'Harlots' star Ash Hunter is happy to shake things up in the female-led series as one of the masculine, testosterone-fueled Pincher brothers
If you are a 'Harlots' fan you will agree that it is among the most underrated shows of all time. With a stellar cast that boasts of Samantha Morton, Liv Tyler and Danny Sapani, and storylines that are unparalleled, this Hulu show must be among your must-watch lists if it isn't already.
Joining the show come season three, which is set for premiere on July 10, are the Pincher brothers played by Alfie Allen of 'Game of Thrones' fame and Ash Hunter who portrayed titular Hamilton in West End's production of the world-renowned musical.
With Lady Quigley (Lesley Manville) in a mental asylum and Margret Wells (Morton) MIA, there are slots open for a brothel-in-charge and the Pinchers are here to take over. In the very first episode of the upcoming season three, it is established that they are going to spell trouble for Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay) and her home. However, between Allen's Isaac and Hunter's Hal, the latter seems to the one holding the fort and possibly the one we will end up rooting for, especially for the tender relationship he develops with Emily Lacey (Holli Dempsey).
The show always deals with the light and dark, and no one is ever shown as completely good, as Hunter points out to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW).
"Hal, definitely, in the beginning, does seem like a nice good guy who just wants the best for himself, his brother and Emily who he loves. But he does get to be very three-dimensional. That's just a testament to the writing. Someone who looks like they're the kindest, generous person can be completely different if they perceive themselves to be threatened," he says.
Hunter adds that Hal is definitely being taken on a journey where the desperation to take a piece of the pie and turn into a version of himself that he does not recognize is heavily explored.
Hunter continues, "I just wanted the audience to see that he really does want what's best for the people that he loves, and that is what I tried to hold down in there, because they [Pinchers] may have gone through adversity that is explained in the backstory — where they both have the same dad but different mothers, them growing up together and even going to America, all of this stuff. It shows that you can go through all this hardship and still have a massive heart and still want to do what is best."
Hunter, however, recognizes that sometimes even the best intentions don't always reap the nicest or best results. "I just want people to be able to really think about what they would do if they were on the same journey as him."
And, what a journey he has had. "They definitely put Hal through a very intense and very emotional journey and that was a joy and a pleasure to play," says Hunter, adding how privileged he felt to be entrusted with that role, especially since he got to go on that journey within the realms of what he considers to be "one of the best-written shows on telly".
"It deals with certain situations and stuff in a way that I haven't seen done and it just really is an honor. It's quite interesting to play a character like mine, when the whole concept of the show, is two warring female families… female-led families, and to this, these two, masculine, testosterone-fueled brothers come in and try to shake things up. It was quite nerve-racking to play characters that were attempting to break the mold on the show a little bit," he elaborates.
You can binge on seasons one and two of 'Harlots' on Hulu before season three is available for streaming on July 17.