Matthew Rhys reflects on his The beast in me character Nile Jarvis.
Rhys thinks Nile enjoys the discomfort around him, and the actor enjoys the dynamic between Nile and writer and grieving mother Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes).
“There’s an enjoyment for Nile in that there’s an enjoyment of the discomfort around him, which he really enjoys,” Rhys, 51, told People. “And I think sometimes he does it for his own amusement, for his pleasure, for his mildly sadistic nature.”
“But then when he finds a kind of tennis partner in Aggie [Claire Danes]and he says, ‘Oh wow, that’s someone who can hit the ball back at a much higher speed and a lot more skill.’ So it’s always fun,” he explained.
Aggie and Nile are “just one impulsive move away from being each other,” Rhys added.
“And it’s paper thin,” he said of the difference between them. “That sort of membrane in between is paper thin, and thus God’s grace goes to the other. And I think they see it in each other that at any given moment, given how impulsive the two are, the stories can be switched so easily.”
“And that’s when it’s a little electric,” Rhys remarked.
