You Probably Recognize You Season 4's Ed Speleers (Here's Why)
In Netflix's "You," Penn Badgley's bookish killer lives a very unstable life. Not only is it exhausting work to stalk his way into the hearts of unsuspecting ladies, it also never ends well for anyone involved. So, at the end of each and every season, Joe finds himself starting over in a new place, completely alone (if you don't count whichever unlucky woman is about to be courted into an early grave). Thankfully, despite his grating personality and penchant for murder, Joe has a pretty good track record when it comes to making friends. In the fourth season of the hit series, Joe manages to forge one of his most intriguing friendships yet, with a famous author on the verge of launching a political career.
Rhys Montrose (Ed Speleers) is one of many new characters who make up Joe's larger friend group, but he stands out among the pack as one of the least irritating. Unlike the rest of his fellow Oxford graduates, Rhys is extremely aware of his fortunate position in life because he hasn't always been so lucky. In fact, he owes his fame to his memoir about lifting himself out of poverty. From Joe's warped perspective, Rhys is a kindred spirit who knows what it's like to survive hardship... Of course, Joe's version of hardship is that time he murdered his wife and faked his own death, so it's hardly an exact comparison.
Speleers makes a fantastic addition to the cast as the dry politician, whose interactions with Joe are surprisingly humanizing for the central serial killer. So who is the British actor behind Joe's new bestie? If, like me, you found yourself squinting at his face and trying to figure out why Speleers looks so darn familiar, then you'll be pleased to join me on a dive into the actor's resume.
Where else have we seen Ed Speleers?
If you didn't recognize Ed Speleers right away, it's probably because seeing him in a modern setting is a bit of a novelty. In one of his most notable roles, Speleers spent many years as a regular on "Downton Abbey," bustling around downstairs and carrying trays upstairs as a footman in the Crawley household. Speleers played James Kent aka Jimmy, the overconfident staff member whose ambition led to questionable choices and fraught, soapy tension. Eventually, his rudeness faded into snark and he warmed up to his fellow workers, all the way through Jimmy's bittersweet season 5 departure. Speleers stayed busy though, later popping up in "Outlander" as Stephen Bonnet, the sinister smuggler who so effectively terrorizes the Fraser family that he remains one of the show's most memorable villains.
While he was absolutely chilling as the despicable "Outlander" pirate, Speleers' roots are in the realm of heroism. The British actor got his start in the industry as the titular hero in "Eragon," the ill-fated film adaptation of Christopher Paolini's fantasy novel of the same name. Though the 2006 film was panned by critics, plenty of folks have fond memories of Speleers as a young farm boy who goes on a legendary adventure with dragons. While watching him woo Joe in "You," perhaps you flashed back to Speleer's feature debut.
A footman, a pirate, and a space cadet, oh my!
Ed Speleers has otherwise stayed busy, with projects including the ITV fantasy series "Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands," and BBC's "Wolf Hall." As for what's to come, expect to see the actor making more headlines thanks to his prominent role in the upcoming season of "Star Trek: Picard." The details of his character remain rather mysterious, outside of the fact that he'll be helping Beverly Crusher's medical efforts on worlds Starfleet has forgotten.
That brief descriptor raises more questions than it answers, but most importantly — will this be a case of sinister Speleers, or will he be a welcome presence as Jean-Luc Picard embarks on his most daring mission yet? Only time will tell, but if all else fails, Speleers will later star opposite Lindsay Lohan in Netflix's "Irish Wish." There's no way he can be a malevolent presence in a romantic comedy!