Things move fast at the start of high-finance drama Devils. Based on Guido Maria Brera’s bestselling novel of the same name, the television series quickly sets the scene: Alessandro Borghi is Massimo Ruggero, the Head of Trading at leading investment bank NYL. Patrick Dempsey is Ruggero’s mentor, NYL’s powerful, cunning CEO. Rounding out the strong international cast are Laia Costa as an Argentinian-born hacktivist; Malachi Kirby as a brilliant student who gets a job at NYL; Harry Michell, Paul Chowdhry and Pia Mechler as ‘The Pirates’, Ruggero’s trusted team; Kasia Smutniak as Dominic’s wife; and Lars Mikkelsen as the leader of a counter-information platform – a financial Wikileaks.
The action, which kicks off in London then spreads to Italy, is set in 2011 (although the series does a masterful job of feeling like it could be happening right now). While parts of Europe are dealing with , the traders at NYL are making plenty of money – including Ruggero. It looks like he’s on track to become the vice-CEO, until things go wrong and a rift develops between the two. Then a rival is found dead. It’s clear there’s more at stake than a high-flying job.
Devils is more than a just a financial thriller though – it’s a story of intrigue, friendship and betrayal. And very little is black and white: as Ruggero says of the series, “behind every type of mask there are human beings”.
Patrick Dempsey and Alessandro Borghi are ‘Devils’. Source: Sky / Lux Vide
The wheeling and dealing continues for Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi) Source: Sky / Lux Vide
And who’s the devil? Well, that depends on your perspective.
“One of the things about this series is who betrays who first, and why. Loyalty is key to all of this and the most fascinating aspect of Devils,” says Dempsey.
The series takes Brera’s 2014 novel (he also worked as one of the creators of the series) and turns it into a gripping 10-part drama. The twists keep coming – and it was the same for the actors. “When I read the script I kept turning the page. I was so intrigued, wondering, ‘Where is this going to end up?’,“ Dempsey says.
Patrick Dempsey as the driven Dominic Morgan. Source: Sky / Lux Vide
Here, the lead actors talk about their roles, the international cast and the creative challenge of keeping the audience guessing (who can you trust in a world where almost everyone lies??).
Alessandro Borghi as Massimo Ruggero
Award-winning Italian film and TV actor Alessandro Borghi(seen in Subarra - the film and the series - and the Academy Award-nominated Non Essere Cattivo) brings a convincing determination to the role of Ruggero, the son of a poor fisherman who left his Italian life behind to climb the corporate ladder.
Why did you sign on to Devils?
Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi faces) a few devils in 'Devils' Source: Sky / Lux Vide
I had from the very first moment the feeling that this would have been an entirely new challenge for my career for a number of reasons. The challenge with the language, particularly the work on the accent and the finance terminology. I did not know anything about finance, but I felt an instinctive attraction to this world and naturally followed a genuine curiosity to learn about it and the possible connections to my life. This challenging journey would not have been possible without directors Nick Hurran and Ian Michelini, the great screenplay we had, the fantastic team we worked with, but mostly without the incredible support of Guido Brera who has been my mentor and guidance throughout this experience.
Describe Massimo, what’s his job, his personality?
While it’s very clear from the very first scene he is a shark at his job, his personality is not so easy to read. He is somehow afraid to let people in his life and be recognised for what he truly is, as this is something he perceives as a thread. He left Italy very young to pursue his aspirations but also to detach from his difficult past... Full of contradictions and monsters to fight, he is not built to be the common hero.
How important are the relationships with Dominic, and Dominic's wife, Nina?
Dominic is a father and a mentor to Massimo. As a consequence, the relationship between Nina and Massimo is very intimate too, as both Dominic and Nina effectively welcome him in their family as a son. Over the years, the relationship with Dominic evolves naturally into the classic dynamic for which the student surpasses the mentor and sometimes the mentor is fine with that, sometimes he is unable to accept it. So, a healthy competition is triggered between the two of them at first, then it becomes sick. This leads them to overcome different phases and reveal their true nature throughout the season.
How would you describe Massimo's relationship with Sofia?
The relationship with Sofia, played by the extraordinary Laia Costa, is very complex, it starts as a clash to then evolve into something very intimate. She sneaks into Massimo’s house pretending to be someone else, breaking any trust between the two of them from the very beginning. Through the rebuilding of this trust, she will become a key figure in Massimo’s life.
Any favourite scenes?
Alessandro Borghi and Laia Costa Source: Sky / Lux Vide
I have a lot of favourite scenes, thanks to the incredible cast I had the luck to work with. But if I have to choose, I would say that the whole first block of scenes I shot with Patrick in his bank office, it has been an incredible gift for my career. The high intensity scenes with Patrick are all scenes that I remember perfectly even now, because they are all characterised by a huge emotional and professional exchange and for this incredible opportunity of growth I will always be grateful to him.
