Aidan Turner is Ross Poldark

There's a great pace to the show this year that feels different, and overall it feels slightly more grown up. Ross is a dynamic character - he is not the same person year after year.

"When we started Poldark we aimed to complete the majority of the books that we could, which would likely take us up to series five. So during filming for this series there was a sense of completion and relief that we made it this far, that the show has been successful and that people enjoy watching it. Hitting that mark and returning for the fifth series was always the goal and we are proud to have achieved that. Walking on to set this year was different; when we would visit a specific location knowing that it would be the final time it was crazy, the whole series was emotional in that sense.

There is a lot going on this series; there is an influx of exciting new characters, there’s a lot of tension. There is a great pace to the show this year that feels different and overall it feels slightly more grown up. That is something I believe people have loved about Poldark, that it does change every series and there are always new and interesting characters that alter the feel of the show. Ross is a dynamic character; he is not the same person year after year.

It has been incredible taking him on this journey. I was watching some clips of scenes from series one and one of them was when Eleanor was singing in the parlour and we all look so young. It is when I reflect on moments like those that all the emotions come in, and it makes me think about how much Ross has grown, and how much I have grown and learned and what these characters have been through.

It is especially funny to see how Ross may have reacted to certain scenes in the first series in comparison to how he would react in a similar scene in series five. That is not something you think about at the time but through the evolution of character it is interesting to see. For someone who is naturally impulsive and flippant and very much wore his heart on his sleeve it is nice to see Ross grow up and learn responsibilities in the right way and to the right people."

Whilst Ross may have grown up he still wears his heart on his sleeve, which is clear when he jumps to the aid of an old friend this series, despite the mission being incredibly treacherous.

"Ned Despard and Ross were soldiers together in Virginia during the war and Ned is someone Ross has always looked up to and used as a template for his own life in a lot of ways. Ned is impulsive and has a real sense of adventure and fearlessness to him. He has a sense of pride, courage and a sense of justice and is everything Ross tries to be. Ross has grown up by this stage and he is surprised to find that Ned hasn’t. Ned still has that burning flame that can get him into a lot of trouble, and when he meets Ross he is in a world of trouble. But there is a great sense of friendship, this bond of loyalty that they have with each other.

Vincent (Regan) who plays Ned is great and such a lovely guy, he was perfect for this character. It was strange because Ned is Irish and I am playing British in this and I was worried about someone pulling off the accent, but Vincent’s accent is brilliant. I actually don’t know any other actor who has quite nailed it in the same way. That helped us on set because I really believed his character, Ross and Ned have a great chemistry."

Ned leads Ross into all sorts of swashbuckling scenarios including a sword fight that Aidan relished.

"I love doing all of the different stunts, and sword fighting is a lot of fun. You learn the choreography for the fights and you’re safe in rehearsals, but on the day there is this unsaid thing with actors who are doing fight scenes - that you have to pull it off, and so you really lean into it. Also if you use plastic swords they tend to wobble a little, so we had to use the real things. It was our first week in Cornwall and Vincent and I were rehearsing on the beach in the sunshine which was pretty cool."

With Ross fighting for Ned’s freedom in London, Demelza takes on his responsibilities in Cornwall. Aidan reveals he was sad to spend less time this series with his on-screen wife and discusses their emotional, final day on set together.

"Demelza and Ross are spending less time together, which makes sense for the story and is good because it gives us both different directions to go. Ross goes to London and Demelza takes the driver's seat in Cornwall - running the mine and trying to find work for people. I have always really enjoyed filming my scenes with Eleanor because she is such a brilliant actress and we get on so well, so it was strange not to film as much together.

Demelza and Ross are in a good place, they have been through so much together and they have found common ground; both of them are trying to be better people and make it work for their family and they’ve got to a place where for now it works, and there is a sense of contentment or peace in their relationship that they’ve never really had before. They make this pact early on to be good to each other and it is an important one. But I did miss doing as many scenes with Eleanor this year. However, on the very last day it was just myself and Eleanor filming bedroom scenes in Nampara and it was poignant to spend that last day with Eleanor in quite an intimate situation, it made sense."

Aidan discusses Ross’s relationship with Poldark’s beloved doctor, Dwight Enys (Luke Norris), and the difficulties their friendship faces this series.

"Just when Ross is beginning to grow up, find his feet and level out his temperament, Ned Despard comes into his world again and, in the eyes of Dwight, sets out to disrupt that, as he sees Ned as a red flag. There is a small amount of jealousy as well with Dwight, he and Ross are best friends and with this new enigmatic and interesting guy coming back into their lives he feels slightly shunned.

