You might think that Eliot Sumner would be a bumptious extrovert. Freddie Miles, the character he plays in the hit Netflix series Ripley, certainly is. Freddie is a character defined by hubris, so it is only fitting that Sumner won the role through an act of daring self-confidence. Auditioning for the part, Sumner audaciously defied the script, transforming Freddie into an Englishman, as opposed to the snobby Ivy League iteration of the character once played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Nevertheless, despite playing Freddie, and despite this brave gamble to win the role, as soon as I begin conversing with Eliot, I am pleased to realise that he is in fact the antithesis of the arrogant character which he portrays so convincingly.
Interview taken from METAL Magazine issue 52. Adapted for the online version. Order your copy here.
Freddie was one of two big roles for Sumner last year, with the other seeing him play Kat, a coldblooded Russian assassin in the Swedish crime series Vargasommar. Given the range displayed between these two radically different characters, it is hard to believe that Eliot has only been a professional actor (aside from a couple of childhood cameos) since 2020. Prior to acting Eliot first entered the public eye all the way back in 2010 as a teenage musician. Initially releasing energetic punk as leader of the group I Blame Coco, he has gone on to work under various monikers spanning several different genres, most recently as Vaal, DJing across some of Europe’s most renowned techno clubs and venues, from Berghain to the Southbank Centre.
Eliot’s latest endeavour in the public eye has been in the line of modelling, working with Miuccia Prada, or Mrs. Prada as he politely refers to her, for the Miu Miu Autumn Winter show at Paris Fashion Week. Though Eliot has worked with a string of acclaimed fashion houses in the past, this working relationship with Miu Miu is a match up that feels particularly well-aligned. The pair share a spirit that is playful yet sophisticated, and elegant in a way that feels rebellious. Oh, and the clothes look pretty damn good on Eliot, too.
Despite these many strings to Eliot’s bow, he cuts a reserved introspective figure for the most part, speaking modestly to his various artistic forays. Talk of the Miu Miu campaigns is but an opportunity to praise the kindness of the brand’s creative team. On Vargasommar, Eliot makes sure to thank Igor, the Lithuanian tutor who helped hone his Russian accent. And as we discuss Eliot’s experiences living in Italy, time and again he spins the questions back on me, the interviewer, seeming keener to have a conversation than to deliver some self-serious monologue on his process as an artist.
This refreshingly deferential approach to his own achievements can perhaps be traced back to Eliot’s rock royalty father. Eliot was born in Pisa in 1990 to Gordon Sumner, the former frontman of The Police best known as Sting, and his wife Trudie Styler, a prominent actress and director. Given these familial roots, Sumner has perhaps always had to deal with an expectation to enter the creative arts.
But tracing Eliot’s temperament to this lineage is not to say that he inherited these qualities. More so, it is to say that as long as he has had ambitions in the arts, Eliot has had to decide how to deal with having parents who are such industry giants. And from an early age it seems clear that Eliot chose to forge his own path instead of simply trying to exploit or mimic the magnitude of his father’s fame. Much like how Eliot sought, out of reverence, to depart from Philip Seymour Hoffman’s version of Freddie Miles, his artistic solution as to how to contend with his family has been to not contend at all. Eliot’s artistic endeavours are deeply personal, about vulnerability and exploration rather than being the star.
Within Eliot’s contemplative demeanour, there is however, a brooding spectre. As is the case throughout this issue, and indeed the contemporary world at large, conversations inevitably lead back to the creeping fascistic elements that are present in the offices of global political power. When discussing a series filmed in the arctic circle, we cannot ignore the glaring existential threat posed by fossil fuel companies and their unrelenting pursuit of profits at the cost of the natural world. Similarly, freedoms that were once taken for granted for global creative industries like fashion and music are suddenly at the mercy of volatile foreign policies which change radically from day to day, without warning or reason. And Eliot resides these days in New York, which despite being one of America’s bluest cities is seeing student protestors and migrant workers alike snatched off the streets by unmarked armoured vehicles in the name of so-called national security. These are issues too big to be ignored.
Perhaps the most damning testament to how radical today’s politics have become is when Eliot almost unthinkingly parallels the White House and its sitting despot with Kim Jong Un’s military dictatorship in North Korea. Once it would have been unthinkable for the leader of the free world to be mentioned in the same breath as North Korea’s Supreme Leader; now, it’s almost a given they operate from the same political playbook.
