HYDERABAD: Golden Globe winner for the best TV Series in the Drama category, The Affair finally makes its way to the Indian television screen. A fiery and provocative show, it explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship between Noah Solloway and Alison Bailey after the two meet in the resort town of Montauk on Long Island. Dominic West, known for playing Detective McNulty in The Wire, returns to the small screen as Solloway. Explaining the show to us, he says, “I think it’s all about my character. Noah is a writer from Brooklyn and a teacher, who is a happily married guy with four kids. And he goes out to Montauk and he starts an affair with a girl,” he begins, adding that it’s a classic example of country girl meets city boy. “And he ruins his life for her,” he quips.
Ruth Wilson, who won Best Actress for her role in this series at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this year, plays Bailey. Stirring the pot on the men are from Mars and women are from Venus concept, the show tells of the relationship separately, from the male and female perspectives-using the distinct memory biases to both misdirect and surprise. “As in life, there is no objective truth. So you’re guided through the prism of the character’s viewpoint. You never know really what is going on,” West explains. From his point of view, he is much more reluctant and less enthusiastic about breaking up this family. “But from Bailey’s, he is a Lothario,” he laughs, referencing the unscrupulous character from Don Quixote.
He says the sexual portrayal is what makes it even more interesting. “They see themselves as not particularly sexual and provocative. But from the other point of view, I see her in a very tight dress looking hot. And she sees herself as an ordinary waitress.”
Picking the biggest challenge of playing Noah as also the original draw, West says that it’s the fact that he has to portray two versions of the same character. “Apart from the fact that I have to be convincing as a Brooklyn dude, what is great is that I have to play an unsuspecting victim on the one hand and, on the other, he’s an active sexual predator in a way.” Maura Tierney, known as Dr Abby Lockhart on ER, takes on the role of Mrs Solloway and Joshua Jackson plays Cole, Bailey’s husband.
Premieres May 26, at 10 pm, on Star World Premiere