Sophie Rundle, who stars in gripping thriller The Nest, teases what's in store as the tense BBC drama heads towards it's finale....
The Nest, starring Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders), Martin Compston (Line of Duty) and rising star Mirren Mack, has kept us glued to our screens over the past few weeks.
But as the series comes to a close this Easter bank holiday, Sophie who plays music teacher Emily, reveals there are plenty more shocks still to come.
In last week’s episode, vulnerable teen Kaya (Mirren Mack), who’s acting as a surrogate for wealthy couple Dan and Emily, gave birth by emergency Caesarean to a premature baby girl but the arrival of her mother Siobhan (Shirley Henderson) drops a hand-grenade into the drama as the story continues.
TV Times caught up with Sophie, 31, who plays Emily, to hear what shocks are in store as we head towards the thrilling finale and find out how she's been coping during lockdown in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic....
The Nest star Sophie Rundle talks to TV Times in an exclusive interview
TV Times: What new strain does Emily and Dan’s relationship come under?
Sophie Rundle: "The whole way through we’ve seen a couple who really love each other but they come from very different backgrounds and that’s really tested as we go further along. Emily has this sense of entitlement, of having things go her way whereas Dan has had to really earn his place in the world. There’s increasing friction between them and when more revelations come to light they’re at total breaking point as this huge circus unfolds around them."
TVT: Are there going to be some even bigger shocks as we head towards the finale of The Nest?
SR: "Definitely! It keeps spiralling more and more. Emily makes a huge discovery that will test her loyalty and her love of this baby which pushes her to her very limit."
TVT: What impact will the arrival of Kaya’s mum, Siobhan have?
SR: "There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Kaya’s past. A lot of shadowy figures lurking in corners. Siobhan comes in and completely shakes things up. She throws a bomb into the middle of something that was already completely turbulent. Shirley Henderson is just brilliant as Siobhan."
TVT: Do you think it will keep viewers guessing right up until the very last minute?
SR: "Definitely, and people will have different ideas of how they think it should end. Even among the cast and crew we all had different ideas on what we thought the ending should be because we didn’t have the final scripts when we started filming. We were like, ‘I think this should happen’ and others were like, “No way, this should happen!’ You’re not quite sure who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong and it continues to challenge who you’re rooting for right to the end."
TVT: Have you been watching along at home on Sunday nights?
SR: "I can’t! (Laughing) I never watch anything I’m in on TV. I just find it really distracting. I read the scripts and get really invested and so to watch it back and see my face, I’m like, ‘Why am I on the telly, I want to see what Emily’s doing!’ I tend to watch bits quietly on my laptop later on."
TVT: Have you been reading all the comments online? There’s been so much enthusiasm for The Nest...
SR: "It’s a hard thing when you’re actually in something. It's a slippery slope to start reading comments because you read one bad thing and then you live with that forever. But what's been really nice is that people have been reaching out and messaging, surprising people who I haven’t spoken to for ages saying, ‘I’m really loving it’ and a lot of people have been sending messages along the lines of, ‘I’ve got a friend who’s struggling to conceive, or who is going through IVF'. I'm glad people are enjoying it. It's such extraordinary time right now, it's nice for people to escape into something thrilling and addictive."
TVT: How has the current coronavirus lockdown situation affected TV projects you were filming?
SR: "Everything has completely stopped. Today I was meant to be on set for Peaky Blinders but that’s all been pushed back and then we were supposed to be filming Gentleman Jack in June and the same with that. I can’t really work from home with my job! But it’s definitely a good time to watch telly. I think when everything settles down there is going to be this wealth of amazing film scripts, books to read, amazing TV because people will have had time to take stock and create.
TVT: How have you been keeping safe and sane at home?
SR: "I’m ashamed to admit it but I’m actually loving just having time at home right now. I really like my partner, my house, my dog, so I’ve just been reading a lot, cooking, doing yoga in the back garden, going for walks in the park. Talk to me in another two weeks and I’ll probably be going crazy."
TVT: Has there been a good sense of community where you live in London?
SR: "Yes, we have low fences in our back gardens which means we can talk to our neighbours from a safe distance. We've all been doing the clap for the NHS. Our street is really long and it's just the most beautiful moment to see everybody out on their doorsteps, at their windows and hear cars tooting their horns. It's an amazing thing."
TVT: And on a much lighter note, with Easter coming up this weekend, are you a chocolate fan and what would your ultimate Easter egg be?
SR: "I’m a massive chocolate fan. My dream Easter egg would be a giant Ferrero Rocher with a huge hazelnut inside and all the delicious chocolaty Nutella stuff. I’d love to just get in a bathtub of Nutella… that would be ideal!"
The Nest is on BBC1, 9pm, Easter Sunday and concludes on Easter Monday, 9pm, BBC1
Pictures: (c) Studio Lambert - Photographer: Mark Mainz