Eliot’s surroundings for this interview aptly resonate with the nuances of both his temperament and the political backdrop of our conversation. In downtown Manhattan, amongst a skyline punctuated by several phallic reminders of men who can’t help but be the centre of attention, Eliot speaks to me from his recording studio. A crib of solace overlooking the sprawl of the city it offers a preview of the Eliot I’m about to converse with, sat peacefully amidst a cacophony of culture.
Hello Eliot, 2024 was a huge year for you, first with the release of Ripley on Netflix and then the Swedish crime thriller Vargasommar premiering on Christmas day. How’s 2025 treating you?
That was an excellent pronunciation of Vargasommar, by the way.
I try my best!
2024 was such an exciting year, I was very proud of Ripley and Cry Wolf (Vargasommar is the Swedish title). Since that, I haven’t been filming, which has given me time to settle back into New York. I’m looking forward to something which is coming up, but so far, I don’t really know what the year looks like.
New York couldn’t be much more different from Haparanda, the rural municipality on Sweden’s Finnish border where Vargasommar is set. What was it like spending time in this remote Arctic Archipelago?
It was quite the experience; we had about thirteen weeks to film it which really gave me time to isolate myself and the character. We had a Lithuanian crew, and we were staying in this Finnish spa-type place in this small border town. My personal life had been so full of joy and happiness at the time, and I really did have to isolate myself to get into the head space of this character who is so profoundly depressing and anxious.
I was speaking another language so I couldn’t even think in my own tongue. It was the wildest experience, the first time I really had to pull back from myself and go into the background. You know, when you’re playing a character who’s stabbing people every day, it can affect you a little bit.
I was speaking another language so I couldn’t even think in my own tongue. It was the wildest experience, the first time I really had to pull back from myself and go into the background. You know, when you’re playing a character who’s stabbing people every day, it can affect you a little bit.
Did you find yourself isolating from the crew and cast outside of filming?
Well, I’m the only character who doesn’t really have a buddy, as I don’t trust anyone. But there were times when I really got to bond with Jesper [Ganslandt], the director. I wasn’t always sure about the pronunciation, so I really had to trust him to guide me.
Well, language is an important art of the role to touch on. Having had quite an international upbringing, growing up between different cultures, do you feel like your personality changes depending on which language you’re speaking or which country you’re in?
Well, I have a friend who’s originally from Russia, and when she speaks Russian, her voice immediately drops an octave, so I just took that and ran with it really. In the show I speak Russian and Swedish. I spent a lot of time in Sweden in my late teens and early twenties, so I was able to pick up the melody of those lines nice and easily, but for Russian I had to spend two hours a day with Igor, my amazing tutor who really helped me out.
Swedish has similar roots to English, so I suppose they are not too dissimilar to the untrained ear?
Well, more like scouse! Swedish has a funny cadence that goes up at the end a little bit, whereas standard English tends to be a bit flatter. But I can understand why Swedish people write such good pop music because the whole language is very melodic.
Well, their tune may be changing soon sadly. Haparanda’s proximity to the Arctic circle means it is seeing the effects of climate change at a much faster rate than many global locations. Was climate anxiety something that occupied your mind while filming?
I didn’t think about it overly when filming to be honest, I was just focusing on the role. But I grew up with a very environmental education, particularly about the value of the Amazon, and I know there’s lots of rainforest research taking place in Norway. The culture in Sweden and Scandinavia more generally is definitely very environmentally conscientious. Sweden is just such a massive country, three times the size of the UK. We were very far north up there, quite the way from Stockholm. It wouldn’t get dark until three in the morning, which was truly amazing but meant I didn’t get much sleep.
What’s your relationship with the natural world like more generally? Do you enjoy the peace of rural living, even if on a short-term basis? Or do you quickly find yourself pining for the bustle of the city?
Well, I actually grew up in Salisbury, and I moved back there for three years in 2020, before coming back to New York in 2023. So, I went from seeing like two people a week to living in the middle of Chinatown, which I don’t recommend doing. It was a real shock to the system but thankfully I adapted.
Growing up in Salisbury you would have been a stone’s throw, pardon the pun, from Stonehenge, England’s most renowned prehistoric megalithic structure. Has this proximity given you an affection for the millennia-old monument? And have you ever attended a solstice at the site to mark the changing of the seasons?
