Alex Hassell is playing the role of Rupert Campbell-Black in the new Disney+ show Rivals and has opened up about stripping off for the role and his wife's warning about it

Alex Hassell is best known for playing Rupert Campbell-Black in the TV adaption of the Jilly Cooper novels, but the actor is also known for his stage and screen work

Something like: ’When I was younger I just wanted people to take me seriously as an actor. When I got older I just wanted them to find me sexy.’” A crocodilian smile slowly surfaces on the actor’s smooth,

In the series, Rupert – a retired Olympian show jumper and a notorious womaniser struggling with the breakdown of his marriage – is played by Alex Hassell, who you might know from the likes of His Dark Materials, The Boys and The Miniaturist.

Also starring Aidan Turner as TV presenter Declan O’Hara, Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham, Victoria Smurfit as Maud O’Hara and Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara, Rivals follows the intense politics inside a regional TV station and the romantic exploits of the British elite in fictional county Rutshire in the 80s.

Rivals is one of Disney+'s most eagerly anticipated dramas of 2024, breathing new life into author Jilly Cooper's hit second book in the celebrated Rutshire Chronicles series.

Alexander Stephen Hassell is an English actor, best known for his roles in His Dark Materials, Cowboy Bebop and The Boys. Born in Southend, England, Hassell is also known for appearing in various stage performances over the years and is also the co-founder of The Factory Theatre Company.