Ato Essandoh (‘The Diplomat’) on how his character Stuart ‘recognizes and understands power’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

David Buchanan
·4 min read
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This article and video contain spoilers about the first season of “The Diplomat,” including the season finale.

“I was starting at ground zero, basically,” admits Ato Essandoh about what he knew about the position of Deputy Chief of Mission, which he plays on the new Netflix series “The Diplomat.” His character, Stuart, serves in that role as right-hand representative for the U.S. ambassador in London, Kate Wyler (Keri Russell). He adds, “Saying Deputy Chief of Mission was even hard to say like I knew what I was talking about… you have to practice the jargon.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

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To become acquainted with the particulars of the job, Essandoh did a lot of research into the “day-to-day life” of real ambassadors. He shares, “As a minor political junkie… I didn’t realize how much work goes into every single decision that is made politically or geopolitically.” The actor found one work particularly eye-opening, namely, the documentary “The Human Factor” about the “30-year project” of Israel-Palestine peace accords, a film he called “so emotionally compelling.”

WATCH our exclusive video interview with Rufus Sewell, ‘The Diplomat’

What initially drew Essandoh to the role was Stuart’s “calmness” and “unflappable-ness.” “He recognizes and understands power,” explains the actor, elaborating, “He uses soft power… I have the ability to convince and bring you to a table and get you to start negotiating.”

Since Stuart is a close confidant to the U.S. ambassador, Essandoh shares many of his scenes opposite Russell. “I’ve been a fan of hers for the longest time, since ‘Felicity’,” shares the actor, adding that he hadn’t ever realized that “she is a comic animal, she’s incredible at comedy.” Although the two characters go on to establish a close rapport, the star admits they get off to a “rocky” start: “I think his first impression is she’s a mess, and she’s not capable to do the job that she’s being asked to do now, which is be the front-facing ambassador to something as tiffany and glamorous as the U.S. ambassador in the U.K.”

WATCH our exclusive video interview with Debora Cahn, ‘The Diplomat’ creator

Essandoh also shares many scenes with co-stars Rufus Sewell and Ali Ahn, who play Kate’s diplomat husband, Hal, and the CIA Chief of Station in London, Eidra, respectively. Stuart often mediates the complex political and emotional relationship between the Wyler couple, so the actor gets to watch Russell and Sewell work up close and says the two of them together “remind me of ‘Moonlighting’… They had that level of chemistry that you couldn’t stop watching them.” Viewers quickly learn of Stuart’s romantic relationship with Eidra, a dynamic the performer enjoys because neither of the characters “really put a relationship before their job, so how do you navigate that?.”

Although he did not dive into specifics, Essandoh comments on the explosive season finale. He shares, carefully, “When you look at something like that, the way these scripts are written, as the actors we can’t wait until the next script comes out… All I want to know is what happens next and hopefully that we all survive to get to the next part.” He concludes by noting that as an actor, “You have your own input into where you want the character to go, but I realized early on that I’m not going to have a better idea than Debora Cahn does.”

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