Luca Pasqualino On Rivals Series 2 Part 2, Playing Polo & New Hostage Thriller The Day

There’s no one more charming in all of Rutshire than Bas Baddingham. The smooth-talking, Argentinian polo-player-turned-barman stands in stark contrast to his half-brother Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) – where the latter lives for getting on top in the boardroom, Bas lives for getting it up in the bedroom. Brought to life by Luca Pasqualino, who first shot to fame as Freddie McClair in Skins, this upcoming instalment of Rivals promises to reveal Bas’s more vulnerable side. Reeling from Monica’s death, and on a quest for Taggie’s heart, is there more to the party-loving playboy than first meets the eye?

While we’re sat waiting on series 2 part 2 of the hit TV show (read our interview with the cast here for more gossip) and the already-announced season 3, Luca isn’t slowing down. Away from Rutshire, he’s set to star as a hostage-taker in The Day, a high-octane thriller based on the Belgian series De Dag. We spoke to him about his favourite scenes, John Hurt’s kindness and his little one’s first Christmas.

Credit: Jack Beere

Q&A: Luca Pasqualino On Rivals & The Day

How’s life going at the moment?

It’s very good, thank you. I’m feeling very happy and blessed. I’m busy with new family life and whatnot, but it’s good. I can’t complain.

We’re all eagerly awaiting Rivals series two part two. Is there anything you can tease about the second half of the series and the part Bas plays?

There are so many different storylines going on, so much for everybody to follow. I think it doubles down on what happened in the first six episodes of series two. A lot of relationships get tested and everything gets turned up a notch. You see a different side to Bas that you haven’t seen in series one or in the first half of series two. A lot of the interior of Bas that we haven’t seen before is out on display.

Part two opens with everyone reeling in the aftermath of Monica’s death. The show has been aggressive at times, but it’s mostly jubilant. How was it finding that balance between grief and gaiety?

The show has such contrasting tones. It’s funny but hard-hitting. It’s full of drama, but it’s heartbreaking at the same time. When we were doing the first series, a lot of us didn’t quite know how to pitch it. When it came out and we got to see the final product, that was a huge tool for us. Going into series two, we knew that scenes can be funny and heart-wrenching at the same time.

So much of the emotion and feeling is in the writing. For me personally, it was about staying true to what was on the page and being as honest as possible. I don’t think Bas is a very funny character anyway, so to speak. You definitely see more of the serious side of Bas, and of all the characters really, in the second half of this series. But now that we know what we’re doing tonally, it was a lot easier for us to manage.

Rivals seems like the most fun TV project to shoot. Did the more sombre mood of this series affect the on-set dynamic?

You know what, it didn’t. Obviously there are certain days where the tone of the scenes is really sombre, like a funeral sequence. The fun, the laughter and the joking don’t happen as often or as publicly, because you’re very respectful of the people who have to be in an emotional state. Those days can take it out of you, because you’re getting yourself to a place where you’re grieving somebody.

But it made going for dinner in the evening so much more special, because everyone could let their hair down a little. We all get on like a house on fire, so having each other through all of that was brilliant. It didn’t affect the fun and games.

Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, Luca Pasqualino as Bas Baddingham, Brendan Patricks as Henry Hampshire & Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black (c) Disney

We see much more of Bas this season, particularly in relation to Taggie. Without giving too much away, do you see Bas more as pure playboy, or a man who’s been unlucky in love and is scared of rejection?

I think it’s a happy marriage of both. Him being the playboy is what has led him to be unlucky in love, and that’s something we touch on in the second half of the series. From what I know of the polo world, especially in the 80s, polo players were the rock stars of their generation, especially in the British countryside. I think a lot of his Lothario frivolity stems from that. But having those options and living that lifestyle is also what has led him down a garden path to loneliness in some ways.

How do you get into character? There’s horse riding to contend with, some nudity, some crazy costumes…

It’s quite easy to fall into the character. The 80s is such an iconic period for fashion and music. When you’re getting dressed in the morning in head-to-toe pink and white polo gear, all Ralph Lauren-ed up, it’s very difficult to look in the mirror and not feel like you’re playing that character.

Then you get on set and see these incredibly 80s sets, with everybody else looking incredibly 80s, and it’s easy to suspend your disbelief. The scripts really help you get there too. It’s about balancing the fact that you’re in the 80s with the real-life truth of the modern day. But the visual side of everything makes it very difficult to believe you’re anywhere but Rutshire in the 80s.

What was your favourite scene to shoot?

Some of the most fun scenes on Rivals have always been the big group scenes and the polo, and they often go hand in hand, because a lot of the other actors are on the sidelines. I can’t give too much away, but in one of the final two episodes there’s a big sequence where we get to play a bit of polo. You might have seen it in the trailer. Those scenes were amazing, and the location was so special. We shot them in February, and the weather was really nice compared to England, so that was a nice treat.

Luca Pasqualino as Bas Baddingham in Rivals Season 2 (c) Robert Viglasky Photography

How confident are you on a horse?

I thought you were going to ask how good my polo is: not very good at all! But I’m quite comfortable riding. I’ve been on projects where I’ve had to ride quite extensively and done boot camps. Riding polo ponies one-handed, with a mallet in the other hand, is a totally different discipline. But I absolutely love it. Whenever I read that Bas is on horseback playing polo, I get a little tingle of excitement, knowing it’s going to be shot at some point. I’ve got a real affliction for it.

You’re also set to star in The Day at the end of the year. Can you give us a little elevator pitch?

