Robin Hood actor Jack Patten speaks at premiere: ‘We need him’

The new Robin Hood TV series explores the origins of the legendary outlaw with a personal insight and previously unseen historical authenticity, the show’s creators say.

The latter representation tells the story of how Robin Hood became the medieval English folk hero who robbed the rich to feed the poor. Known simply as “Rob”, it sees the son of a Saxon forester and skilled archer transform into a rebel after experiencing devastating losses and injustices.

Australian newcomer Jack Patten is following in the footsteps of several Hollywood stars to play hero Sherwood Forrest. But while he found his first lead role somewhat daunting, the 28-year-old didn’t feel weighed down by previous performances. He hadn’t seen any of them.

“It’s a weird thing, because I feel like a lot of people have heard of Robin Hood. I was one of those people. I’d heard of Robin Hood, but I’d never seen it,” Patten said at the show’s premiere in London on Tuesday (October 28).

“Every generation deserves a Robin Hood, and the fact that we’re becoming this generation’s Robin Hood is pretty awesome,” he said.

The ten-episode first season is set in England after the Norman invasion of the 12th century and also focuses on Robb’s love story with Marian (Lorraine McQueen), the daughter of a Norman lord, who has taken over the ancestral home of Robb’s banished Saxon family.

The series is brought to the screen by co-creators John Glenn and Jonathan English, who set out to create an intimate portrayal of the events and time period.

“It was the idea of ​​doing an origin story, which we haven’t really seen before, how Robin becomes an outlaw, what happens to him, what happens to his parents,” English said.

“It’s about the Norman conquest of England. It’s about class. We’ve never seen a Robin Hood story that’s really about class, but it is. Robin, of the rich giving to the poor is itself a class thing. So I think it’s very relevant, very relevant today,” he said.

The series also stars actors Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Connie Nielsen as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Like Patten, Bean said he built his show from a blank canvas, ignoring previous iterations and exploring the sheriff’s vulnerabilities.

Portraying the queen was an empowering experience for Nielsen, who drew lessons from Eleanor’s dedication to her role and responsibilities and her ease with her own authority.

“Robin Hood” begins streaming on MGM+ on Nov. 2.