The Diplomat's Rory Kinnear Played Frankenstein's Monster On An Acclaimed Gothic Horror Series

Rory Kinnear is best known for his role as Nicol Trowbridge in Showtime's Emmy-winning political drama, The Diplomat. However, nearly a decade earlier, he played one of literature's most iconic monsters in the acclaimed gothic horror TV series Penny Dreadful. The series, premiering in 2014 and running for three seasons with 27 episodes, blended classic literary monsters into Victorian London's underbelly.

Kinnear starred alongside an ensemble cast, including Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Harry Treadaway, Josh Hartnett, Billie Piper, and Helen McCrory.

In an interview with SciFiNow, Kinnear corrected the common misconception that the Creature should be referred to as "Frankenstein." He emphasized that the character's monster side was imposed upon him by others in the series. Kinnear explained that showrunner John Logan drew inspiration from Mary Shelley's novel, focusing on the themes of otherness and feeling marginalized in society.

Logan reportedly called Kinnear and suggested he be cast in the role. Kinnear, drawn to Logan's "poetic sensibility," embraced the complex psychology of the Creature, describing the physical demands of the role as waking up at 4 a.m. to endure hours of makeup. Despite the challenges, Kinnear found the experience rewarding, stating, "It was a pleasure to be able to get my teeth into something this juicy, and get into the psychology of someone who has only been alive for a couple of years but at the same time has the body and soul of a 36-year-old man."