Sophie Turner, known for her iconic role inGame of Thronesand her portrayal of powerful characters, found herself surprisingly liberated by her latest venture: a high-stakes heist thriller calledSteal. Despite the inherent tension of the role, she describes stepping into the shoes of Zara as unexpectedly “very freeing.”
The series plunges viewers into a world of desperate measures when Zara, an ordinary office worker, is thrust into the center of a daring robbery. A ruthless gang storms her London workplace, forcing her and a close friend to execute a complex plan – stealing billions of pounds from unsuspecting pension holders. The stakes are impossibly high, and every decision carries devastating consequences.
Ahead of the premiere, Turner, along with co-stars Archie Madekwe and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, discussed the gripping narrative and the emotional depths they explored. Fortune-Lloyd plays DCI Rhys, a detective battling personal demons as he races to unravel the intricate web of the crime, discovering hidden motives at every turn.
Turner believesStealwill immediately captivate audiences, drawing them in with its remarkable realism. She was struck by the script’s ability to portray characters not as simply good or evil, but as complex individuals with shades of grey. “It makes the series more exciting because it does feel real,” she explained, “and they’re all very unpredictable.”
Zara, the character Turner embodies, is a force of nature – impulsive and unpredictable. This freedom to portray such a wild spirit was a welcome change for the actress. “She just kind of falls apart,” Turner said with a smile, “and I really liked that about her.”
For Madekwe, portraying Zara’s friend, Luke, proved emotionally demanding. The role required him to tap into a constant state of panic and desperation. “He’s constantly crying, understandably,” he admitted, acknowledging the exhausting nature of portraying such raw emotion. “It was tiring, actually.”
The story’s complexity is a key element of its appeal. Madekwe described a narrative “tied up in a knot,” where characters are desperately trying to untangle the mess they’ve created. This intricate plot, he believes, is what makes the series so compelling and deeply human, reflecting the secrets and vulnerabilities we all carry.
Fortune-Lloyd immersed himself in research to authentically portray DCI Rhys, a detective grappling with a gambling addiction. He consulted with a former detective specializing in murder investigations and even spent time with a professional poker player, seeking to understand the mindset of someone battling such a compulsion.
He was particularly drawn to the layered nature of his character, appreciating that Rhys wasn’t simply a stereotypical police officer. His Romanian heritage and the drive to prove himself added compelling dimensions to the role, offering a nuanced portrayal of a man fighting his own battles while pursuing justice.
Ultimately, Fortune-Lloyd found playing a character described as “ruthless, cold, calculated” to be a profoundly satisfying experience. However, a universal challenge for the cast was mastering the specialized language of fraud and police procedure. “To make that sing when you are just not accustomed to that language, that’s challenging,” he concluded.
Stealpromises a thrilling ride, a gripping exploration of desperation, and a showcase of compelling performances. It’s a story where no one is quite who they seem, and the consequences of every action are devastatingly real.
