Jasmine Blackborow, who stars alongside Maya Jama in the second season of Netflix's The Gentleman, has revealed what the Love Island host was really like behind the scenes.
Appearing on Sunday Brunch on September 6 to promote the show, Blackborow discussed Jama joining the cast. Hosts Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy asked what Jama, who also appeared on Celebrity Traitors, was like when the cameras stopped rolling.
Jama praised as a 'pro' despite nerves
Blackborow said: "She was absolutely gorgeous on set and she was nervous because she's not done this before. She was there running her lines again and again and when she did it she was just such a pro."
Jama, who has hosted Love Island since 2023, makes her major scripted acting debut in the second series of Guy Ritchie's comedy-drama as Aisha, a gangster's moll and the wife of Prince Amir bin Abdullah al-Hadidi, played by Amra Mallassi. She appears in key moments of the season, notably in Episode 1 and Episode 4, and it has been reported she will return for season three.
Director Guy Ritchie praised
Jama previously opened up about joining the cast, telling Variety that director Guy Ritchie made her feel comfortable while filming.
She said: "He's really kind and nice. He doesn't feel as intimidating as you'd think, being who he is. He's very personable and he would be like 'yeah, you're doing well', and reassure me, which was really nice."
"He's just really involved and kind of a genius to watch, because everyone's practicing their lines and then he says something that's way better than the original. You just feel like you're in the presence of greatness."
New cast and past experience
Hugh Bonneville and Michele Morrone are among other names joining season two of The Gentleman, which is based on Guy's film of the same name and explores the criminal underbelly of high society Britain.
The first series premiered with an audience of 3.5 million and secured a place as one of the UK's most-watched TV shows of 2024.
The only other acting experience the 32-year-old Jama has had was a brief cameo role in Katherine Ryan's The Duchess on Netflix six years ago. Speaking about that role at the time, she said: "I did the tiniest little cameo in a Netflix series called The Duchess," referring to her appearance as a dental nurse.
"But it was like one day filming, whereas this was my first one where I had to properly learn lines and be on set for a few days. But I was so, so excited because I loved the series." The Gentleman is now streaming on Netflix.
