Kaya Scodelario on trailer-made steak meals with Guy Ritchie and returning to the set of The Gentlemen for season two
British actor Kaya Scodelario returns to Guy Ritchie’s criminal drama The Gentlemen. In season 2, expect more drama, deception and dodgy dealing than ever before.
Kaya Scodelario has never been afraid of the projects that leave their mark. Her journey commenced with a career-defining portrayal of Effy Stonem in Channel 4’s gritty BAFTA-winning drama Skins. This led to a cascade of roles for the 34-year-old, including a central stint in The Maze Runner trilogy, based on the bestselling novels, and a leading role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
So, when Guy Ritchie set out to expand his The Gentlemen universe, following the film’s success, Kaya was the perfect person to play his criminal-minded leading lady. The British actor made her explosive debut in Guy’s universe as the anti-heroine of his 2024 Netflix spin-off show, The Gentlemen.
In season two, released this September, Kaya steps back into the shoes of Susie Glass – heiress to a criminal empire and mastermind behind a behemoth cannabis business. Her return, alongside Theo James’s Eddie Horniman, the Duke of Halstead, signals a tumultuous journey in which Susie must question who she really trusts and what she really wants from the criminal underbelly she operates in. The dynamic returning cast, including Vinnie Jones and Ray Winstone, is joined by newcomers such as presenter Maya Jama and boxer Chris Eubank Jr., who make their acting debuts under Guy Ritchie’s watch. With the show ranking number 1 in Netflix UK’s Top 10 list at the time of writing, it’s safe to say Kaya and her criminal comrades have come up top once again.
On the day of the season’s premiere, Scodelario joined EE72 to talk reuniting with the cast for series two, the vintage designer towels that made up her character’s uniform, and Theo James’s brutal honesty about her dating life…
Congratulations on season 2 of The Gentlemen. How was it reuniting with the cast for round two?
It’s always wonderful to go back into a second season because you know everyone, how people work and how the director works, so you can prepare for that. That’s especially useful here because Guy has a very unique style. Knowing people enjoyed the last one and knowing what we can do to elevate it and give viewers that same feeling is really lovely.
How do you usually get into a character’s headspace when you’re revisiting them?
I will try to re-watch the first bit. With Susie, it’s really exciting because she has such a specific style. The second I go and get my Susie nails on, I already feel like I am embodying her. There is a fierceness to her hair and makeup that seeps into my soul.
SERIES STILL, CREDIT NETFLIX
The second I go and get my Susie nails on, I already feel like I am embodying her. There is a fierceness to her hair and makeup that seeps into my soul.
KAYA SCODELARIO
Susie’s looks are a welcome splash of colour amongst the suits and assassin attire. What was your favourite look of Susie’s from season 2?
We sourced a lot of vintage pieces. Loulou Bontemps, our costume designer, spent a lot of time in vintage markets. We had this bizarre set-up in the show where we were in a sauna a lot because that served as the prison of Ray Winston, who plays my dad. We found these vintage Chanel towels and Gucci towels and things that could keep Susie elevated, even when she’s in a sauna. That’s one of my favourite looks. She’s also wearing a towel wrapped around her head and these giant ball earrings, which is a little bit of a metaphor for the fact that she’s got the biggest balls in the room.
Deception is at the core of this season. When you read the script for the first time, which double-cross shocked you the most?
I was quite shocked by how much Eddie and Susie went back and forth this season. We end season one with them forming this alliance and deciding to go into the business together. When we pick up, we’ve expanded. It’s been about a year, and they’ve done that very successfully. They’ve gone into Italy, opened a bunch of new weed farms out there, but there’s still something Susie can’t quite trust about Eddie. For me, the most brutal moment is where Eddie thinks that Susie’s done something truly horrific to him. I felt quite sad reading that because I’m quite protective of Susie, and I knew in my heart that’s a line she wouldn’t cross.
There is a moment where Susie uses what she calls her ‘feminine intuition’ to realise that the Duke is trying to double-cross her. Do you think you share that same intuition with your character?
I definitely believe in feminine intuition; I think we always know what’s going on, deep down. I definitely share that with Susie. I mean, I have had some bad relationships, so maybe not. In my 30s, I’ve got good intuition.
I definitely believe in feminine intuition; I think we always know what’s going on, deep down. I definitely share that with Susie. I mean, I have had some bad relationships, so maybe not. In my 30s, I’ve got good intuition.
KAYA SCODELARIO
SERIES STILL, CREDIT NETFLIX
The chemistry between Eddie and Susie is undeniable, and throughout the season, people question if there’s more to their relationship than just business partners. Personally, what do you hope for them?
I respect that both of them are so ambitious and that they both have very separate paths to ambition. I like that it’s Susie’s focus and think it’s really important. Throughout season two, it’s undeniable that there’s something more between them, but these obstacles keep coming up. The fact that they’re fundamentally from different sides of the track is the reason why they can’t be together. Their worlds are very different. Aristocracy and his lineage is very important to Eddie. For Susie, her ambition lies in success. But I think it’s undeniable there’s some sort of chemistry between them, and it’ll be interesting to see if that grows or if it will implode them.
Amongst the core cast that returns, some pop culture figures make their acting debut in the season, including Maya Jama and Chris Eubank Jr. What was it like to watch them take to the screen?
It’s a real pleasure to see people fall in love with the thing I love. It was a privilege to have them there and to watch them learn. It’s quite complicated and quite different from both of their industries, especially Chris’s. On the first day on set, I could tell Maya wasn’t used to other people talking in the scene, so she’d keep talking when the camera wasn’t on her and I had to be like, ‘Babe, this is the part where we have to be quiet for a little bit.’ She’s so clearly used to being a presenter and managing the energy of the room, which she does so well, but it was really cool to watch her pick up these new skills, and I adore the woman. She’s pretty cool.
There is a pivotal scene where Lord Hawthorne calls Susie and holds a mirror up to her. You see her cool and calm exterior slip slightly. Do you think that made Susie question her ways?
Although her ambitions are steadfast and she’s very much aware this is a business for her, that moment of almost vulnerability was important to me because it is a private moment for Susie. She’s on the phone, and no one can see her. It felt safe to let the veil slip for a second. I don’t know if it necessarily motivates her to change her ways, and I’m not sure anything would, because she sees this as her family business and always has. But I think there is a moment of sadness and loneliness that is quite human, and was important for us to layer in this season. We got to see her humanity, vulnerability and her questioning some of her choices. But I still back her.
What was the most unique moment you shared with Guy Ritchie this season?
He has this incredible trailer that he brings to set that’s kitted out with a fireplace, and he makes steaks in it during the day – it’s very Guy Ritchie. It’s like the set of The Gentleman on wheels. Every morning we go on the trailer with him, read through the day’s script, and he decides what to change and keep.
What’s a Guy Ritchie steak like?
It’s really good. I have pinched a piece before. I’m Brazilian; we share food. I am not sure if he was a fan of that or not.
Theo seems like a lovely person, but on the show he plays a stone-cold killer. What’s it like to watch him switch between the two?
I think Theo’s a bit of a grumpy uncle, in the best way. I adore him, but he can be a bit of a curmudgeon, but that’s his charm. He’s a real person; he’s not pretending to be this confident leading man. He’s just a normal bloke and a really great dad and husband. On set, he commands space brilliantly, and brings an intense energy to Eddie, but I find it quite weird because I know him as a gossiping auntie that I go to for dating advice. Seeing him go all hard man is weird, but he does it really well.
Does he give good dating advice?
It has been helpful; I’m officially not single anymore, so he’s done well.
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