Emily Hampshire on The Rig’s “unimaginable” storylines and Schitt’s … – Gay Times Magazine
“Some of my best work in [The Rig] is when I can’t understand what the other person is saying,” laughs Emily Hampshire, who filmed the supernatural thriller series “at the height of COVID” (therefore masks) with a predominantly Scottish cast (therefore accent barrier) including Iain Glen, Mark Bonnar and Martin Compston; the latter of which she describes as the country’s “Justin Bieber”. “He is so famous,” she says. “When I posted about The Rig, Annie Murphy from Schitt’s Creek texted me like, ‘You worked with Martin Compston?! Like, Line of Duty?!’ I need to see that. He hasn’t seen Schitt’s Creek, though.”
The Prime Video series follows the crew of the Kinlock Bravo oil rig in the ferocious waters of the North Sea, who encounter a mysterious and all-enveloping fog that halts communication with the outside world. Allegiances are formed, tattoos vanish and Hampshire leads as the fierce Rose Mason, an oil company representative and scientist coming to terms as the newbie on board while finding her footing in a “man’s world”. “She doesn’t care about being liked,” the star explains. “It’s like Stevie in Schitt’s Creek. When people who are fans of the show meet me, they’re very disappointed that I’m not as cool as Stevie. But, I wanted to play Stevie so I can take a vacation from myself and be chill.”
Ahead of its release (all six episodes of The Rig are available to stream now), we caught up with Hampshire to discuss the acclaimed new series – including the “unimaginable” storylines that “will happen someday” – how Schitt’s Creek changed the course of queer representation on television and how her career-defining role as Stevie hasn’t “pigeonholed” her as an actor. Of course, we had to ask about that potential Schitt’s Creek film…
Emily, why are you not wearing your kilt?
Because I wore it yesterday! Was it yesterday? What is time? Anyway, you can’t wear it the day after because it’s dirty. I wore underwear. You’re supposed to wear a kilt with no underwear, but I wore underwear.
In Scotland, in that weather?
Yes! They’re so comfortable though, and now I get why guys like to wear kilts.
Right. Let’s talk about the show! I will say, I’m glad it’s not just about a rig and that there’s some supernatural elements there.
Yeah, me too. First of all, I didn’t even know what a rig was, because we [Americans] don’t know what that is. I, also, would not want to be in a show that’s just about a rig. Not that that’s not fun, but it’s not my thing! What I love about the supernatural element is, because I don’t normally like stuff that’s fantasy or supernatural, it reminds me of Black Mirror where it could happen. It’s this close because it’s based on real science. In a couple of years, this might no longer be supernatural. It might just be natural.
You’re telling me that a bit of fog is about to mince along, remove my tattoos and kill me?
Keep watching, because it comes from… It’s possible. I’m just saying, it’s possible!
Prime Video only gave me the first three episodes, so I’m dying to see the rest.
Yes, yes, so you can know that the end of the world is, like, tomorrow.
Months ago, I saw a tweet claiming that a meteor the size of the Eiffel Tower was heading for Earth and I thought, ‘Woo! C’mon then!’
[Laughs] Oh my god. Did you see that there was this video online of this flock of birds that just suddenly died in the air? You have to Google it. It’s so terrifying because imagine you’re just walking and all the birds just fall out of the sky? Supposedly, there was a science thing where a radio wave or something told them to go down but I’m like, ‘That’s the end of the world.’ When birds start falling out of the sky… It’s an insane video, I highly recommend you Google.
I’ll include the link right… here. In The Rig, you play Rose Mason, the badass oil company representative and scientist. What attracted you to this character?
