Nicholas Hoult says The Great fans have a love-hate relationship with his character because "he's childlike"

The Daily Beast

“He’s obviously horrendous in many ways, but also at the same time has such a vitality and weird wit," says the actor behind Peter III of Russia. Hoult knows that his character, who spent an alarming amount of time in Season 1 trying to kill his wife, could easily become “an all-out villain.” He credits The Great creator Tony McNamara for creating something more complicated. He also credits having Elle Fanning as his co-star, whose Catherine is just as complex. “It’s so beautifully balanced, what she does with the character,” Hoult said of his co-star. “It’s fun to be there on set, but then also getting to watch it back afterwards," he says. "I’m always blown away by the work she’s done.”

ALSO:

• Phoebe Fox did all kinds of research to play maid Marial, only to learn that it didn't matter: "The historical bits, you just aren’t even meant to think about it," she says. "I think that all of us in season one who were trying a bit to hold on to that historical relevance, by season two — I literally just start slouching around in chairs, all pretense of this being a historical drama just gone."
• Creator Tony McNamara has already been thinking about "nightmare" Season 3