Becoming A Villain: Alfie Allen on New Series “Girl Taken”

After a brief opening scene, Girl Taken rewinds the clock: it’s the last day of spring semester and no one has gone missing. 17-year-old Abby (Delphi Evans) shares a heartfelt goodbye with her English teacher while her twin sister Lily (Tallulah Evans), throws an end-of-the-year party in a long forgotten parking lot. There’s an overcast, post-industrial sort of glow: raindrops sputter from grey skies, turning potholes into puddles under the dull shine of a streetlight. It sounds like a dreary day, but looking through the rearview, it’s positively rosy. In just six episodes, this series gets dark.

“It was slightly nerve-wracking at times, playing a character who is just out and out evil,” says British actor Alfie Allen. The Game of Thrones star steps on screen as Rick Hansen, a slimy schoolteacher who serves as the series’ antagonist. To conceal his sadistic side, Hansen feigns concern with a bone-chilling confidence; manipulation is second nature. Yet, as Allen is quick to note, there’s a delicate duality to the series. Where other stories detail the making of a monster, Girl Taken describes his demise. “I think we successfully managed to tell a story that doesn’t just focus on the darker elements,” Allen adds. “It was also about the victim’s story, and how the family — and [Hansen’s] wife — bounced back from dealing with this person.”

Based on Hollie Overton’s 2016 novel Baby Doll, the six-part miniseries came to life just last year. Book in hand, Allen spent the summer filming on the outskirts of San Sebastian, Spain. “With Jill Halfpenny and Tallulah Evans and Delphi Evans — just from the read-through — I could see that it was going to be something pretty good,” he says. In spite of the serious subject matter, director Laura Way “managed to keep a relaxed atmosphere on set,” while author Holly Overton offered plenty of encouragement. “It’s important to make sure everybody feels supported and everyone feels comfortable,” Allen adds.

“As an actor, I try not to take control, or know that I am in control of anything, because I think that’s when the best stuff happens — when you just forget all that and trust the energy of the day, trust the other people around you, trust the process, and try different things.”Alfie Allen

Events unfold over several locations, yet much of the conflict takes place under the damp, low ceilings of a cottage basement. Before filming Girl Taken, Allen got the chance to get familiar with the space — an experience that proved crucial to his performance. “Sometimes, the sets aren’t made available to you, but on [Girl Taken] it was,” Allen says. “Tallulah and I made that our space when we were there. We were able to really bounce off each other in that enclosed environment and make our own. Tallulah was really giving and just fun to work with.”

After a day of filming, the cast soaked up the stunning backdrop of San Sebastian together. Allen recalls beach days in Basque country, karaoke nights, and playing plenty of pool. These outings began to resemble a routine, a cheery reprieve after a day of dramatic takes. “We all hung out together, which doesn’t always happen on a set. Sometimes people do their own thing. But we all hung out quite a lot — it was fun,” he says. “And, that enabled us to feel more comfortable with each other when we went into the darker moments of filming.

To be fair, ‘darker moments’ comprise the lion’s share of Girl Taken. As Allen cheerfully recounts the camaraderie on set, the actor draws a stark contrast to his on-screen character. Inhabiting a mind like Rick Hansen’s requires a fair bit of unlearning. “Rick is all about control,” Allen says. “As an actor, I try not to take control, or know that I am in control of anything, because I think that’s when the best stuff happens — when you just forget all that and trust the energy of the day, trust the other people around you, trust the process, and try different things.”

Billed as “a gripping exploration of trauma, resilience, and sisterhood,” Girl Taken lives up to its ‘Thriller’ label. All six episodes are now available to stream on Paramount+.

FEATURE PHOTO: GIRL TAKEN © CLAPPERBOARD/PARAMOUNT+. PHOTOGRAPHER: UNAI MATEO / DAVID HERRANZ.

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