First of all, I have to say I love you so much for saying all of that and not asking me to say, ‘Can you tell me who your character is?’ I find that the hardest thing to be like, ‘I play Rose Mason…’ I’m so happy you just did that. What I loved about her is, because she’s so corporate and is not very popular with the crew, she doesn’t care about being liked. I like to play characters that I idolise where I think, ‘I want that to rub off on me.’ It’s like Stevie in Schitt’s Creek. When people who are fans of the show meet me, they’re very disappointed that I’m not as cool as Stevie. But, I wanted to play Stevie so I can take a vacation from myself and be chill. Rose is similar to me in that everything is about work, and I care a lot more about that – which sounds terrible! A social life and stuff like that… I much prefer to work. If I end up hanging out with people, I’m like, ‘I’d rather be working.’
Work is so social, too.
That’s why all my friends, my good friends, are people I work with. If we’re not doing something productive work-wise, then I feel like I’m being lazy or wasting my time. I can’t even watch television unless there’s a purpose. So, Rose definitely has that thing that I identify with. But, she doesn’t feel guilty about it, and that’s what I like. I always feel bad! I just love how she’s this woman in a man’s world. I can’t tell you what happens… It’s really good, though.
Back to what you said about Schitt’s Creek fans being “disappointed” when they meet you. Surely not? Do fans really tell you they’re disappointed?
No, no! I just see it. If people call ‘Stevie!’ I get just as excited because I love Stevie, so I’m like, ‘Oh my god, hi!’ But, I think I scare the person a bit because I can tell they’re like, ‘Ooh, you’re not like Stevie.’ I’m more enthusiastic than both Stevie and Rose.
With Rose, there’s this inner conflict because she’s a powerful woman in, like you said, a man’s world. She’s also the newbie on board and she’s balancing that with this secret romance with Fulmer. How would you describe what Rose is going through across the course of the series?
When I first read it, one of my questions to both John Strickland, the director, and David McPherson, the writer, was, ‘Does she really care about Fulmer? Does she really have feelings for him?’ When I met Martin, all those questions went away because I realised that casting both of us together worked so well. I loved him instantly. The struggle is, she does have feelings for Fulmer but doesn’t want to have those feelings. She’s become so good at her job because she doesn’t let herself have needs or emotional attachments to anybody and this crack in her armour, of Fulmer being somebody she cares about, really makes all big decisions difficult. It’s great to play a character that has lots of conflict within them. There’s also so much conflict with everybody else, too.
Then there’s this motherfucking fog stirring up trouble.w
Yeah, there’s that too! And we’re in the middle of the North Sea, with no communication.
You work with some TV legends on The Rig, from Martin Compston to Iain Glen and Mark Bonnar…
They were amazing. I was doing wardrobe when we first started the show and I hadn’t met anybody and our costume designer was like, ‘Martin Compston is on this! Ooh.’ I had no idea who Martin Compston was. Then somebody else was like, ‘Martin Compston! Martin Compston!’ We instantly became besties and we went out for dinner. Walking down the street with Martin Compston in Scotland… He’s like Justin Bieber. He is so famous. When I posted about The Rig, Annie Murphy from Schitt’s Creek texted me like, ‘You worked with Martin Compston?! Like, Line of Duty?!’ I need to see that. He hasn’t seen Schitt’s Creek, though. Before I was fully cast, the director and some producers were on the Zoom and Iain Glen comes on like, ‘Such a fan of your work!’ and I’m like, ‘I’m such a fan of your work!’ All through filming, he wouldn’t know certain things and I wouldn’t know certain dragon names or whatever. At one point, he was like, ‘If I wanted to watch your favourite episode of Schitt’s Creek, what would it be?’ and I was like, ‘I haven’t seen Game of Thrones either!’ None of us have seen any of our shows and we were just pretending!
I love that. The Rig is the first Prime Video series to be entirely shot in Scotland. Have you ever visited Scotland before shooting the series?
No, I hadn’t, and I loved it. We were shooting at the height of COVID, so everyone was wearing masks and I couldn’t understand anyone, at all, especially Martin. Some of my best work in the show is when I can’t understand what the other person is saying, and it just seems like the wheels are turning. Yeah, it was my first time in Scotland and I loved it.