T O M E L L I S
Photographed by: John Russo
Produced by: Photohouse Productions
Interview: John Russo
Styled by: Cannon
Grooming: Nicole Elle King
Location: Waldorf Astoria NYC
Video: Ken Waller Media
JR: You are one of the most loved actors, always happy, friendly and enthusiastic. How do you maintain these amazing traits in an industry that is not always peaches & cream?
TE: Because I still really love it. I always remember when I left drama school and did my first professional job, and I couldn’t believe that I was now getting paid for the thing that I loved doing. And I still feel like that. I’ve had quite a nice and relatively long career now, but I still get really excited about the prospect of going to work, being in a creative space, and having responsibility and input within that space. It’s something that I think I’ll always love, and if I don’t love it anymore, I’ll stop doing it. Because otherwise it would be arduous.
JR: Being on two different shows sounds a bit overwhelming, then let’s add in a family and relocating across the country. Are you secretly Superman?
TE: I inadvertently was training with Superman last year because we actually had the same trainer, so maybe he rubbed off on me (laughs). But last year, 2025, was a lot for our family. Doing “Tell Me Lies” was an opportunity to work alongside Meaghan and, obviously, be where we were shooting as a family. Whilst moving house to come and start “CIA” was stressful, moving to New York is something that we’ve been dreaming of doing for the past few years. So, it’s also like I can’t believe it’s happening, and our dreams are coming true. And that sort of helped energize us for the year. But yes, when I look at it now, I think, gosh, we did a lot last year.
JR: CIA blends espionage with psychological tension. How would you describe the show’s tone to someone who thinks they’ve “seen every spy series already”?
TE: I think the show has a lot of things that you will have seen in spy series before, but I think what makes it unique is the fusion with the FBI element of it. So, we’re combining spy craft with traditional law enforcement, and that in itself throws up some pretty interesting and unique scenarios. I’d say that, in the show, whilst living in the world of espionage, we also try to have fun with the characters and the dynamics between the characters, especially the central relationship of Colin and Bill.
JR: Your character in Tell Me Lies enters a world already charged with emotional volatility. What part of his psychology did you find the most intriguing to unpack?
TE: It was interesting playing Oliver because normally I find something about the character that I’m playing that I can empathize with so I can at least gain an understanding as to why their psychology allows them to do the things they do and make the choices they make. But with Oliver, I couldn’t find anything to empathize with. There was no reason for, and there was no remorse within the character about his actions. So, for the first time, I found myself playing a true sociopath who has no thoughts and feelings for others, only their actions. I’m always looking for the answer to, “what’s this person’s soul?” and I realized that this person didn’t really have a soul. So, it was more about emptying myself and making myself vacant and void behind the eyes to gain an understanding of him. But yeah, it was probably the character I least enjoyed playing in my career, even though I loved being in the show. It was one where I walked away without the normal degree of satisfaction I get from playing a character.
JR: The relationships in Tell Me Lies are messy, intoxicating, and often destructive. Does experiencing this level of drama enforce the things you do not want in your personal life?
TE: Thankfully, I’m much older than the characters in this show, so I’ve learned through my life that the choices they make don’t lead to very good endings.
JR: What’s next for Tom Ellis?
TE: Sleep.
To learn more about Tom follow him at @officialtomellis