It’s based on a Belgian series called De Dag. It’s high-octane, edge-of-your-seat stuff about a hostage-taker and a hostage negotiator. The hostage-taker, who I play, is doing it for reasons you wouldn’t normally expect, and those come to light as the series progresses.

The way we’ve shot it shows each side of the phone call. In one episode you’ll see one side, and in the next you’ll see the other. It keeps audiences guessing and wanting more.

What drew you to the script?

It was a character I’d never really played before, and the scripts were really good. I loved the format. You watch one episode and have an idea in your head of what’s going on at the other end of the phone, then the next episode shows you what you only heard before. It’s quite misleading, but it all becomes clear as the episodes go on. If that absolute waffle makes any sense!

What’s been your favourite project to date?

That’s a hard one. The Musketeers was number one for a very long time, but it’s very difficult to say that Rivals isn’t up there. If it’s not number one, it’s 100 percent equal.

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about?

Rivals series three! We’ve been recommissioned, so we’re looking forward to starting that. We only scratched the surface of Bas in series one. In series two we’re seeing more of him, and in the second half you unwrap so much more. There’s going to be a lot more to come in series three, so I’m looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into that.

Who’s been your favourite actor to work with?

That’s a tough question, but the one person who always stands out is John Hurt. We did Snowpiercer together when I was 22, and he took me under his wing. He had a son my age, and he was a father figure to me on that job. Our characters were very close in the film.

People sometimes assume his advice must have been condescending, that he talked down to me. It was never like that. He was such a lovely, beautiful person who only ever saw you as his equal. Just watching him work made me appreciate the position I was in and what it would take to get to his level. The wisdom and insight he offered, without even knowing it, is something I’ll always remember. The day I found out he had passed away was very upsetting. He will always be one of the most amazing and influential people I’ve ever worked with.

Aidan Turner as Declan O’Hara & Luca Pasqualino as Basil ‘Bas’ Baddingham in Rivals. (© Disney)

Is there a genre you’d like to do more of?

I would definitely love to do more comedy. The last thing I did that was built as a comedy was Medusa Deluxe. We shot it at the end of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, so that was a challenge in itself. It was a low-budget independent film, but for me that’s what it’s all about: making a movie against the odds, at a time when it barely seemed possible. Trying to make people laugh, and finding the humour in a plot that isn’t really funny, gave me some of the most fun times I’ve had making a movie.

Is there an actor, writer or director you’d love to work with?

I’ve said this a million times before, but Martin Scorsese. Goodfellas is one of my favourite films. I started watching it again the other night and fell asleep, no disrespect to Marty.

Paul Thomas Anderson, too, and Wes Anderson. I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel not long ago because my partner hadn’t seen it, and she absolutely loved it. Naming just one would be doing myself a disservice, but I’ll say Scorsese, if only for the Italian connection.

You’re very busy right now. Do you still manage to spend much time at home, and how do you keep a balance?

I do like to spend a lot of time at home. I became a dad towards the end of last year, and it’s been the most joyous thing. I can’t even put it into words, as you can tell. Spending time with my family is something I try to prioritise now. It puts a lot of things into perspective.

Finding the balance between work, home life and a little time for yourself is something I’ll be juggling forever. I live out in the countryside, so on a day when the sun is shining, I like to go for a nice walk. I’ll put my headphones in and listen to some music, then take them out and just listen to nature. It’s beautiful.

How can we all live a little bit better?

I think by appreciating what you’ve got around you and finding acceptance. That’s not to say don’t be ambitious or don’t strive for more. But finding comfort in what you have and in all the positives in your life is a really good mindset. It helps you wake up with a smile on your face.

Anything else in the pipeline, professionally or personally?

Hopefully a couple of little things early next year, but nothing set in stone. We start shooting Rivals series three in the not-too-distant future. Personally, it’s my little one’s first Christmas this year, so I’m excited about that, and we’re having some little renovations done at the house.

Rivals season 2 part 2 is set to air in November after a shocking mid-season finale. (Disney)

What Luca Is Loving Right Now

I’m currently watching… The Celebrity Traitors, Slow Horses and WAR.

I’m currently reading… A lot of children’s books: Row, Row, Row Your Boat, the Mr. Men books and Where’s Spot?

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… Anora, which I thought was brilliant. I also watched Wasteman a few nights ago, a prison drama with David Jonsson, Tom Blyth and my dear friend Alex Hassell. It’s really hard-hitting. It’s been a long time since I watched a British drama that kept me on the edge of my seat like that. It’s quite unhinged, and it reminded me a bit of Starred Up.

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… The next episode of The Celebrity Traitors. I need to see how Richard E. Grant’s blunder pans out. I’d probably like to be a traitor, but I don’t know how well I’d keep it up. The pressure might mount too much!

Favourite film of all time… Goodfellas or Oldboy. If we’re going comedy, Nacho Libre or one of the Ace Ventura films.

Favourite song of all time… ‘Babylon’ by David Gray. I heard him perform it live once, which made me love it even more.

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones. I’ve also just got a really cool vinyl of Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, one of the all-time great albums. It annoys me when side one finishes and I have to flip the record over. I just want it to keep playing!

My ultimate cultural recommendation… Go and have fish and chips on the coast. Sit on a wall or a bench and just watch the sea with your fish and chips, or a pie, or whatever you want. That’s pretty culturally British. Then, when it gets colder, go and sit in a nice country pub next to a roaring fire.

Luca Pasqualino stars as Bas Baddingham in Rivals series two, streaming on Disney+.