Interview with Howard Charles

Tell us about the difference between series two and three
In between the second and third series, there have been four years that have passed, and they have been spent at war. As soon as there is an idea about coming back to Paris, Porthos wants to be on the front as he finds a level of comfort in war. Coming back and seeing this broken Paris is too much to take because it makes him feel helpless. We find the Red Guard, our old arch rivals who we detest with a passion, are ruling the roost and have been directly responsible for turning it into a sewer. When we first filmed with Rupert, who plays Governor Feron, I remember the way he looked at us during the scene and basically told us he is the new daddy in town.

Describe Porthos’s journey through this series
In series three, we have had four years at war and Porthos has become an animal, a beast to protect what matters most – the people of France. Being back in Paris, Porthos has to become an emotional being again, to become a man again, that’s the journey. He starts the series as an animal and learns how to become a man again.

Tell us about Porthos and Aramis
There is a genuine affection there. There is a brotherhood between all of us, but the bond is stronger between these two. Not having Aramis with them has never sat well with Porthos, and certainly at the beginning of this third series, we are extremely frosty with each other. However, at the end of the day, Porthos understood why he made his choice.

What is the relationship like between the Musketeers?
Over the three years that we’ve been involved in the show, privately we’ve had a lot of changes, we’ve evolved as men and there is a direct correlation of how we have evolved collectively as characters within the story. I’ve learnt a lot from all of them - we spend a lot of time together and we’ll have some wonderful memories from this.

How do you feel about the success the Musketeers has had internationally?
It’s interesting how life changes in that way: wherever I go in the world, there is always someone who has seen the Musketeers, and saying how much they love the character of Porthos. It’s incredibly flattering and lovely to hear.