The Collection: Tom shot his first film in Paris

A new interview with Tom has been shared online to promote the broadcast of 3 more episodes of The Collection on France 3 this evening. Thank you to Tanya for kindly translating the interview into English for the website.

Since working on The Collection, Tom Riley, who plays the creator in the shadow Claude Sabine, considers fashion as an art in its own right.

Located in Paris in post-war France, The Collection tells the story of the Sabine brothers: Elder, Paul (Richard Coyle), a visionary businessman, and his younger brother, Claude (Tom Riley), a tortured creative genius. Paul is the image of the Sabine house, while behind the scenes; Claude is the primary creator of the haute couture collection. We met him in Swansea, Wales, where parts of the series were shot. 

What did you find particularly attractive in The Collection?

Primarily, the family dynamics. And Oliver [Goldstick, the showrunner] is so persuasive that he convinced me to return to Swansea to shoot the series. [The actor played in the series Da Vinci's Demons, which was also filmed in this city in Wales. (Editor's note)]

How did you approach Claude's relationship with his elder brother Paul?

Richard Coyle, who has brothers, had quite a few ideas on how to transpose this relationship to the screen. He wanted their relationship to be physical, that they take each other in their arms, that they make contact.

How did you prepare for this role?

I learned a lot and went to the Fashion Week in London. I was able to talk with the creators after the shows. It was exciting. Since The Collection, I consider it an art that must be respected.

What do you have in common with Claude?

Let's say we have the same perfectionism. Other than that ... I'm definitely less attracted to men than he is! [Laughs]

You played in Paris?

Yes, and it was a kind of pilgrimage because it was there that I shot my very first film “A Few Days in September” with Juliette Binoche. I did not speak a word of French, I had no idea what I was doing ... [Laughs]