Prime Video TV Reboot Cruel intentions follows the students at Manchester College, an elite academy populated by manipulators, sociopaths and their unwitting victims. Based on the 1999 cult classic film of the same name, as well as the original 1782 novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions uses humor and its satirical touch to reach the hearts of its characters, users who don’t care how many lives they ruin in their petty quest for political power.
Most Cruel intentions the cast are hot college students, but exceptions include Jon Tenney and Claire Forlani, who star as hot middle-aged parents. Tenney plays Congressman Russell, father of Scott Russell (Khobe Clarke), while Forlani plays Claudia, mother of Caroline (Sarah Catherine Hook) and stepmother of Lucien (Zac Burgess). Even though they are ostensibly the adults in the room, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are more evolved than the children.
TelaRant interviewed Jon Tenney and Claire Forlani about their work on Cruel intentions. They talked about the series’ deliciously diabolical sensibilities and the guilty pleasure that comes from watching characters do terrible things to each other. They also discussed figures who have hidden depths, for better and for worse.
Claire Forlani and Jon Tenney on the Humor and Horror of Cruel Intentions
“It was exciting to have a new iteration of all these stories.”
Screen Rant: Hello everyone. Is it good to talk to the adults in the room at least once, or not?
Claire Forlani: Yes, or no? We are, we are!
Jon Tenney: But we’re actors, and deep down, we’re also kids. I’m a child at heart. She is very adult.
Okay, fair enough. When you sign up for a show like this, you think, “How debauched is this going to get? And how much fun will I have doing this?” Is this a condition of signing?
Claire Forlani: Yes, I think it is, yes! That’s it. It’s always fun to play this kind of horrible person.
Jon Tenney: Yes. See, this story has been told and retold in different iterations for hundreds of years, literally, from the novel to the play, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, to the movies. So it was exciting to have a new iteration of all these stories. And we were talking earlier about, you know, the themes of power dynamics and manipulation and cruelty and sex and big, great, juicy thematic elements to this story, which is fun for an actor to dive into, and hopefully a lot of fun for the audience to do. the tour with us.
It helps that the show is so funny.
Jon Tenney: And humor! Yes, that’s great. And I’m glad you thought so.
Claire Forlani: I felt like Phoebe Fisher’s dialogue was so sharp, dynamic, compelling, juicy, and fun. And I loved watching the first two episodes, which I hadn’t seen yet. I only have one scene in it. So seeing how well they all played, you know.
Jon Tenney: Yeah, the dialogue really jumped out when you read it and thought, oh, that’s witty. This is witty and sharp. So it was exciting to read, yes, from the beginning.
Characters with cruel intentions are not as “evolved” as they would like to think
“It was important to see why Caroline and Lucien are the way they are, and it’s because of Claudia.”
I like that you pointed out how this story has been told for hundreds of years, because my initial reaction to watching it was like, “Wow, kids these days.” But then I thought, well, parents are just as bad.
Claire Forlani: Worse!
And there’s nothing new under the sun. There are just different ways, through technology and everything else, to articulate our smut across generations. You talk a little about playing your characters who are older but haven’t necessarily evolved from your children.
Claire Forlani: Very good. Yes, Claudia definitely hasn’t evolved. (Laughter) I like that word. I will keep that word! Yes, Claudia is clearly a broken person and needs to control, manipulate, seduce and do things a certain way. I decided it was all based on fear and brokenness to have to be so extreme. But I also felt it was important to see why Caroline and Lucien are the way they are, and it’s because of Claudia.
Jon Tenney: And I was fascinated by the fact that the congressman, I mean, he obviously uses his power and is aware of his position and his financial contribution to the school and everything. But I thought he was very committed to loving his son. I was fascinated by this father/son dynamic, above and beyond all the politics, this father/son relationship. And to really see why Scott is the way he is, I thought that really appealed to me. And I liked the fact that it was surprising. I think you hopefully… You kind of judge people, but then you might be surprised by them. And it’s exciting when that happens.
Claire Forlani: I think it’s really fascinating when you see the dynamic of a show like Cruel Intentions, where you are (to Jon) literally the only element of love in the show, right? Because everything else is devoid of this. And it’s fascinating that there can be this lack of love. So where does this come from? This can only come from brokenness. But then, of course, in this setting, that’s what makes it escapist and fun. Like you said, everyone is so horrible that you just can’t stop watching them!
Jon Tenney: But you can’t stop watching them, right!
Claire Forlani: It’s extremely fun.
Jon Tenney: Watching the car accident a little bit.
More About Cruel Intentions Season 1
Cruel Intentions follows the elite students at Manchester College, a university adjacent to Washington, D.C., where reputation means everything, fraternities and sororities are the gold standard, and two ruthless half-siblings, Caroline Merteuil and Lucien Belmont, will do anything to stay . top of the cruel social hierarchy. After a brutal hazing incident threatens the entire Greek system of life, they will do whatever it takes to preserve their power and reputation – even if it means seducing Annie Grover, the daughter of the Vice President of the United States. Hearts will be broken, loyalties will be tested and secrets will be revealed in the modern royal court that is Manchester College.
Check out our others Cruel intentions interviews here:
Source: Screen Rant Plus