These two characters jar slightly and you can tell from Dwight that he doesn’t find Ned funny and he definitely doesn’t trust him. Dwight is that moral sense of reason that Ross really needs. He is Ross’s wingman and he always steps up to help despite his better judgment. Dwight reluctantly joins Ross on a mission this year where, if found, they could be executed."

With the stakes higher than ever this series, Aidan discusses what it was like to film some momentous and shocking scenes in parliament.

"Ross continues pushing the campaign for the abolition of slavery and supporting Pitt and Wilberforce in that action this series. These were all very real events that were happening around the time and the way Debbie (Horsfield) has weaved these historical figures like Ned and Kitty Despard (Kerri McLean) into our drama is quite brilliant. We spent four days in parliament shooting and it still feels eerie but also amazing to stand up and speak there. It is such a joy to speak the words Debbie has written.

It seems so archaic now because some of these arguments that we’re supposed to believe are plausible from the other side of the House are so shocking. The way they would talk about slaves like they were chattel, a work force, not even human and the fact that that notion was even being argued is unbelievable. People were writing manifestos to try to convince people of that idea, and when you hear it you have to pinch yourself, as it is difficult to understand that this is something people actually used to believe.

That said, being on the right side of the House to these arguments was really fun to play, especially as we have Ross and George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) going at it from across the room. It is always fun to play moments where Ross and George go at it from opposing sides because Jack is such a brilliant actor. George has this ability to convince anyone of even the most horrendous things and so even though his argument is horrific he does it in such a convincing way. Jack and I get on really well, I respect him so much and think he is a phenomenal actor, so it was fun despite the horrific content we had to deliver."

Aidan may be leaving Poldark but the heart of the show will be going with him… specifically in his kitchen.

"I sent a text to Karen Thrussell, our executive producer, asking if I could possibly have the kitchen table and benches from Nampara as it is this beautiful, vintage French table and they said yes, so I am very excited to put them in my house. That will be a cool memento because it was at the middle of all of the big scenes we had in Nampara and where a lot of things went down. Obviously I am also taking the tricorn hat..."

Foreword by Debbie Horsfield

"When I first picked up the novel Ross Poldark in 2012 I had no idea that seven years later I’d have adapted seven books and completed five series (43 hours!) of Winston Graham’s extraordinary Poldark saga.

In 2015, with great trepidation, we awaited the response to series one - knowing that the 1970s adaptation had been massively popular, and praying that we’d done justice to these amazing stories, characters and Cornwall. Fortunately the casting - Aidan (Turner), Eleanor (Tomlinson), Jack (Farthing), Heida (Reed), Luke (Norris), Kyle (Soller) and Ruby (Bentall) - found favour with audiences, and to our great delight we were asked for more.

Although none of us ever dared to look more than one series ahead, we found ourselves approaching the end of series four (and book seven, The Angry Tide) with something of a dilemma. Our cast was optioned for five series - so what to do with an 11-year time jump and five more books? We knew we’d never be able to wrap up five books in a single series, but no-one wanted to call time just yet, so we looked at another option.

In book eight (The Stranger From The Sea), 11 years down the line, we meet Ross abroad on a special mission for the government. How did he go from restless, sometimes reckless, and somewhat disillusioned MP, who despaired of ever really 'making a difference' in the world, to Special Agent Poldark, sent by the Crown to report from Portugal on the Peninsula War against Napoleon?

Winston Graham had left plenty of hints in book eight about events which had happened in those intervening years, but he gives little away about how Ross achieved that transformation. So for me it was the starting point, the way to navigate through series five. Winston Graham’s son Andrew endorsed my wish to continue his father’s methodology: looking at the historical context (Napoleonic Wars, Act of Union, fast-approaching Abolition of Slavery) and using real events and real people to drive the narrative.

So what would be our events and who would be our new characters? It seemed to me that one thing we had never met so far was a character to whom Ross really looked up to, even to the extent of hero-worship. So when I was researching the early 1800s I came across Colonel Edward Despard. Reading about him I was so reminded of Ross himself that I felt sure Winston Graham knew of him (though Andrew Graham thinks not).

Ned Despard was a war hero who, like Ross believed in justice, compassion, equality and liberty for all. His wife Catherine was a former slave from Jamaica. And her rise to be his equal, her determination in the face of prejudice and scorn was uncannily reminiscent of Demelza’s own journey. As was the love and devotion both couples felt for each other. I wanted Ned to be part of Ross’ journey towards greater maturity, to be the salutary lesson, his 'there but for the grace of God'.

