Kyle Soller is the American actor who plays Ross Poldark’s cousin, Francis. Upon Ross’s return from the war, he discovers that his former fiancee, Elizabeth is now engaged to be married to Francis.
Kyle, welcome to Cornwall, what’s it been like filming in the county?
It’s been perfect weather, beautiful. We’ve just been staying a bit further up the coast at the Treglos Hotel which is not far from Padstow. It’s near where we have been filming the scenes where we show the actual working mines of the story and also near Bodmin Moor where we have been filming. I have been here before, I did a tour with the Globe Theatre in 2009 and went to the Minack Theatre, which is an incredible place. What an incredible feat it was to build it, it is a really magical place.
This time around I’ve enjoyed swimming in the ocean, it’ just beautiful down here.
Tell us a little bit about your character Francis?
Francis and Ross have got history having grown up as children together. When Ross comes back into the scene, there is tension because Ross and Elizabeth were sweethearts before Ross left, but Francis is quite desperate to keep those relationships going.
He’s just one of those characters who can’t do any right, he’s pretty much a constant failure. He doesn’t know how to work the mine, he’s never really had to fight his own battles because Ross had always done that before he left. Deep down, he hopes to the depths of his souls he is good enough to keep Elizabeth. But he sabotages himself, he doesn’t have a lot of self-confidence and he starts drinking.
In this scene we are about the film, Francis comes to find Ross after the revelation that he’s engaged to Elizabeth and tries to patch it up. They go into Wheal Leisure and Francis slips and nearly falls down a mineshaft and Ross has to rescue him.
Have you enjoyed filming the series so far?
Absolutely everyone has been really fantastic, really think special project not only because of the story but because of the legacy of the people involved. It’s just great to bring this story alive for a new audience.
