No One Is Doing It Like Andrew Scott

Proma Khosla
·4 min read
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When I saw the first black-and-white still of Andrew Scott in and as “Ripley,” I was sold — and I know I’m not alone.

The 47-year-old actor might seem like an unexpected choice to step into the shoes of Tom Ripley, but for anyone following his career, it could not have been a more perfect casting or welcome treat. From the very first moments, Steve Zaillian’s “Ripley” is one of those projects that hinges entirely upon its lead actor, a vehicle for Mr. Ripley’s talents that buoys sharp direction, artistic choices, and lush cinematography in its wake.

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As for casting the man last seen on TV as Hot Priest in the role of a known sociopath (though Scott and Zaillian dislike labeling their antihero), we must turn to Tumblr. With Instagram in its infancy and TikTok still years away, Twitter and Tumblr were the arenas for Andrew Scott appreciation when “Sherlock” premiered in 2010, with Scott’s magnificent take on the villain Moriarty. He turned a calculated antagonist into a force of charisma, a game of cat-and-mouse into an irresistible meeting of the minds with scene partner Benedict Cumberbatch. There was fangirling, oh yes, and there was what would later be called thirst — but above all there was a formidable talent unleashed upon the screen and an audience hungry for more.

At that point, Scott had been acting since the ’90s, across film and TV and including short films and TV movies. He was established among his peers in the UK and Ireland, especially in theatre, and appeared in critically acclaimed and award-nominated projects, even if they didn’t necessarily crack the mainstream. One of his biggest appearances Stateside pre-“Sherlock” was in “Band of Brothers.”

Scott may not have been the name on most of our minds to play “Fleabag”s Hot Priest, but what good fortune that he was at the top of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s list and joined his old friend for the six-episode season. The role earned him a Critics Choice Award and another spike in online ubiquity as Hot Priest lust ran rampant. Here was a character wildly removed from Moriarty, from “Spectre,” from “King Lear” (to name some of the surprises he delivered in between), a God-fearing man with too soft a spot for a sinning woman (and canned gin-and-tonic).

It’s easy to talk about “Sherlock” and “Fleabag,” two of Scott’s most prolific roles — that too in television, leading up to “Ripley” — but what worked about both roles, to Scott’s benefit as much as the shows themselves, was that the creative team knew how to utilize him. Scott’s best performances don’t lean into a particular character trait or genre, but into the potent magnetism that makes him such an inspired Tom Ripley. Whether he’s killing people or loving people (as a Father), he plays a man who hypnotizes those around him, for better or worse.

Tom Ripley is a man of many names in Hollywood, with multiple actors playing the part over many decades. Matt Damon’s take might be the best known; a man of immense ease and charm, who flashes a smile and wins over not only Dickey (Jude Law) but Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow), Meredith (Cate Blanchett), and Peter (Jack Davenport). Scott’s Ripley doesn’t do that. He ingratiates himself to Dickey (Johnny Flynn) but never with the brotherly warmth depicted in the film; and while Marge (Dakota Fanning) tolerates his presence, she mistrusts him from the start. But even as she and Freddie (Eliot Sumner) doubt Tom, they can’t stay away from him. Their suspicion is a form of fascination, an extension of the deeper urge to unpack and understand this person. Even when they know Tom is manipulating them, they’re transfixed by the performance — just like Scott’s audience.

Scott told IndieWire in 2023 that he’s always been conscientious about the parts he plays, turning down major opportunities if it means preserving his creative goal of not staying in one lane.“ If you don’t want to be perceived constantly with something, then you say ‘No,’ and don’t work for a little while,” Scott said. “It’s not even necessarily that you’d be selling out, but you just go, ‘I played that already.’ Do what’s of value and what’s of value to me.”

With “Ripley,” the actor once again ratifies his eye for character, and adds an entry to his running list of wonders one can work with a production that understands its not-so-secret weapon (also known as his filmography). Like Ripley himself, his next move won’t be predictable — but the results will surely leave his admirers breathless.

“Ripley” is now streaming on Netflix.

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