How did you feel after reading the script and learning more about bankers?
Patrick Dempsey and Alessandro Borghi - before it all goes wrong. Source: Sky / Lux Vide
I have destroyed a series of stereotypes that I was used to regarding the role of the banker. In all the films and series that I had watched, there is a canonical image of the finance world populated by cold and manipulative
people, only focused on their own interests. That’s why, I am convinced that through Devils and the attention provided to each character, we succeed in demonstrating that behind every type of mask there are human beings.
What does it add to splice real news footage into the drama?
Adding real news footage was key for the whole series, an extremely clever tool of using reality to tell a story. This allows us, as spectators, to immediately get in touch with the events that really happened. Episode 4 and the story of what happened in Ireland, it is a great example to understand how archive images create an indispensable connection with reality. As soon as the episode is over, you have the urge to check which events really happened and a genuine curiosity to apply this understanding to your life now.
It says in the script, ‘’The most powerful weapon in the world isn’t guns – it’s finance’’. Do you agree?
I do completely agree. Thanks to this series and the teachings of Guido Brera, I have discovered that over the years finance has effectively become a political tool … Through this series we try to show that all the decisions taken within the finance world have immediate repercussions on everyone’s daily life.
Patrick Dempsey as Dominic Morgan
Dempsey – who’s played everything from Grey’s Anatomy surgeon Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd to a young JFK – is a very smooth shark sliding through the deep waters of high finance in this series.
What attracted you to this project?
Dominic Morgan (Patrick Dempsey). Source: SBS
When I read the script I kept turning the page. I was so intrigued, wondering, ‘Where is this going to end up?’ I loved the insight into the financial world, and Guido’s vision. It was fascinating to take this financial world which we’re used to seeing from the American perspective and look at it from a European perspective. That feels fresh. And sure enough, the feedback I’ve been getting is that financial people really like it. It has an authenticity. The visual style is really cool, that was another thing that impressed me. They’d been shooting for about a month when I arrived in Europe and they showed me a couple of scenes with Alessandro and I was like, ‘Wow, this has a great look’. It was really exciting to hit the ground running, knowing that. And to be honest, filming in Rome and in London was a big attraction for me.
What’s your character’s relationship with Massimo?
Alessandro Borghi and Patrick Dempsey on set during filming. Source: Sky / Lux Vide
They’ve known each other for 20 years; Massimo was his protégé. It’s a very complicated relationship where he needs Massimo very much in order to keep control. And I think the vulnerability of that is his weakness. Their relationship crosses professional boundaries. It’s a father-son relationship. So, when Massimo lets him down it’s a real disappointment, as much as he’s capable of showing vulnerability. There’s a deep love story between these two men and that’s what makes the betrayal so profound for both of them. One of the things about this series is who betrays who first, and why. Loyalty is key to all of this and the most fascinating aspect of Devils.
As an audience, the script plays with our perceptions: we never know who to trust or who is betraying whom. Is that a challenge, as an actor?
That’s the fun part. And part of the decision of doing this was to play a character like that, and then try to find a balance. I never really got a chance to read the book until I was finished shooting so I didn’t have the benefit of knowing where the story was going. I really had to lean on Nick [Hurran, director] and Guido [Maria Brera, creator and writer] to tell me what’s happening with the story. Then with each take we would try different approaches of the power struggle so that was the fun part, trying to find the right tone and trusting the directors and listening to their feedback and saying, ‘Okay, let’s try this’.
How high are the stakes?
They’re high: what they’re doing in the banks is affecting whole nations. And that’s another thing that I like, because our drama is spliced with real-life news footage which tells the real human story. Through Sofia’s back story [hacker Sofia Flores, played by Laia Costa], and Massimo’s back story, we see the effect on people on the streets when the banks take these massive gambles. Everyday men and woman are affected. We see how the working-class population in the UK is affected, how a small fishing village in Italy is affected, the tragedy that ensues. I like that aspect of it.
Did you enjoy working with an international cast and crew?
I loved it. It was an intense working environment because of the multiple languages that were going on, so we had to really focus and stay on top of it and attune to how people were feeling, but I really enjoyed that process. I think now we’re seeing the power of streaming, how it’s changed the business. Countries aren’t looking to America for content anymore. They’re looking in their own backyard and at their own filmmakers. There’s an opportunity for those filmmakers to show their point of view in a fresh way and have it seen by a worldwide audience.
Alessandro was fantastic to work with; very focused. Our scenes were very intense but he’s a very warm, very giving, very funny, passionate actor to work with. ... And the cast in general, we became really very close because we were on ‘vacation’ together in Rome. There was a great atmosphere on the floor and we were very supportive of each other.
Who can be trusted? Paul Chowdhry and Malachi Kirby (rear) with Pia Mechler (centre). Source: Sky / Lux Vide
