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At the outset, I think their intentions were good.
So I kind of forgot about it.
And then the script came and then I thought,Oh, Christ.
This story has Shakespearean dimensions.
I thought ofMacbeth, to be honest, with Sunny as Lady Macbeth.
Sunny is the force pushing her forward.
It could be interchangeable at times.
That also makes for an interesting dynamic I mean, the whole relationship.
Early on when youre shooting, youre taking a gamble to some extent.
Youre not 100 percent sure, yeah?
We both felt,Ah.
Maybe we were in the right ballpark.
And then those texts supported that reading?[Laughs.]
Because who among us hasnt sent texts like that?
I love you, tiger!
I felt that he was besotted with her, desperately in love.
What are you prepared to do for the person that you love?
And it seems, to me, that he took it all the way, didnt he?
For me, gaining 25 pounds and using prosthetics because I am a slip of a thing.
And then whats interesting about that is what that does to you as an actor how you move.
Theres always tension there.
That gives you tremendous freedom.
Its quite liberating as an actor.
When Sunny is introduced in the series, he has this very layered manner from the beginning.
Theres this duality there.
He was born in 1965.
I was born in 1969, but I was born in Europe I was born in London, yeah?
And that is what makes it interesting to play.
Its not just with those two characters, but Im glad you picked up on that, though.
I dont think there was any beetroot; that might have ameliorated [the taste].
The thing itself seems toxic.
The scene ends with both of them crying in different rooms.
Within a relationship, theres so much complexity.
I know from life, there are things that are incomprehensible, really.
Behind closed doors, things happen.
Did you add those flourishes?They were things that I naturally added and went on with instinct.
Theres an episode that you havent seen yet that has what youve referred to featured quite significantly.
I thought,Yes, I recognize this.Oh, good.
Im so glad you sensed that.
And mine, too.
Music and dancing are also prevalent in the series.
When theyre in China, Sunny asks Elizabeth to dance, and she says no.
Later on, in the Theranos offices, Elizabeth is trying to seduce him through this hip-hop-inspired dance number.
Its almost like Sunny wants to be playful in those moments but doesnt know how.Yes, yes.
Are they dancing to Nick Jonass Jealous?
But thats also informed by whats just happened and whats about to happen.
Obviously, all hell is about to descend on them.
It was kind of oddly sensual, that scene with the Nick Jonas music.
And so wrong as well.
Are you naturally a dancer?
Oh, c’mon.My dancing days are long gone.
When you were reviewing scripts, where did you see opportunities to make Sunny charming and likable?
[Surprised] Is he?
I think that he is, in the beginning.
Not all of it is going to be comprehensible.
Some things will just evolve and happen on their own.
It doesnt always happen.
But if its working, certain things can occur by themselves because of the energy you bring to it.
It felt almost commanding to me.
Im wondering where that line delivery came from.Oh God, I didnt see it that way at all.
So I dont know if I had a consciousness of what I was doing.
Something else hopefully is coming through you.
Without sounding all pretentious, thats how I feel the work should come.
It should come through you, yeah?
So you didnt see it as commanding, that line delivery.
Shes surrounded by other teenagers, but shes well beyond them and above them.
Shes looking for a partner that sees her as she sees herself, which he does.
Do you see what Im saying?
I do, and I think that leads into my question.
I was doing the camera test, and Amanda came up behind me without me knowing.
I could just feel her.
The effect was unsettling, deeply unsettling, but oddly thrilling at the same time.
I was privileged to witness and feel that.
He didnt think it was strange or weird, no.
What are your personal thoughts on truffle oil?I love truffle oil!
I probably overuse it, so its quite sad in the context of that scene.
Its almost like a psychosomatic response, isnt it?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
