Ripley star Andrew Scott tells why he loves being an onscreen bad guy

The Dubliner has been nailing it on the stage and screen in the years since — and now takes on one of his meatiest roles yet.

Scott is currently bringing one of the most iconic antiheroes of them all to our screens in the binge-worthy Ripley.

Tom Ripley, the devious character first brought to life in Patricia Highsmith’s novels, has been played by several actors including John Malkovich and, of course, Matt Damon in The Talented Mr Ripley.

But the Irishman puts his own stamp on this new take from writer-director Steve Zaillian (Schindler’s List, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), shot in black and white across various glamorous locations in Italy.

Scott says Ripley is unlike any other character he’s played and the role certainly feels like a departure for him.

“I see him more as an antihero. He is the protagonist of the story rather than the antagonist. He is certainly dark and he has a completely different ideology to everyone else.

"He is a murderer but he is multi-faceted and fascinating to play.

“You would be in dangerous territory if you went the method route of acting with this character,” he jokes.

“You just have to separate yourself from the character and I have become pretty good at that.”

Though it’s the same character, Scott’s depiction of Tom Ripley is very different to that of Matt Damon’s portrayal in the 1999 film.

Audiences get to see him do a deep dive into the character in the Netflix series, which runs to almost eight hours as Ripley aims to outfox his targets, the suspicions of locals in Italy and the increasing scrutiny of the law.

“I’m a huge fan of the film but this is in no way a remake of that,” says the Irish star. “I think audiences will immediately see this is very different. It’s a great thriller.

“I think it’s about going beyond words like psychopath and sociopath and looking at the person.

"We were not keen to diagnose Ripley beyond him being a really fascinating literary character.

"I think the questions we have about him are much more interesting than the answers. Even talking about him is quite difficult because I feel like he’s got secrets we have to protect.”

The fact that it was shot in black and white has become a talking point among early viewers of the series.

Some have loved the monochrome look and the attention to detail, while others have said they miss the colour-soaked locations seen in other adaptations.

In Scott’s view, black and white gives the series an entirely different dimension.

“I think the idea of it being in black and white and the great achievement of this version of the story is how it teaches the audience to watch the show in a different way.

"We live in an age of television and social media where you have to say everything really quickly in 15 characters or less.

"But when you are reading a novel, you can take real pleasure in the description of something over five or six pages.

"What I love about this is that sometimes the pacing is very quick and then other time the audience get to be really immersed in something. The black and white cinematography marries in with the pacing and the tone of the show.”

Andrew Scott first made a name for himself early in his career in Irish movies like Korea and Sweety Barrett, before going on to star as a Bond villain in Spectre and in uplifting drama Pride.

His baddie Moriarty in the hit TV show Sherlock helped propel his career further while the huge success of Fleabag won him an army of new fans.

He’s been busy on screen and in theatre ever since, most recently starring opposite fellow countryman Paul Mescal in the widely acclaimed All of Us Strangers.

Yet like a surprising number of actors, Scott struggles with watching himself on screen.

“I don’t love to. I remember once watching the version of Hamlet I did on television and I was devastated.

"I just thought it was horrific. You just see all of the cracks and you see your stupid big face! It’s an absolute living nightmare.”

And for all his achievements so far, Scott still has another box he would like to tick. “I’d love to be in a musical. I just have to learn how to sing,” he laughs.