Sean Gilder is Tholly Tregirls

"In my career I've done lot of comedy on stage but it seems most of my work has been in heavy dramatic, contemporary drama; nothing I could show my children! For a while I've really wanted to introduce some of the lightness and comedy of my own character into the work so Tholly fitted the bill perfectly."

Sean explains that after reading scripts for the third series he sat down to watch the first and second series of Poldark and was hooked.

"It was very exciting to see how good it was and I saw Tholly as being a completely different element. I enjoyed Aidan (Turner's) portrayal of Ross Poldark so much and then seeing there was a new storyline for him having a friend and connection to his past and his father.

"On initial read Tholly is very much a large character from another world. He has been away from Cornwall for 13 years, he is a salty sea dog/pirate/freetrader but calls himself a fixer - he is man of means, maybe in today's terms an entrepreneur. There is room for debate. But he is believable which is important when playing such a far out character with scars and a hook in the 20th century, but it does work.

"Debbie (Horsfield) has written a beautiful character. From the books and Debbie's scripts it is clear he is the comedy element however after I had seen the makeup lady and discussed his look and his scars and tattoos, I wanted to work out where they'd come from. So we gave him a history and I started to think here is a man of great wisdom even though he has no education, he is experienced in life. He would have seen a lot of death and suffering probably and come out the other side always finding something to be positive about, one of those roll your sleeves up and get on with it people.

"It is interesting to give him that wisdom. Tholly believes he knows Ross better than anyone as he knew him when he was a boy. And Ross is no idiot so we need to justify why he would want this man back in his life. Ross wouldn't want him around if he wasn't believable and useful to him. Aidan and I had a couple of chats before I started and it helped me to see him in character in the previous series so I was able to see what Ross has had to deal with. We've seen snippets of Ross' humour before but he's kept it under wraps until Tholly helps bring it out."

Given that Sean has scars and multiple tattoos he spends remarkably little time in the makeup chair.

"Pippa (Woods) is amazing and started out taking up to two hours to do my scars and tattoos, fresh every time. But by the end had got it down to an hour with her team. Even though I have three prosthetics on my face and fish skin over my eye for a scar that, in Winston Graham's book he says makes Ross' scar look like a cat scratch!

"Tholly has loads of tattoos and I was interested in the meaning behind them.... he has an anchor and a turtle on his hand which meant you'd crossed the equator and sailed over 5000 nautical miles, and sailed the Caribbean and Indian Oceans - where turtles swim.

"The seagull and cross on his neck tell a story that he has been all over the world. There are some above my eyes, and initials on my hand and I made up stories of his lovers to make the makeup ladies laugh."

Sean found inspiration in an unusual place...

"My favourite author is Joseph Conrad, he was a merchant seaman and most of his work involved the sea. Better than any author he describes the hugeness of nature, the power of it and how we humans are pinpricks and that really helped with imagining Tholly. The basis of what Conrad says, that we are mere specks, I feel in Tholly's words 'live for the moment say I be damned of the consequence'. It may seem irresponsible but it is also very deep."

So did Sean feel the pressure of joining such a successful drama?

"When it got down to filming I felt pressure on the first day because finding a character is always difficult and by unfortunate scheduling it was a dialogue heavy first day... but it still seemed to work. I quickly relaxed into it and have to say it was an absolute pleasure; one of the nicest jobs I've ever had. The cast and crew are lovely. It was a real joy."

Filming in Cornwall only improved Sean's Poldark experience...

"I've been on holiday to Cornwall few times, and love it. Two years ago we took the kids down to explore a beautiful part of the world. During filming I particularly enjoyed staying at St Ives for a week as I'm a bit of a foodie and they have very good restaurants. My wife came down for three nights so we had a real gastronomic treat."

Character descriptions

Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner)
Ross attempts to deny his nature and isolate himself from the affairs of others but, with the stakes now higher than ever, he must find a compromise between what he wants and the needs of those who depend on him.

Demelza Poldark (Eleanor Tomlinson)
Demelza decides she will no longer be passive in her own life but, in learning to be her own master, she must determine what she truly wants for herself and how far she’s prepared to go for it…

George Warleggan (Jack Farthing)
No longer content to lord over Truro through finance alone, George finds new worlds and opportunities opening to him, but the obstacles he faces turn his journey of ambition into one of discovery on several fronts.

