019re just not good enough.\u2019 I forget that it\u2019s just a job, not life or death. Other actors have told me to chill out but I don\u2019t know how.\u201d<\/p>\n

Niall struggles with his sexuality to the extent that he undergoes conversion therapy. As a straight man, Bell felt an acute sense of responsibility portraying that. \u201cIt\u2019s the centre of the character,\u201d he says. \u201cThe basis of all his issues. I took that very seriously. Niall\u2019s self-hate goes beyond shame or societal pressure. Somehow, his own sexuality doesn\u2019t sit right within his worldview. That, to me, is beyond sad. \u2018Be yourself\u2019 is the simplest advice yet at times, the hardest to adhere to.\u201d As a result of his turmoil, Niall goes to some dark places sexually. \u201cBecause of his repression, everything is guarded and hidden. That becomes the excitement. It\u2019s an addiction. He gets a kick from dangerous sex.\u201d<\/p>\n

With its portrayal of male rage and damaged antiheroes, Half Man taps into debates about toxic masculinity. Does Bell believe his gender is in crisis? \u201cLook at who are the majority transgressors in this world,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s men, on all fronts \u2013 not just misogyny but conflict, crime, everything. It\u2019s important to shine a light on that. The conversation is ongoing. Hopefully this show adds something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kilt trip \u2026 Jamie Bell in Half Man. Photograph: Anne Binckenbank\/BBC\/Mam Tor Productions<\/p>\n

Bell\u2019s father walked out before he was born, leaving him to be raised by his mother and elder sister. What\u2019s his own relationship with masculinity? \u201cThere is a clear theme throughout my work of parental dysfunction,\u201d he says. \u201cI must exude it because these roles come to me. People must go: \u2018Orphans? Fathers and sons? Get Bell for that!\u2019 In All of Us Strangers [Andrew Haigh\u2019s 2023 film], you hear how Andrew Scott is talking to his father [played by Bell] and naturally it makes you reflect on your own parenting. That was a haunting, eye-opening experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Half Man is full of bone-crunching violence. Gadd transformed his physique to play bruiser Ruben. Did Bell have to undergo fight training? \u201cNo, thankfully,\u201d he says. \u201cNiall is normally on the receiving end. There was a line in the script that says: \u2018Niall is totally physically incapable.\u2019 I was like, \u2018Great! That\u2019s easy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The climactic episode features a pivotal two-hander that Gadd has described as the best thing he\u2019s ever written. \u201cThat was one of the first scenes I read and the one that made me do the show,\u201d says Bell. \u201cI was like: \u2018Wow, if we could sustain this long scene, bring all these men\u2019s history to it and lay it all out on the table, that\u2019d be a great piece of television.\u2019 There\u2019s nothing to cut to, no guns or gimmicks, just two men looking at each other and coming clean.\u201d There\u2019s also a memorable vomiting scene in the finale. \u201cThrowing up on screen is always bizarre,\u201d says Bell. \u201cYou fill your mouth with oatmeal, banana, peas and carrots, then spew it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s currently shooting his starring role in the as-yet-untitled Peaky Blinders sequel series, leading the period gangster saga into its next chapter. Set in 1950s Birmingham, it sees Bell take over the role of crime kingpin Tommy Shelby\u2019s son and heir Duke \u2013 played by Barry Keoghan in film spin-off The Immortal Man. Details are top secret but I can reveal that Bell is sporting a sharp short-back-and-sides haircut and is heading off to filming after we speak. \u201cI\u2019m thrilled to be part of it,\u201d he says. \u201cThe show has such a great legacy and an incredible fanbase. People have high expectations, as they should. We hope to bring them something different and exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tutu good \u2026 Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot. Photograph: UN\/Sportsphoto\/Allstar<\/p>\n

Was he a Peaky fan before landing the part? \u201cFirst and foremost, I\u2019m a longtime Steven Knight fan, dating back to his film scripts like Dirty Pretty Things and Locke. Steve seemed surprised when I told him that! What I admire is how he\u2019s created this entire universe in his own back yard. Peaky takes its cues from classic Hollywood \u2013 it\u2019s totally a western at heart \u2013 but transposed on to an urban working-class environment and given grand scale. It\u2019s such a treat stepping into that.\u201d He\u2019s savouring the show\u2019s signature tailoring, too. \u201cIt does so much work for you. You put on that iconic cap and you\u2019re away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knight is outspoken about working-class representation in the arts. Does Bell agree that it\u2019s an issue? \u201cI wish it wasn\u2019t,\u201d he says. \u201cI came from a small town in County Durham called Billingham. There weren\u2019t a ton of opportunities but we did have the Billingham Forum theatre. My mum took me to see touring West End shows there and that\u2019s what gave me the bug. Reaching out to those places opens young people\u2019s eyes and inspires their ambitions. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so vital local theatres get funding to remain open. It\u2019s about access and exposure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next up is The Uprising, Paul Greengrass\u2019s film about the 1381 Peasants\u2019 Revolt. \u201cPaul has long been one of my favourite film-makers. I saw Bloody Sunday when I was 16 and it changed my life. The level of detail he pumps into his movies is unrivalled, so it was bucket list stuff to work with him.\u201d Is there any truth to whispers of a long-awaited sequel to Steven Spielberg\u2019s Tintin? \u201cThose rumours have been rumbling for 20 years!\u201d grins Bell. \u201cBut I love Tintin and the intrepid boy reporter all grown up could be interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

To many, Bell will for ever be preserved in aspic as Billy Elliot, the role that catapulted him to overnight fame. Aged 13, he beat 2,000 other boys to the part and became the youngest ever best actor winner at the Baftas. He\u2019s a rare child star to achieve career longevity. \u201cI\u2019m just grateful to still be working, because these stories frequently don\u2019t end up that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughs. \u201cI turned 40 recently, would you believe? Personally, I\u2019m fine with ageing. I just feel terrible telling people. Many still think of me as a child, so when I say I\u2019m a 40-year-old father of three, it scares them. They go: \u2018Wait, no, you\u2019re a boy dancing on top of a toilet!\u2019\u201d With Half Man and Peaky Blinders, Jamie Bell is now dancing into his box set drama era. So far, he hasn\u2019t put a foot wrong.<\/p>\n

Half Man continues on 26 May at 10.40pm on BBC One and concludes on 29 May on BBC iPlayer. In the US, it is streaming on HBO Max and Hulu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Not many actors are relieved when they have to film an eye-poppingly explicit sex scene, but that was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":440050,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[430,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-440049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440049\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}