The last time I was there, some narcissistic Just Stop Oil disruptor spray painted some of the stones orange and was arrested on-site. I do have a soft spot for Stonehenge and there’s no doubt that growing up in that area of the world has shaped me. I actually wrote a pagan psychodrama some years ago that could be fun to make on a budget.
And was that a Covid motivated decision when you moved back to Salisbury in 2020?
It happened by accident to be honest. I was living in London without any electricity, and I wasn’t really in a state to sort things out. My friend came over and just said: “Do you want to come home?” And it was the best decision I ever made. I am very used to my own company, but that can be quite a dangerous thing because you get used to isolation and it becomes difficult to jump back into society. I’m sure a lot of people felt that over Covid.
Definitely, and you can feel this coming through in Kat, your role in Vargasommar. On the contrary, Freddie in Ripley is at the other end of the scale. How did you find shifting from an arrogant English intellectual young man to a stealthy Russian female assassin?
I think two very different parts of my personality had to come out. Freddie can walk into a space with ease, he’s confident, arrogant, and has no issue with confrontation. Whereas Kat is a socially awkward killing machine. Let’s just say, I don’t think they’d have much to say to each other at a dinner party. As a matter of fact, Freddie would be quite disgusted, I think.
Freddie was famously portrayed by the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman in the 1999 adaptation, though your embodiment of the character differs from his quite radically. In terms both of what to emulate and to avoid, how often did you pay attention to Hoffman’s performance with regard to your own?
Never! I respect that performance so much, and that version of Freddie Miles can never be topped. So, I just stuck with what I heard in my head, that he’s a hotel heir who probably went to British boarding school, and that character just fell out of me. He’s fun to play because he’s so horrible. I don’t know why I enjoy playing parts like that. I really don’t know. I suppose it must be some sort of self-hatred...
Well, he does get his comeuppance in the end.
Yeah, and he deserved it.
I think people might associate nicer characters with a lack of depth or complexity.
It’s true. I like to play difficult, complicated people. It’s more interesting.
Would you consider yourself to be a character actor? There seems to be a certain thread of eccentricity in the roles you take on.
Oh, I don’t know what type of actor I am — other than a lucky one if I’m working. I’ve died in everything I’ve been in so far, so maybe that’s my thing!
You’ve spoken a lot about your love for Rome and the time you spent staying in Trastevere when shooting Ripley. Having lived in Italy, I really relate to this sentiment. What is it about La Dolce Vita that you find so appealing? The espressos? The weather? Or is it a more ethereal quality?
When I got there, it was as if it was the first time I’d arrived anywhere. It was a really profound moment. I had the time of my life. I was born in Pisa, so I do have a general pull to Italy. I just love all of the rituals; espresso, the food, at the time it was wine, but not any more for me. I’d only been there to play a handful of shows or on holiday with family. So just having the working day and then the reward of free time in a place like that is really special.
“I like to play difficult, complicated people. It’s more interesting.”
So, would you consider yourself an honorary Roman?
Well, I wouldn’t go that far; as I said, I’m a Pisan native, and I enjoy all parts of Italy, I’m a bit of a fan of ACF Fiorentina.
I used to have a shirt of theirs, but I couldn’t quite pull off the purple colourway...
Well, they are certainly bold colours. Would you move back to Italy?
If I could get a visa! I try to visit when I can.
Of course. I wish I lived closer to Italy, perhaps one day. I think I’m going to start working on my Italian citizenship again because I’d love to move back in the future if I had the chance.
You alluded slightly earlier to giving up wine since the filming of the series; I guess it’s just not the same outside of Italy. How are you finding your experience with sobriety?
I have to say, it’s the nicest thing I’ve ever done for myself.
And as an actor and Italophile, do you have any favourite works of Italian cinema?
Fellini’s “8½” is a classic. More recently I’m a big fan of Luca Guadagnino’s films, I’d love to work with him, and Paolo Sorrentino. They just seem to get a lot right, you know?
Well, speaking of Italians getting things right, you’ve been working with Miu Miu recently, appearing in the brand’s Spring/Summer 2025 campaign, and then walking the Autumn/Winter collection in Paris. How are you finding it to be working with Miuccia Prada and Lotta Volkova whilst the brand is having such a cultural moment?
