In 1975, a new television phenomenon gripped the United Kingdom, transporting millions of Britons to 1780s Cornwall and the spellbinding saga of a wounded soldier, an ill-bred urchin girl, and a nation on the brink of political and social upheaval. The program was Poldark, and the British weren’t the only fans: broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre in the U.S., Poldark was voted one of Masterpiece’s top 10 programs of all time. Star Robin Ellis earned glowing reviews (and captured more than a few hearts) as the sometimes brooding, always dashing Ross Poldark. Now, a new generation will understand the power of Poldark: starting June 21, Masterpiece will air an all-new adaptation of Winston Graham’s novel, starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson as Ross and Demelza.
Ellis, who lives in the south of France with his wife, has found a second career as an author, chef, and blogger. His first book, the memoir Making Poldark, has just been updated and expanded with new photos from his time on set shooting a cameo for the 2015 adaptation, and an audiobook version is forthcoming. His second cookbook, Healthy Eating for Life, which features more than 100 recipes, was published in 2014. Ellis maintains a blog at robin-ellis.net, where he writes about everything from acting to zucchini.
In March 2015, Ellis very kindly agreed to answer a few questions for the Acorn TV blog.
Has the process for filming a very lavish costume drama like this changed a lot from when the original was filmed?
“Yes, it’s quite different. In those days, we rehearsed for six days and then spent two days in the studio, at the end of which we recorded the majority of the show between on the second day in the studio. So we had to learn it all at the same time, and then every four episodes we’d go to Cornwall for two weeks—four times actually in the first series. So we’d spend eight weeks in Cornwall in two week batches.
This time, everything is done on film with one camera and then edited afterwards, and so you don’t get any rehearsal, you come on to the set each day with your lines for that day learned (hopefully), you get on the set—they set up the lights, and you start shooting. So it is a different process, and I must say I’m not sure how Aidan Turner, the new Ross Poldark, did it, really. I mean it’s a huge part and he’s on most of the time. How he learned it all each day is a big achievement, really. So it’s a different atmosphere. And when I played my small part, I had to get to used to the new way pretty quickly. Which I did, and enjoyed, in the end.”
Did you offer Aidan Turner any sage words of advice about his impending heartthrob status?
“No, no. We had a lovely photo session together and we talked about his days as a ballroom dancer, and he talked to me about my cooking.”
What does it feel like to be in the middle of this media storm that has resurrected the character of Poldark?
“It was nothing like this 40 years ago. I mean everything has changed–Facebook and Twitter and everything has absolutely transformed the whole way a television program hits the screens. But in this case, Poldark has just hit the UK like a storm and newspapers are searching out stories every day, which is tremendous for the show. Winston Graham, the original writer, must be absolutely thrilled up there if he’s listening.”
Why do you think that the saga of Poldark continues to resonate? It seems just as popular and maybe even more so than it was 40 years ago.
“Well, it’s a tribute to Winston Graham. He wrote the first novel in 1945 and he finished the saga with the 12th novel in 2003 at the age of something like 92. And he wrote lots of other things aside from Poldark, but he was a great storyteller. He lived in Cornwall for 27 years and he brought up his family in Cornwall. He wasn’t Cornish, although his wife was. He knew Cornwall inside and out and he knew the history of Cornwall and he knew the hardships of the people who lived in Cornwall in the late 18th century—how tough it was. And these stories that have survived from 1945 to now, and they’re just as good now as they were then. And I think that’s the secret—to have that as the basis for the series as a reference. It’s wonderful, really.”
Switching gears a little bit: you published a second cookbook in 2014, Healthy Eating For Life. Can you describe the process, and what inspires you to create a recipe that will be included in a cookbook?
“Well, the cookbooks began life when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which was 16 years ago. I’ve always loved to cook. I do all the cooking here, and my mother was a good cook so Ive always been keen on cooking. And people said “Well, why don’t you write a cookbook” and I said, “Well, I’m an actor I don’t write cookbooks.” There are lots of people who can write cookbooks and there are professional chefs and cooks who find it difficult to get them published.
But gradually the idea took hold, and I started to write recipes. [Eventually] my wife got together a collection of recipes which were targeted at people with diabetes like me, trying to persuade people that it’s not the end of the world when you have that diagnosis. That you can still eat deliciously and very, very well, while maybe just avoiding one or two things. You can still have a really good time round the table. That was the motivation, and the first book, Delicious Dishes for Diabetics, was published in 2011. And that continues–today actually I sent off my third book to the publisher.”
Robin Ellis will appear in Episode 3 and Episode 6 of the new Poldark as Reverend Halse. While you wait for the new series, catch up on the original, now streaming exclusively on Acorn TV and available on DVD from Acorn Online. With nearly 30 hours of the swashbuckling saga to binge-watch, you’re going to need a snack: be sure to check out Robin’s cookbooks for delicious and wholesome recipes.
