{"id":42688,"date":"2023-12-29T10:05:57","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T09:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1947224"},"modified":"2023-12-29T14:54:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T13:54:44","slug":"iwan-rheon-on-men-up-and-how-game-of-thrones-changed-his-life","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/iwan-rheon-on-men-up-and-how-game-of-thrones-changed-his-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Iwan Rheon on Men Up and how Game of Thrones changed his life"},"content":{"rendered":"

This interview first appeared in Radio Times Magazine. <\/p>

By Craig Mcclean\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 29 December 2023 at 09:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for a life-affirming drama devoid of seasonal sentimentality this Christmas, Men Up<\/a> can rise to the occasion. Unlike its cast.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s stop the cheap gags right there. Because this is the true story of an anonymous group of middle-aged men in Swansea who, in 1994, took part in trials for a new impotency drug that was launched four years later as Viagra.<\/p>\n

However, that\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t plenty of humour generated by a stellar cast of Welsh talent led by Iwan Rheon in this one-off BBC drama executive-produced by Russell T Davies.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously it\u2019s a subject that\u2019s a bit funny,\u201d acknowledges Rheon, most recently seen on telly in bonkers thriller Wolf<\/a> and most famous as Game of Thrones<\/a>\u2019s psychotic torturer Ramsay Bolton. \u201cPeople do tend to laugh \u2013 it\u2019s a bit ho ho, nudge nudge, Viagra.\u201d<\/p>\n

But while there are comic elements in Matthew Barry\u2019s pin-sharp script, \u201cit\u2019s not based around base humour and silly knob jokes. This is a film about these [fictionalised] men, their loved ones and how erectile dysfunction can deeply affect people psychologically\u201d.<\/p>\n

Diabetes-related complications have left Rheon\u2019s character Meurig no longer able to \u201centertain\u201d his wife Ffion (Alexandra Roach). Steffan Rhodri\u2019s Colin hasn\u2019t been the same since the death of his wife of 27 years. Tommy (Paul Rhys) is gay and the shame of being unable to be public with his partner is crushing the couple\u2019s sex life, and the beery bravado of burly roofer Eddie (Mark Lewis Jones) masks deep insecurity about impotence that takes him to a very dark place indeed.<\/p>\n

\"Colin\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The cast of Men Up.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

As Rheon puts it: \u201cEvery storyline, every character is so well fleshed out and beautifully written that you really get a sense of these men and what they\u2019re going through.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Men Up, Rheon is starring alongside Anthony Hopkins in Amazon Prime Video\u2019s new epic Those About To Die \u2013 a sprawling series about gladiators in Ancient Rome. He plays Tenax, \u201ca bit of a wheeler dealer\u201d who \u201cruns the gambling and underworld of Rome\u201d. Did his GoT sword training come in handy? \u201cWell, Tenax is more of a knife guy. He\u2019s subtle!\u201d<\/p>\n

Filming the series straight after Men Up and a plane ride away from his London home has left Rheon looking forward to a quiet Christmas \u2013 or two. \u201cI\u2019ll do one in Wales, then one in London \u2013 my parents will come to us.\u201d Although, when you have a five-year-old son, \u201cquiet\u201d is relative, Rheon points out.<\/p>\n

Life for the 38-year-old seems to have changed significantly since he shot to fame in Game of Thrones ten years ago. He can scarcely believe it\u2019s been so long. But he agrees that it was a reputation-making role.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no other way of looking at it. Because of the magnitude of the show, it did loads for my career. But it brought a lot of barriers as well. All of a sudden you\u2019re just getting offered lots of parts where they want you to do the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

More psychopaths? \u201cWell, exactly!\u201d he says, laughing. \u201cI was like: \u2018Can I play a nice guy, please?\u2019\u201d<\/p>

Men Up airs on BBC One on Friday 29th December at 9pm. <\/strong>Check out more of our\u00a0Drama<\/a>\u00a0coverage or visit our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Streaming Guide<\/a>\u00a0to find out what\u2019s on.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only \u00a310 \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to\u00a0The Radio Times Podcast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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