Aidan Turner opens up about playing one of the darkest roles in his career

aidan turner and ella lily hyland in fifteen love
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Poldark star Aidan Turner has revealed his character in new Prime Video series Fifteen-Love may be one of his darkest roles to date.

The actor plays tennis coach Glenn Lapthorn in the six-part series, who faces a shocking allegation from former pupil and tennis star Justine Pearce (Ella Lily Hyland).

After bowing out from the sport with a devastating injury, Pearce retrains as a physiotherapist at her former academy and sees herself thrust back into the spotlight after making an allegation against her former coach.

The Fifteen-Love trailer pits the two characters against one another, making you question who is really telling the truth. Is Glenn really the nice guy he outwardly projects and does Justine just bear a grudge?

actor aidan turner attends a special screening of new prime video drama fifteen love in london
David M. Benett - Getty Images

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In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Turner shared his interpretation of Glenn, while being careful not to give away any answers.

"He's got layers and it’s nuanced and difficult," he said. "I think I like the idea of him having these different masks for different people.

"You have his professional life, his family life, a way of speaking to his professional friends, who he trains with, and then a different mask for other people, for some of his other students."

He hopes these different personas make the audience question if they're really masks or rather his way of keeping secrets in a possible dark and "sinister world" that he's orchestrating.

ella lily hyland, aidan turner, fifteen love
Prime Video

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"I thought that's gonna be really challenging as an actor to play. Like, how do you do that?" he continued. "He's really charming and very affable, and he's really talented. And he's a supportive person who really cares about teaching people. It's brilliant.

"So how can we show that with the darker side and still have it be believable, authentic?

"So there was a lot in it. From the very early read, I thought, it's gonna take a lot to pull it off. But it was an enjoyable process."

aidan turner and ella lily hyland in fifteen love
ROB YOUNGSON/Prime Video

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The Suspect star also praised the script as being "really smart" and credits the whole cast and crew for their delicate handling of the subject matter.

"I think this story, it's a really brave story to tell," he said. "I think there's a world where if it wasn't in the hands of the right people, it could be messy and clumsy and not helpful.

"And it's none of those things. You know, it's been captured beautifully and brilliantly by everyone involved."

Fifteen-Love launches on Prime Video UK and Ireland on July 21.

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