Despite his close connections, Tom Ellis admittedly never intended to work further Tell me lies.
The Lucifer star, 45, tells PEOPLE that “he’s been around for a long time since the show started” given that his wife, Meaghan Oppenheimer, is the show’s creator and showrunner, but he “actually never imagined he’d be on it.”
“It wasn’t something that was ever really discussed in our household,” Ellis says.
It wasn’t until Oppenheimer, 38, “started thinking about season two, what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go with the characters, that she talked about [a certain] kind of relationship as something she wanted to explore. And then casually started saying, ‘Do you think you’d be interested in that?'”
Tell me lies The premiere date of the second season has been announced! Plus, First Look at Lucy’s New ‘Love Rival’ (Exclusive)
Ellis says he “wasn’t sure how serious she was at first, but as it became more real, it was something I was quietly excited about. So when I was officially asked to do it, I was very, very ready jump into the ship.”
His excitement to play Oliver — a sexy professor whose story he wants to keep quiet until later in the series — grew as did his wife’s. But was that excitement enough, or was he asked to go to an official audition to secure the role?
“They didn’t [make me audition]luckily,” he reveals. “I think Meaghan has seen enough of my stuff to realize I’m probably capable of doing it.”
Tom Ellis as Oliver in Tell Me Lies Season 2.
Disney/Josh Stringer
Tell me lies it is not the first time that Ellis has worked with his wife, as he notes that they worked together on a film in 2018. Queen of Americaalbeit briefly, and “it was a really pleasant surprise for both of us that we were able to separate Church and State quite easily”.
“It’s never been a problem for us, really. I think we have a huge creative respect for each other. And I think she’s really, really talented at what she does,” Ellis says of working with his wife, with whom he shares an 8-month-old son. daughter Dolly.
“It was simple, really,” he continues. “I know a few people have asked, ‘What’s it like working with your wife? It must be weird.’ It’s like, well, actually, it’s weird that it’s not weird.”
Grace Van Patten says she and boyfriend Jackson White are ‘wildly different’ from their Toxic counterparts Tell me lies Characters (exclusive)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/tom-ellis-meaghan-oppenheimer-4-083f5aa93a924ec3aa7e1ac1c7b16c2f.jpg)
Meaghan Oppenheimer and Tom Ellis arrive at Covent Garden’s American Friends 50th Anniversary Celebration on July 10, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.
Gregg DeGuire/Getty
He still had nerves, though, especially about joining the show as one of only two new additions, while the other Gossip Girl alum Thomas Doherty. “It’s always a bit of a gamble to come and join something, but with this one I really wanted to join because I felt it was so good,” he says. “And if I could join something and continue to have an impact — be additive instead of just joining for another character — I felt like it was a really good opportunity.”
Playing Oliver was “little [a] challenge” for the actor.
“He’s a much cooler character than I’ve played in the past,” Ellis says. “And for me it was about how to desensitize myself a little bit and get closer to someone who really doesn’t give much away.”
Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The first two episodes Tell me lies season 2 is now streaming on Hulu. New episodes will be released every Wednesday until October 16.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education