“Hmm, it’s very David Lynch,” nods English actor Blake Ritson as he surveys the interiors of The Standard in King’s Cross. I’ve managed to bag us a spot in the hotel’s working recording studio, tucked in the corner of its library-come-lounge. The red baize and kitschy cool laminate sitting in contrast to the Brutalist architecture and teak mid-century accents haven’t gone unnoticed by a man who has a greater appreciation for design than your average punter.
We sit down over a cup of peppermint tea for a chat that begins with his time on stage at the National Theatre at the age of just 12. He went on to study Medieval Italian at Cambridge where he – alongside his now wife, actress Hattie Morahan – was part of the illustrious Cambridge Footlights Group alongside fellow alumni from his year, Richard Ayoade and John Oliver.
“I never had a decisive moment when I decided ‘acting is what I want to do’, but I’ve always done it and I’ve always enjoyed it,” he smiles, recounting those early days.
But Ritson isn’t just an accomplished actor. He’s also a linguist, speaking three languages – “though it fades if you don’t practice, unfortunately” – as well as a keen musician. His favourite instrument? The banjolele – a hybrid of the banjo and ukulele, if you don’t fancy Googling it: “I was very good friends with a famous musician’s son who was obsessed with them, and he gifted me one when I was quite young, so I’ve played ever since.”
He earnestly explains that he always puts his family first, not wanting to miss any part of his children’s lives. He also writes and directs with his brother, Dylan, with whom he shares a “latent telepathy”in both sensibilities and points of reference: “It’s a joy working with him.” The Ritson brothers both studied at Cambridge, doing plays at Edinburgh Fringe; it’s subsequently borne several short films starring the likes of Mark Gatiss, Ben Whishaw, Jessica Hynes – the list goes on.
The love of his craft(s) and gratitude for his place in a tough industry is almost disarming at times, but refreshing, “If you are creatively driven – I think it doesn’t matter what I’m doing, music, sculpting, painting – it’s all expression. I love acting but you’re such a small cog in a giant machine, so I quite enjoy the autonomy of other creative outlets, as in these, I’m the only frame of reference.” And although he doesn’t come across as craving external validation, it’s easy to see the appeal of having other ways to express yourself.
“You only really know that a show has landed in the cultural consciousness when people start approaching you,” he says of his current role. Ritson has played the irreverent, loveable but deeply troubled Oscar Van Rhijn in The Gilded Age – Julian Fellowes’ glorious, addictive period drama of the strict social customs, cultural turmoil and excesses of the nouveau riche in the 1860s – for its three seasons. He’s lived in and subsequently travelled between London and New York for the latest two as his family has expanded.
He’s very matter-of-fact about his growing fame, speaking warmly of his stellar cast mates. “It was really hard in Season 1 during Covid as we had to stick to little groups for scenes, but now it’s great as we all get to spend time together.” And what of his on-screen mother played by the fabulous Christine Baranski? “She’s the warmest, most giggly and delightful human being.” And on-screen aunt played by Cynthia Nixon? “A joy and so, so thoughtful, incredibly kind”.
Ritson’s home in London is very different from the ostentatious Brownstones in his day job. “The sets were incredible, so detailed and enormous. They built Manhattan”. What can he tell me about his home in North London? By coincidence, architecturally he lives in the same era of house as the Gilded Age. “Our house is 1870s to 1880s, an emulation of earlier Georgian proportions and has enormous windows – a huge plus”.
Alison Cohen Rosa
His parents are antique dealers, so exposure to different periods of history have provided multiple influences. “My home has a very high density of esoteric objects in it – it’s very eclectic. There’s a shelf with a lump of quartz I found in the Namibian Desert next to a bit of driftwood shaped like a shark from Malaysia, next to a 17th-century Sicilian tile.”
He clearly has a love for objects with stories behind them, being a storyteller by trade himself. Stylistically, the family home is predominantly filled with mid-century furniture, which I note is one of the best ways to keep a contemporary look within period spaces.
But again, light has its role and he prefers something brighter for living spaces: “No teak, but blonder and brighter timbers, something Finnish, Danish, Swedish. I love [Scandinavian designers] Hans Wegner and Alvar Aalto, and we have some of their pieces in our home. But there’s always somehow a dusting of children’s toys isn’t there?” he muses.
What does he miss about life in London when he’s away? Predictably high on the list is tea, with several favourite London stores he visits to get his fix. “I take a flask with me wherever I go, I always have to have tea with me.”
He’s quite the quintessential Englishman of our generation, even if he does take milk in his Earl Grey.
The Gilded Age seasons one and two are available in full on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
