There is something inextinguishably colourful about Edward Bluemel. Indeed, even squeezing the actor into double-breasted black tie is doing little to temper his fluorescent personality.
But who’d want to curb such charm? The 27-year-old is the poster boy for a new age of acting opportunity, and everything from his howl of a laugh to bundle of floppy hair serve only to grab you by your peaked lapels and shout: ‘Fun!’
And Edward is certainly no stranger to fun. In recent years alone, he’s honed his vampiric ways in Sky 1’s supernatural drama A Discovery of Witches, played at spies in Channel 4’s period drama Traitors and hunted assassins in the second season of the acclaimed Killing Eve.
In fact, 2019 barely began before the actor was schmoozing his way across Netflix in the hormonally-charged hit Sex Education — a show Edward describes as having “a big heart to justify all the filth”.
“It was amazing,” says Edward. “It was a really young cast, but everyone was so passionate and such good friends that there was a real buzz on set. It was wicked — so much fun.”
There’s that word again — those three little letters Edward emanates and embodies in equal measure. But fun, the actor says, is really not that hard to come by in the age of unlimited television.
“There’s such a range of amazing TV at the moment — so many more roles than there were a decade ago. And things are changing in terms of representation and casting, too. It’s awesome; a really exciting time to be an actor.”
“Stuff like Sex Education also proves that these different platforms can be used to educate as well,” the actor adds. “I learned what ‘vaginismus’ was on the set of that show. So, if anyone ever wants to talk to me about their vaginismus, I’d know what they were talking about. I’d be surprised if they did come to me, though.”
A knowing grin, a laddish laugh; Bluemel is clearly having the time of his life. He lives in south London with four other up-and-coming actors — “we’re all very loud and annoying” — and, although they often compete for roles, he says everyone remains sensitive and supportive.
“It can be hard though,” he says. “If you’re out of work and catch yourself playing video games and watching Disney movies on a Tuesday morning, that’s not the dream.”
Not that Edward is out of work much. The second series of Killing Eve, perhaps the actor’s most high-profile leap into the limelight, hit screens last year — and he says that it was his most informative job so far.
“It can be intimidating to join a cast of people who already know each other,” he frowns. “But I relish the intimidation. Because, if you see how comfortable older actors are, you can use that as inspiration. There’s nothing wrong with being intimidated. That’s how you learn.”
It’s an uncharacteristically philosophical thought from Bluemel. But before he walks back in front of the camera, he turns around, beaming: “It means clamping of the vagina, by the way…”
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