Bella Maclean She defended her decision to include a no-nudity clause in her contract before joining Hulu’s raunchy show competitors.
“It was important because of how naive Taggie’s character was,” Maclean, 28, said. Harper’s Bazaar UK in an interview published on Tuesday, November 3, about the clause that still holds its two seasons on the show.
Maclean stated that she “didn’t want to sexually exploit” her character, adding: “And I didn’t want to do that to myself. That was really important to me, and I think it will continue to be important to me. There are some things I just want to keep to myself.”
The actor announced that he supports his co-stars who choose to undress in front of the camera.
“I don’t judge anyone who does this,” he said. “It’s so beautiful sometimes. If I had Victoria Smurfit’s body, I’d probably be walking around naked!”
Maclean continued: “But we’re all lucky in that sense because we have incredible intimacy coordinators in our business. I know that’s not the case for other people. We’re all good friends who can say ‘No’ to directors and they listen.”
based on Jill Cooper‘s novel of the same name, competitors It is about a fight between two men fighting for control of a television channel in Britain in the 1980s. Viewers can see Tony (David Tennant) or Rupert (Alex Hassell) will rise to the top, Rupert’s relationship with Declan (Aidan Turner) daughter Taggie (Maclean) stole the show.
“One thing that’s fascinating about the age gap — because obviously it’s in the book and it’s a really important part of the story — is that it’s a complex trope in TV shows and movies,” Hassell, 46, told Us in 2024. “It’s not a positive thing in the culture for every 40-year-old man on every TV show to have a younger partner. But he’s right about it — and often it has nothing to do with the story — because it’s a really important part of Rupert’s redemption.”
At the time, the duo wasn’t sure how Rupert and Taggie’s connection would play out.
“Taggie really wants to be with Rupert. By the end of season 8, hopefully they’ll be together by then,” Maclean joked. “But by the end of episode 8, she made it very, very clear that she really wanted to be with him, that she loved him, and that she couldn’t hide it anymore. Fundamentally, I think Taggie’s story will be about supporting Rupert and trying to get that. But whether they get together or not is another thing.”
More recently Hassell and Maclean admitted they were surprised by the reaction to Rupert and Taggie’s relationship.
“I’ve definitely never been a part of something that has had a ripple effect in the real world,” Hassell shared with Us in May. “Fascinating.”
Meanwhile, Maclean recalled his initial concerns.
“We were probably nervous at some points about the age difference,” he said. “It’s so funny that we’re confident that the people who we thought might be into it or maybe weren’t that big of a fan of it ended up being the people who loved it the most. It’s incredible.”
After seeing the online response, Hassell emphasized that Rupert and Taggie’s connection is about much more than their ages. “It’s about this young and very open-hearted girl who potentially has her heart on her sleeve,” he said. “She is an innocent, naive young woman, and the power of her love and purity can transform the biggest bandit in the world. This is a very powerful fantasy for young people.”
competitors It returns to Hulu on Wednesday, November 11.