Aidan Turner had never heard of ‘Poldark’ when he was approached to star in the remake.
The ‘Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ star has confessed he had to Google the popular 70s series – which ended in 1977, before Aidan was born – when he was asked to take on the lead role in BBC One’s upcoming adaptation.
He shared: The offer came in and I said, ‘What the hell’s Poldark?’ I had to Google it, then I called my mum and she said, ‘You’d better not mess this up’."
The 31-year-old actor admits there will be no less nudity in the remake than there was in the original show, revealing viewers will see him naked in the sea early on in the eight-part series.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "If I could change anything about Ross Poldark I’d get him some clothes for the second episode."
‘Poldark’ is based on the novels by Winston Graham and is set in late 18th Century Cornwall and follows Ross Poldark as he attempts to make his derelict tin mines a success after returning from war.
And Aidan admits he chose not to watch the original series, which starred Robin Ellis, as he wanted to give his own take on the character.
He explained: "I was scared I’d emulate Robin’s performance, and I wanted to see what I could come up with myself."
Meanwhile, Ellis – who is now 73-years-old – is set to appear in the reboot as a villain.
Aidan Turner had never heard of Poldark