Elizabeth Warleggan (Heida Reed)
Contrary to her expectations, Elizabeth finds herself once again navigating a world of uncertainties and guarding a grave secret. She comes to learn, however, that she wields far more power than she’d previously realised…

Dwight Enys (Luke Norris)
A man of integrity and compassion, Dwight finds himself pushed to his limits by the war with France, battling not only the French but his own demons and the doubts they rouse; both abroad and at home.

Caroline Penvenen (Gabriella Wilde)
Rich, beautiful and clever, Caroline navigates society’s tiers masterfully but finds the complexities of married life, and love, can be altogether more challenging.

Tholly Tregirls (Sean Gilder)
Tholly was a friend of Ross father’s before he fled Cornwall and the law many years ago. His womanising and recklessness haven’t been forgotten, and his ability to stir the adventurer in Ross could spell trouble for all…

Morwenna Chynoweth (Ellise Chappell)
Morwenna is Elizabeth’s cousin, and finds herself in George’s employment to support her sisters and widowed mother. Morwenna soon discovers, however, that there are things more important in life than one’s sense of duty or place…

Sam Carne (Tom York)
Sam arrives in his sister Demelza’s world determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, spreading the Methodist word. But how can Sam profess to save strangers when his own brother courts temptation?

Drake Carne (Harry Richardson)
A good natured free-spirit, Drake has many of the qualities of his sister Demelza. He seeks his own place in the world and finds himself unwilling to settle for the limits life seeks to impose; especially concerning his romantic destiny…

Hugh Armitage (Josh Whitehouse)
As the nephew of Lord Falmouth, Hugh has grown up in the shadow of expectation – a fact he is keenly aware of. But Hugh is also a romantic and wilful. He would do as he chooses with his future, and being true to one’s heart rarely comes without a cost…

Osborne Whitworth (Christian Brassington)
Osborne is from an esteemed family and a reverend. Driven by lustful desires, the widower seeks a new wife and George sees there is a social advantage in helping him…

Emma Tregirls (Ciara Charteris)
Lusty and headstrong, Emma isn’t a follower of anyone. When the Carne brothers arrive with God in tow, Emma is therefore the first to poke fun at Sam’s piousness - but people have a strange way of getting under your skin and, as they say, opposites often attract…

Lord Falmouth (James Wilby)
A man of ancestral power, his will has dictated the people and politics of Truro for generations but Falmouth finds a revolution in thought occurring, one that threatens to upend the status quo…

Sir Francis Basset (John Hopkins)
Sir Francis is one of the wealthiest men in the county but where Basset chooses to ally himself will have significant consequences for the people of Truro…

Tom Harry (Turlough Convey)
Tom Harry is George’s right hand man and delights in carrying out his master’s dirty work. With George’s rising power, Tom Harry finds his own increased – and he’s only too happy to wield it.

Aunt Agatha (Caroline Blakiston)
Resilient and wily as ever, Agatha resists the Warleggan occupation of Trenwith with all the fervour she can muster, sparing what energy she has left to look out for the Poldarks both at home and at Nampara.

Prudie Paynter (Beatie Edney)
Prudie is Nampara’s loyal servant and an increasingly central part of the Poldark unit. For all her bluster, Prudie is as loyal as they come and not averse to voicing her opinion - whether it’s asked for or not!

Ray Penvenen (John Nettles)
Caroline's kindly, sweet-toothed Uncle Ray has raised her since she was orphaned. Ray is one of the county's wealthiest and most powerful gentlemen.

Cary Warleggan (Pip Torrens)
George’s uncle, Cary is shrewd and determined to win the respect of the ruling classes. However, his uncouth manner and lack of humanity works against him.

Captain Henshawe (John Hollingworth)
An old friend of Ross, Henshawe was Mine Captain of Wheal Leisure when Ross’ father was alive. He is well-respected in his field.

Harris Pascoe (Richard Hope)
Ross’ banker and long standing friend, Pascoe is a shrewd businessman. He frequently counsels Ross to be more cautious in his business dealings, and frequently fails.

Reverend Dr Halse (Robin Ellis)
Halse is a powerful Magistrate who has little sympathy for the poor. However, whereas he once held Ross in contempt, he begins to see the value in Ross, and we sense Halse is not as blinkered as we’d reason to believe.

Zacky Martin (Tristan Sturrock)
One of Ross’ oldest and loyalist friends, Zacky has worked in his mines for years and is well respected by both commoners and local gentry alike.

Related Media Centre Links

• Filming started for Poldark Series Three

Related Web Links

• Mammoth Screen