[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Rivals.]

Summary

Set in the world of British TV in the 1980s, ‘Rivals’ follows a bitter rivalry with intense personal and professional clashes.

Cameron Cook, a fierce producer, navigates complex relationships while striving to prove herself in a male-dominated industry.

The series features steamy, character-driven sex scenes that are essential to the storytelling and reflective of the era.

Based on the novel by Dame Jilly Cooper, the drama series Rivals has been picked up for a second season of further romantic entanglements and bouts of excess, and if you haven’t yet checked out what it’s all about, you’ve got plenty of time to do so before Season 2 premieres. Set in the 1980s world of independent television in the UK, career-driven Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner) just wants to succeed in a backstabbing profession that takes so much of his time and focus that he’s become neglectful of his family. When cutthroat station director Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) offers Declan his own interview show, he pairs him up with producer Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams), a fierce women looking to prove she deserves the position that she’s stepped into.
While Cameron is involved in a complicated affair with Tony that could led to questions about her hiring, the Black American TV producer finds her own ambition taking her down some unexpected paths. During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Williams talked about why she was so drawn to Rivals, bringing her vibe to the smart and badass Cameron, always looking for characters that she’s proud of, playing a woman that knows how to get what she wants, the dynamic between Cameron and Declan, shooting the high-stakes TV studio scenes, and not wanting to shy away from sex scenes that are important to the story and characters. She also discussed how Black Lightning changed her life, why it’s not easy to play a superhero, and how she figures out which projects she wants to do.
Nafessa Williams Couldn’t Wait To Play the Smart and Badass Cameron Cook in ‘Rivals’

Image via Hulu

Collider: I love your character because she’s found a space for herself in this crazy world. When this came your way, did you know how she was going to be? Were you aware that she’d be something of a badass?
NAFESSA WILLIAMS: I was looking for something that was unlike anything I had ever played before, and then I read the first script. When you’re given an audition, sometimes you don’t even get a script, but I was blessed enough to get the pilot of the show, and I could see it right away. I remember calling my team and being like, “I’ll move to London for this.” I just loved how smart she is and how badass, and how she created the space for herself, and she stands in it very firmly and confidently. That got me. That was enough.
With this character, you don’t have to put on a British accent. It throws everyone off a bit, which is a fun story point.
WILLIAMS: I agree. When I first read it, I was like, “Do I need to have a British accent?” And then, I kept reading and learned that she was from New York, and I’m from Philly, which is just an hour and a half away. So, I was able to bring my raw, authentic energy and my vibe to it. It was really fun to sprinkle some of that over in England.

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When you’re looking at a possible character, what do you look for? What do you need there on the page, even if it’s not all there, to feel like there’s something in it that you can do?
WILLIAMS: I love that question. For me, as an actor, I’m always looking for a character that I’m proud of, that I’m proud to play, and that I’m proud to give my voice to. Cameron knows that role, not only as a TV producer, but she understands the power that she has, where she can convince Declan to have certain guests and discuss certain topics that she feels are important either for women or for the TV industry itself. That, to me, was really important, where I saw her pushing for certain things because she understands her responsibility. She doesn’t handle it frivolously, at all.
Nafessa Williams Says Her ‘Rivals’ TV Producer Character Is Going To Make Sure the Cards Are Played in Her Favor

