Los Angeles Red Carpet And Fan Screening For Prime Video's "Citadel" - Arrivals© GettyImages

Exclusive: Richard Madden On Working With Priyanka Chopra On Citadel

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Puja Talwar

Richard Madden has had many faces. He is Robb Stark from Game Of Thrones, and he is also Ikaris, the eternal being from Marvel’s Eternals. For some, he is the tormented police sergeant David Budd from Bodyguard, while he is also John Reid, singer Elton John’s manipulative manager and partner from Rocketman. The Scottish actor, however, says his most challenging avatar has been playing the suave secret agent Mason Kane, in Russo Brothers’ dystopian spy thriller Citadel.

On his first visit to India, the actor sat with HELLO! for an exclusive chat and revealed that his role in Citadel has been his favourite character so far, “It’s kind of twisted to say Mason Kane, because there is a kind of darkness to him. I don’t get to play such characters and it’s quite new to me. Mason Kane is a very complicated human being.”

When asked what he would do if he was to meet his onscreen persona IRL, he laughed and said, “I would not want to meet him or have anything to say to him!”

Citadel is pacy, taut and has enough high octane action to keep up the momentum. Madden reveals he preferred the action in the show to his previous outings in the genre. “I have been in the CGI scenes and doing those choreographed action scenes, like in Eternals, where you are dragged around and thrown up on wires. In Citadel, we had to become very prepared in the sequences, and then try to layer them with drama and use it as an opportunity in the story telling, not just to show how good you are at fighting.”

Madden has been part of the prospective list of names being discussed for the next James Bond after Daniel Craig’s retirement. So after playing Mason Kane does he feel he is up for 007’s job? “I am enjoying myself as Mason Kane and he is going to keep me busy for a while,” he confessed.

The actor revealed that he shared a collaborative energy on set with Chopra that brought out the best in each other.

“Priyanka is so beautifully creative, passionate and intelligent. It’s something being able to work with someone who’s going to push me and encourage me to bring the best out of the script and for us to challenge each other. Very much like the characters, Priyanka and I spar together and ask a lot of each other. I think that does something brilliant in elevating storytelling. The two of us are always trying to bring the best out of the story and get the most from every second on screen.”

Since his character’s memories played a major role in the show, we had to ask what is one memory in real life that he cherishes. According to him, it’s spending Christmas with his parents on the beach. “It’s a memory I hold very dear.”

On his whistle-stop visit to India, Madden said he wanted to come back to visit the Gateway of India. “I have seen pictures and it looks splendid. I didn’t get time this time, but will be back soon,” he said before signing off.

Citadel is streaming on Amazon Prime Video right now.