Aidan Turner and Max Bennett have been talking about Monk Adderley, Bennett’s villainous character from the upcoming Poldark series 4. He is an accomplished duelist, a sneering socialite, and a threat to everything Ross Poldark holds dear, which sounds like a lot for our long-haired hero to cope with.
“They’re described in the novel as wild men, so they’re kindred spirits in that sense,” Bennett told Digital Spy recently. “You can see them as two sides of the same coin. He’s the dark reflection of Poldark. I think they both recognise that in each other, and there’s sort of an innate animosity between them.”
Monk will form an alliance with George Warleggan (played by Jack Farthing) to “to fund his lavish lifestyle”, with George gaining Monk’s political influence in Westminster as part of the bargain. This will cause George and Ross’s ongoing feud to step up to a new level, as both men seek to gain political power.
“Ross needs to take the fight to Westminster,” Turner explained to Digital Spy. “I think he’s good at being a leader and fighting for a just cause. But it’s a bit of a madhouse. It’s hard to be heard, [and] it’s hard to hear other people. It’s dog-eat-dog.”
Monk also has his eyes on Eleanor Tomlinson’s Demelza. “She’s a fish out of water in London society, so that’s a lot of fun for him,” Bennett teased. “Obviously she’s beautiful, so he’s attracted to her… and his flirtation with her is a way of getting at Ross as well.”
To find out how Ross fares against Monk and George, you’ll just have to tune in when Poldark series 4 kicks off on BBC One this Sunday (June 10th).