By Katie Palmer
Copyright irishmirror
House of Guinness is on Netflix and the Steven Knight historical drama tells the true story of the Guinness family and their legacy. The star-studded cast includes Happy Valley heart-throb James Norton, who plays Sean Rafferty – the foreman of the Guinness brewery who keeps the business in check. He is also the middle man between the Guinness siblings and their friends and enemies. After the death of his boss, the patriarch of the Guinness family, Rafferty finds himself working for the four children. On what drew him to the role, actor Norton shared: “Like every good role, Rafferty is deeply layered. That’s what made me want to take the part — it’s so exciting and continues to challenge me. “But really — he’s charismatic, powerful. In Dublin, everyone knows who he is. Guinness is the biggest industry in the city — a political and economic force. “And Rafferty is the man running it. He works for the Guinness children — but in many ways, he’s their boss, too. There’s always a jostle for power.” While many of the characters in the series are based on real historical figures, Rafferty is a fictional character created specifically for the show. On how he approached Rafferty’s complexity, Norton continued: “We talked a lot about status. On paper, he works for them, but there’s intimacy and history there, and that creates a mess. “Also, we decided he has a military background. There are touches in the costume — like a hidden medal buckle sewn into his coat — things the audience won’t see, but I know they’re there. “Rafferty’s journey is one of finding humanity — vulnerability, softness—because he starts out hard as nails.” Creator Knight said Rafferty represents how “modern” the story is, calling him “one of the most extraordinary aspects of this series”. Executive producer Ivana Lowell confirmed Rafferty was not based on a real person while sharing her thoughts on the final casting. She said: “I love the Rafferty character. I told James Norton that I completely made him up. “He wasn’t a real person, but he was perfect. He’s so good. They’re all so good, all of them. I’m thrilled.” House of Guinness is on Netflix
