Eleanor Tomlinson, best known for her role as Demelza Poldark in the BBC period drama, is set to star in a new modern psychological thriller for Channel 5 titled The Fortune. The 34-year-old actress, who played the devoted wife of Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) across five seasons from 2015 to 2019, is now moving away from historical settings.
In The Fortune, Tomlinson plays Amanda, a café worker and happily married mother whose life is turned upside down when she inherits a vast fortune from a man she has never met. The deceased man's family is incensed, leading to threats and escalating tensions. The drama premieres on Channel 5 on Tuesday, 2 June at 9pm, with the second episode airing the following evening.
Speaking to Radio Times, Tomlinson explained her decision to step away from period pieces: "I’d done it for five years. There are elements I miss, but it was time to do something else, spread my wings and push myself in a different direction." She noted that Poldark remains the role for which she is most recognised, along with One Day and The Forsytes.
The cast also includes Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter), Callum Woodhouse (All Creatures Great and Small), and former EastEnders star Nina Wadia, alongside Rebecca Front, Stephen Tompkinson, Paula Wilcox, Danielle Walters, and Denis Lawson.