It’s a great environment to be a part of. I know the fashion industry can be quite cutthroat, but I haven’t got a bad word to say about any of them. Lotta’s very cool and Mrs. Prada is incredible to be in the presence of; she really inspires respect out of people and seems to do everything without any ego. The first thing she said to me was at my fitting for the Autumn/Winter show, she loves boat racing and was watching her team compete, they won just as I walked into the room, and she told me that I brought good luck, which was a nice thing to hear for the first time.
And with the recent merry-go-round of creative directors switching up at all the big houses, are there any other brands or designers that you’re looking out for?
Right now, I’m just glad to be working where I am. I feel very lucky to be working with Miu Miu. They make great shirts — I’ve been buying a lot of them. Fashion’s taking a lot of interesting directions at the moment but I’m not too well-read on the latest industry goings-on to be honest.
Well, the industry’s so fickle, whatever you do know can be out of date in a couple of weeks anyway… Anyhow, it’s nice to hear about Mrs. Prada’s lack of ego; some directors can be quite autocratic, trying to scare respect into everyone around them.
I agree. I can’t stand those people; we’ve got too many of them in power. It’s funny, I was on a plane to Korea last week and I was listening to “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century”, a sort of warning-book by Timothy Snyder. It felt very pertinent given how close I was to the North Korean border, and then also what with everything that’s going on over here in the US. I don’t how I got from Miu Miu to here. I think that’s just how my brain works sometimes.
That’s quite alright. What were you up to in Korea? If that’s not confidential?
No, no, not confidential. It was en route to Japan. I hadn’t been back there in over six years, and I’d really been fantasising about going back some day, so my girlfriend and I managed to carve out ten days where we could go there. Although, of course, it takes two days to get there and back from New York, so it ended up being more like eight after all the travelling. It’s a great place to eat well. We were mainly in Tokyo, but spent one day in a place called Kamakura. It’s this surf town about an hour from the city. The day that we were there it was actually bucketing down with rain, but it still had a really special atmosphere.
That certainly does sound atmospheric in the rain.
Oh, it was absolutely pouring. I loved it.
You are also of course a musician, with your last LP, “Love Reversed,” being released in 2022 under the moniker Vaal. You’re speaking to me from the studio now — do you have any imminent plans on the next release?
I’m always making music. Although, I haven’t actually had management now for about five years or something. I don’t even know my passwords for anything, so it’s quite difficult to get stuff out. I’m just making music for myself, consistently.
Do you find the music informs your practice as an artist?
I think all art forms have to inform one another. They all require a sometimes-unhealthy dose of vulnerability. I’ll always trust in writing the songs, playing the roles, and taking the jobs that scare me a bit. There are risks involved. And there is one project in particular that’s ready to come out.
You’ve already seen the impact that geopolitical turmoil can have on the creative arts with delays to the filming of Ripley as a result of Covid. Now, as Trump seems to ramp up the chaos meter further each day, artists like FKA Twigs have had to abruptly cancel US tours due to visa complications. As a transatlantic artist, what are your hopes and fears for the creative industries in these uncertain times?
I have been lucky enough to tour across the world and back. I have never taken an opportunity to perform for granted, big or small. Cancelling or postponing a show, let alone a tour comes with great shame. Ultimately, you are always indebted to the people that show up to watch you play.
Although, as you say, it’s important to be grateful for all of your fans, have you had any favourite crowds when performing worldwide that have particularly resonated with and reflected your onstage energy?
My favourite cities that I’ve played in would have to be Buenos Aires, Brussels and Gent in Belgium, Belgrade, Wrocław, and Dublin.
Finally, if you’re ever feeling particularly drained or uninspired, how do you creatively recharge?
Sometimes I can get a bit low and stormy, and I have to let my inner animal out. Back in April, I got to go and see Charli xcx at Barclays Center, and I went home that night with a brat green t-shirt and a better attitude.
Full look ACNE STUDIOS.
Full look MIU MIU.
Full look HELMUT LANG.
Full look MIU MIU.
Full look PRADA.
Cardigan and trousers ECKHAUS LATTA, sunglasses and boots Eliot’s own.
Full look MCQUEEN.
Jumper, shirt and shorts THOM BROWNE, watch Eliot’s own.