Tracing Despard and Catherine’s real life story, intertwining it with Ross and Demelza’s and seeing them deal with the consequences of that entanglement, forms the spine of series five and introduces on the way other real-life characters such as James Hadfield (would-be assassin of George III), William Wickham (founder of the British foreign secret service) and Joseph Merceron (the 'Godfather' of East London). Inextricably involved with Ross and Demelza’s journey are Ross’s nemesis George Warleggan, as well as friends and allies Dwight and Caroline Enys, Sam, Drake and Morwenna Carne.

It feels strange, and a little sad, to be approaching the transmission of series five knowing that we won’t be returning to Cornwall, but it’s been an extraordinary journey for all of us and we feel truly fortunate to have lived with these characters and stories for so long. What’s next for me? A contemporary series. Watch this space. Not a tricorn in sight. I’m excited for the next project - but I’ll miss that Cornish surf!"

Character Descriptions

Ross
Ross hoped to put London behind him to focus on peaceful, family life, but a plea from his old Army Colonel, Ned Despard, compels him to the capital to help. As Ross’ world becomes entangled with the Despards', new alliances and old enemies threaten his loved ones and the nation itself, testing our hero’s resolve like never before.

Demelza
As she grows into her role of Cornwall’s beloved defender, Demelza is still looking out for the less fortunate of her world. But when the Despards enter her life, Demelza finds there are repercussions to getting involved: Cornwall needs her own help now more than ever, and new forces threaten all she holds dear.

Drake
Although he has finally married and settled down with Morwenna, Drake yearns to mend the wounds of her past. As the journey to wedded bliss proves uncertain, Drake’s love is tested. How far is he truly willing to go?

Sam
Sam is rising in the community and is admired as a leader. When Tess Tregidden makes it her mission to cause trouble, Sam makes it his to convert her wayward soul. As he helps Demelza in the community, an unexpected romance blossoms for him too.

Morwenna
Though reconciled with Drake in marriage, Morwenna struggles with intimacy, in the wake of her life with her brutish former husband. With the loss of John Conan still haunting her, Morwenna finds her old life overlapping with her new, but as the community come to rely on her she grows into a new role with a hope she had not foreseen.

Geoffrey Charles
Following his mother’s death, Geoffrey takes his future into his own hands and follows in Ross’ footsteps by joining the military. His path takes him to the capital, where an unlikely attraction finds him in the dangerous waters of forbidden love... 

George
Haunted by the loss of Elizabeth, George looks for his missing spark as he forges onward. His journey sees him entering into an alliance with merchant Ralph Hanson, whose business in the mahogany trade and influence in London promises to expand the Warleggan empire around the world.

Dwight
The future holds great promise for Dwight, who has finally gained recognition in his field. However, the arrival of the Despards comes to drive an ever-growing wedge between him and Ross, testing Dwight’s loyalty to his closest friend and the strength of his bond with Caroline.

Caroline
Caroline finds a new distraction in championing the Despards, but old insecurities arise as she joins her friends against their common enemy and finds she must battle with her demons once again.

Prudie
Having settled into her role in the Poldark family, Prudie is trusted to run the home and family in their stead. With new enemies emerging, Prudie‘s role as Nampara’s guardian becomes more important than ever and she must employ all her cunning to help save their world from being upturned.

Ned
An ex-army colonel and Ross and Dwight’s’ ranking officer in American Revolutionary War, Ned was made the governor of British Honduras, where he took a former slave as his wife and tried to implement policies ahead of his time. But when he locked horns with corrupt forces in his posting, Ned was recalled to London and locked away in Coldbath Fields prison, without a fair hearing, leaving him hungry for liberty, vindication and revenge.

Kitty
A former slave, Kitty fell in love with her master, Edward 'Ned' Despard, whom she married. In her fight to exonerate her husband, Kitty finds allies in our heroes and her resilience gains their admiration, as she carves a determined path through the moral corruption that surrounds them.

Tess
A former employee of Trenwith, when Tess suddenly finds herself without the means for an honest life, she harbours revenge against the upper classes. Bitter in her quest for a better life, Tess becomes a persistent thorn in our heroes’ sides, and her machinations threaten the stability of their homes.

Cecily
The daughter of Ralph Hanson, Cecily is a staunch supporter of the abolitionist movement, putting her at odds with her family and peers. Educated and independent, Cecily is ahead of her time. In pursuit of her own brand of happiness Cecily falls in love with a man in league with her father’s rivals, testing family loyalties as she tries to make her future her own.

Ralph Hanson
Father of Cecily and a wealthy mahogany merchant, Ralph Hanson seeks a new backer to fund his enterprise abroad. To this end he enters an alliance with the Warleggans, and crosses swords with our heroes when his dealings come to impact upon their lives.

Joseph Merceron
Joseph is a powerful and enterprising magistrate with connections and influence throughout the social and political tiers of London.

Related Programme Information

• Episode one
• Episode two