Before Andrew Scott played Tom Ripley, there was Matt Damon’s version.
Andrew Scott stars in Ripley, the brand new eight-part Netflix series based on Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels, which started with The Talented Mr Ripley.
This isn’t the first time that Highsmith’s story has been adapted for the screen before – Tom Ripley was previously played by Matt Damon in a 1999 film adaptation of the first novel in the series, directed by Anthony Minghella, while the 1960 French film Purple Noon is also loosely based on Highsmith’s novel.
Speaking in October 2021, Scott addressed these various iterations of the story when speaking with Interview Magazine, saying: “There’ve been various iterations of the character, some of which I’ve seen and some of which I’ve avoided.
“When you’re playing those famous literary characters, you don’t want to just copy.
“I’m interested in the idea of what queerness is, and otherness, because that’s what I think it’s about. The reason he’s such an interesting character is you can’t quite place him.
“If Tom Ripley was in a gay bar, I’m not sure that he would fit in there. Nor do I think he’s a straight character. I think he’s a queer character, in the sense that he’s very ‘other’.
“What’s his relationship with sex, or death, or with family or friends? It’s interesting that a character is the sum of the parts that you don’t have to play.”
But, as fans binge their way through the new series, they may be wondering – how can they watch the 1999 film?
Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch The Talented Mr Ripley.
How can you watch The Talented Mr Ripley?
The Talented Mr Ripley is actually available for subscribers to a number of different streaming services. The film can be streamed now on Netflix, Paramount Plus, Sky Cinema and NOW.
Meanwhile, fans of the movie who are not subscribers to any of these services can still rent or buy the film. It is available to rent now on Apple TV+, Prime Video, Sky Store, Rakuten TV, Curzon Home Cinema, Microsoft Store and Chili.
For fans of physical media, the film is also available to purchase on both Blu-ray and DVD formats from Amazon.
Who stars in The Talented Mr Ripley?
The 1999 film featured a phenomenal cast, packed full of A-listers and led by a young Matt Damon as Tom Ripley.
Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow (Avengers: Endgame) took on the role played in the new Netflix series by Dakota Fanning (The Alienist), Marge Sherwood, and Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) played Dickie Greenleaf, who is portrayed in the new show by Johnny Flynn (One Life).
Other major roles were played by Cate Blanchett (Tár), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Hunger Games) and Jack Davenport (Ten Percent).
Ripley is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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