Image via Hulu

These are interesting characters because there are things to like about each of them, but they are also things to not like about each of them. What did you most enjoy about playing Cameron and what you got to explore in her shoes?
WILLIAMS: I love that she’s a woman that knows how to get what she wants, and by any means necessary. She’s gonna make sure the cards are dealt and played in her favor. Some people may say she doesn’t go about it in the right way, but who are we to judge? I try to never judge my characters because we all make mistakes, or we go about doing things that we feel like we need for ourselves that some people may not understand. I love that she always has a reason why she’s doing something. It can come off like it could be transactional, but ultimately she just wants to create a name for herself in this industry and show people how talented and gifted and smart she is, and that she’s capable of running this production company. That’s what I love about her.
She is that badass producer, but underneath that, there’s an insecurity about how people might think she didn’t earn where she’s at. Where did you start with her? Was it easier to find that insecure side of her, and then layer the badass over it, or was it easier to find the badass, and then show glimpses of those insecurities?
WILLIAMS: Rightfully so, she became insecure because so many people doubt that she can show up in this world. Not only that, just think about her being alone. She’s recruited from New York. She’s in this new world, over in England, and she’s not around anyone who looks like her or who speaks her language. She’s not sure who to trust. Things are really messy around her and she’s had to quickly adapt and learn that she has to play their game, but she does it really well. If you ask me, she does it better than some of them. And then, how I approach it is that I always do a backstory and just try to create a multi-layered, multi-dimensional character who is flawed, who does have a vulnerable side, who does go home at night all alone and feels very lonely and feels like an outsider and feels like she doesn’t have anybody to turn to. You show up for certain scenes knowing what you need and want. Those emotions may look different from a scene where you may be at home and she’s maybe a bit more vulnerable, but she would never show that vulnerable side in the office. It’s just a mesh of it all.
The relationship between Cameron and Declan is interesting because even though there are all these crazy things happening, he still seems to respect her and treat her with respect. What did you enjoy about their dynamic and about working with Aidan Turner?
WILLIAMS: At first, it looks as if they’re against each other, but they quickly learn that they’re playing for the same team. She’s like, “I’m here to help you. And as much as I help you shine, I’m gonna shine, as a producer.” There’s a lot of mutual respect and admiration that they have for each other. They realize that they’re really the same person, trying their best to move with integrity and be genuine, and just loving what they do. They love their work, and they realize that they share that in common. It’s a really beautiful professional relationship that flourishes. And I think he has a great deal of respect for her. He questions her at first and he questions, “Is this woman about to be my boss? There’s absolutely no way that I’m going for that.” But then, he realizes how smart she is and that they’re on the same team and that she’s trying to help him and take things up another level.

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What was it like to shoot those interview scenes, with all the back and forth going on and everything that’s happening, between him on the stage and you in the booth?
WILLIAMS: It was really good. That’s the turn of their relationship, where he really has to let his guard down and trust that Cameron is good at what she does and that she wants the best for him. Trust is the thing that was the hardest for him to give into, but then he sees that she’s serious about her business. It was fun. Talking through the ear and being on the other side of that, as an actor, and playing the producer behind the camera was just a really fun perspective for me to have. Our sets were really nostalgic and really took us back. As an actor, that just helps you get into the zone.
Once you’re in hair and make-up and you’re in your costume, I loved that. The fashion was my favorite part because it was so true to the moment. Being on set in my office, I had a McIntosh, from back when we called it that. It was just this big, chunky computer with a keyboard. When you have all those pieces in place, it just helps you live in that world easier. They created these really beautiful sets for Declan’s show. It’s obviously set in the 80s, so the notepads, the pencils, and some of the office supplies that were around, it just really took you back to that moment. It was fun because I was really high in the booth, and I would look down at him. He had this earpiece that I was softly speaking in.
When I was doing my scenes, I would think of it like coaching him and encouraging him on what moves to make in. There was a certain banter and rapport that we had to build up, which involved a lot of trust. Those scenes were my favorite, when Cameron Cook is in the office and on top of her game, and she’s walking around and demanding respect, rightfully so. The space wasn’t handed to her. Other than Tony saying, “This is your job,” no one in the office is really respecting her, so she created that space for herself. I just love the confidence that she needed to exude that.
Those moments feel like they are life or death, even though it’s an interview on a TV show.
WILLIAMS: Exactly. The stakes are really, really high. Being recruited from New York, there was a lot of pressure on her to prove that they didn’t make the wrong decision by hiring her and recruiting her and bringing her over there.
Nafessa Williams Describes the World of ‘Rivals’ as Steamy, Sexy, Racy and Fun

This series is fun, and it’s also a bit naughty, which makes it even more fun. When the sex scenes are as big a part of the story and the characters as they are in this, is that something you take into consideration? Was it important to you that they were part of the storytelling and not just there for no purpose?
WILLIAMS: Yeah. I think it’s a very clear-eyed, modern sensibility of what that world looked like, and we kept very true to what that was. I loved going on that ride. I’m an actor. I don’t wanna stop at certain scenes because they’re sensual or sexual, if they’re a part of the story, and they’re a part of Rivals. This was created by Jilly Cooper, and it’s steamy, it’s sexy, it’s racy and it’s fun, and also just funny as hell too. If all of that is what it entails, then I don’t want to shy away from it when it comes time to shoot those things. And I think all our sex scenes are very much justified in that world, at that time, with those characters, with the power, and with everybody using what they have to get what they want. It comes off as transactional, but very true to what was happening in that world.
There’s so much going on in the sequence in the beginning, where you have all the different sex scenes intercut with all these different couples. It’s all so character-based and you learn so much about each of those couples.
WILLIAMS: Yeah. The sex was displayed very equally. Everybody was doing it. Some of it was aggressive, some of it was sexy, some of it was soft and sensual and a little bit more innocent. It takes you on a ride. I’m not saying it because I’m in the show, but I don’t know that there’s anything like this on TV right now. I’m really excited about the new generation of viewers. I’m also excited for OG Rivals fans in England, who read this book and then get to see this adaptation that’s very true to the book.

