'Leave it to the imagination': Normal People star says no need for a sequel

Normal People actor Éanna Hardwicke has said he doesn't want a sequel to the hit TV series, as he's "not a fan of rehashing things".

"It's nicer to leave it in people's imagination, and leave it as it was," the 28-year-old told BBC News at a pre-Oscars party in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Based on Sally Rooney's novel, the BBC Three drama charted the on-off relationship of teenagers Marianne and Connell.

It starred Daisy Edgar Jones and Paul Mescal, while Hardwicke played Rob, Connell's friend from high school.

Released in April 2020, Normal People became a lockdown phenomenon.

Last year, Edgar-Jones and Mescal almost broke the internet with an Instagram post that appeared to tease a sequel.

The pair later clarified that, in fact, they were reuniting to host a marathon screening of Normal People for charity.

There are spoilers below.

In the series, Hardwicke's character Rob suffers from depression and commits suicide, causing Connell's mental health to suffer.

But Hardwicke said that it's not the fact he wouldn't be in any sequel, that makes him not want one.

"I'd be very happy to watch it as a punter, because then I could enjoy it," he said, speaking at the annual Oscar Wilde event to celebrate Irish talent.

He also admitted that he can see why some people want to revisit the series.

"Of course, part of me is curious, I'd love to see those characters in 15 years," he said.

"I just adore Sally [Rooney]'s writing so much, I'm excited every time she releases a new book, so I'm just looking forward to reading what she does next."

Hardwicke said he still speaks to his Normal People co-stars.

"We all stay in touch, which is nice. It was a really special thing for all of us," he said.

"I think that will never change. It will always be a really foundational job for all of us, so we do stay in touch.

"Every now and then we meet for a pint and go, 'God, wasn't that mad'."

More recently, Hardwicke starred as murderer Benjamin Field in BBC One true crime drama The Sixth Commandment.

The series follows the murders of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire.

Hardwicke said he didn't have an answer for why people are so fascinated by true crime, but said as an actor, "you just want to work on stuff that has that depth".

"There's a responsibility to telling true stories, to know why you're doing it, why you're telling the story, what's the point," he said.

"It was approaching true stories in a different way. I felt, when I read that script, it was doing it with scrutiny and care and it didn't feel at all manipulative."