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How did you also find the experience of working with an intimacy coordinator? Does that open up communication? How do you find that you most benefit from that?
WILLIAMS: You benefit tremendously. We had great intimacy coordinators who were there to make sure that we were safe and protected and covered in the right ways, and also made sure that our sets were closed and that only the people who needed to be in the room were there. That, already, took a lot of the pressure off. It’s a very vulnerable thing that we have to do, as actors. And my co-stars, David Tennant and Alex Hassell, were gentlemen. They made sure that I felt comfortable, or as comfortable as we could be, because it was uncomfortable for them, too. It’s just about communicating with each other and learning what we’re comfortable with. It was definitely beneficial to have intimacy coordinators on set for such intimate scenes. It’s a very vulnerable time, so you wanna make it as comfortable as you possibly can.
Getting To Play a Superhero in ‘Black Lightning’ Changed Nafessa Williams’ Life

Image via The CW

I became aware of you and your work with Black Lightning, which was a great show that got to push a lot of boundaries, as well. What did you most enjoy about your time on that show, playing a character over that many seasons and doing that many episodes? What did you enjoy about having that kind of character journey?
WILLIAMS: Well, thank you. I appreciate that. Black Lightning was a show that changed my life. It was a historic character that I played, as the first Black lesbian superhero on TV. If you haven’t noticed, I like to play characters who are badass. She was another badass character, but very much younger and very much in a different world. I learned so much from that show, so much about the industry and so much about how to present myself on set. It was just a really fun ride, being on that show and creating such a dynamic character who, by any mans necessary, knew what she wanted and was gonna go out there and get it, and nothing or no one was gonna stop her. That is a memory that I will cherish forever. It also speaks to the certain kind of characters that I wanna play. I always wanna play characters that are gonna push the narrative forward, like with Rivals and like we did with Black Lightning. We encouraged the audience to confront prejudice and the assumptions about what a woman can do, especially a Black woman like Cameron in a white man’s world in England. We don’t see a lot of that, so I just feel like it’s my responsibility, as an actor, to choose wisely with my characters. Thunder was one of those characters, as is Cameron, where I saw a lot that could have been confronted and I was happy to step in and very proud to play both those characters.
And again, a fun wardrobe.
WILLIAMS: Exactly. I got a superhero suit. It’s not easy playing a superhero. I also played three characters on that show, so that was taxing on the body. I would say Black Lightning prepared me with the strength and the endurance that you need to carry through with a TV show.

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How do you then figure out what to do next? Is it always just an instinct when you’re looking at something?
WILLIAMS: I was very strategic, the year that I took [Rivals]. I had wrapped Black Lightning, and then for the whole year of 2022, I didn’t work because I just wasn’t seeing scripts that I felt were speaking to me and connecting with me. I also needed rest, after doing four years of Black Lightning. I just didn’t wanna over exhaust myself. If I was gonna do another TV show, I was waiting for the right one, so I held out all year. I found out that I booked Rivals on my birthday, which is December 4th, and when I read the script, I was like, “This is what I see for myself.” I wanted something smart, I wanted something elevated, and I wanted a character that people hadn’t seen me play yet, and that was [Rivals]. That was a testament to just being patient and waiting for the things that speak to you. Don’t just work to work.
Do you know what you’re going to do next?
WILLIAMS: Maybe, and maybe I can’t tell you. I’m reading things and things are coming across. I’m also producing a lot of my own projects. Comedy is something that I really would like to do next. People have seen me do a lot of drama, which I’m really grateful to have done, but I’m really ready to show the world my funny side. We’ll see.

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Rivals

Release Date

October 18, 2024

Cast

David Tennant
, Aidan Turner
, Danny Dyer
, Bryony Hannah
, Milo Callaghan
, Wendy Albiston
, Georgia Mack
, Louis Landau
, Alex Hassell
, Bella Maclean
, Katherine Parkinson

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Rivals is available to stream on Hulu. Check out the trailer: