Bobby Lockwood has been part of British television long enough to feel familiar to more than one generation of viewers. He began acting as a child, landing his first professional role as the voice of Patch in 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure, before becoming a recognizable face through House of Anubis. For many viewers, though, Wolfblood was the role that gave him a lasting cult following. As Rhydian Morris, a mysterious newcomer whose arrival reshaped the show’s supernatural teen drama, Lockwood became one of the defining faces of a specific era of youth television, with a performance that even earned him the Children’s BAFTA for Best Performer in 2013.

In the years since, his career has moved far beyond the expected child-star-to-adult-actor path. His credits now stretch across television, film, and stage, with roles in Casualty, The Tower, Dunkirk, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, and The Outpost, alongside recent stage work in Ava Pickett’s adaptation of Emma. That range gives his next move extra intrigue, especially as he joins the world of Rivals, one of television’s glossiest and most talked-about dramas.

Set amid the seductive, cutthroat machinery of 1980s Rutshire, Rivals thrives on power plays, scandal, ambition, and emotional fallout. In Season 2, Lockwood enters that world as Dommie Carlisle, part of the show’s expanding circle of new arrivals, giving his next chapter a flashier, mature charge. For Lockwood, the role feels less like another credit on an already varied résumé and more like a sign that there are plenty of exciting doors ahead.

What was your first reaction when Rivals came your way, and what made this feel like the right project to jump into at this point in your career?

Bobby Lockwood: Well, first off, I absolutely loved the first series, purely, as a fan, I binged the hell out of it. It was hilarious and sexy and silly, it was brave and yet didn’t take itself too seriously, and everyone I know who had watched it had also loved it.

Rivals has such a specific tone, where wit, glamour, chaos, and emotional fallout are all happening at once. As an actor, what was the trickiest part of finding your footing inside that world?

Bobby Lockwood: To be honest, one of the things that makes Rivals truly unique is that I’m playing one of a pair of twins. Maxim Ays is my brother in the show and now in life. As tricky as anything was or could have been, we had each other the whole time. We found the characters and our place in the world, together. We both decided early on that as long as he and I were on the same page and backing each other and coming from the same place, then essentially, we could do anything—within the confines of the script and scene, of course. The twins would have validated each other their whole lives, and we could do the same. To be able to prep a character with another actor was different and special in itself, but to do it with Maxim, on a show like this, has been the biggest blessing. We had each other to lean on—on and off set.

Joining a show in its second season can be a very different experience from building something from day one. What was it like stepping into an ensemble that already had such strong chemistry and such a clear identity?

Bobby Lockwood: The cast is intimidating from the outside. So many of them! Everybody is so close, too. I could tell from the first read through, when everybody was there, and how excited they all were to see each other. The wonderful Emily Atack, whom I had worked with before, said to me, ‘This is a very special job,’ and boy was she right. Everybody was as welcoming and warm as they were friendly with each other. It was really lovely to see and feel that. It only takes a few bad apples to ruin it for everyone, and, somehow, there are none.

Did the series 1980s setting change the way you approached performance, character rhythm, or even just the energy of a scene?

Bobby Lockwood: Lots of smoking indoors! Other than that, in this instance anyway, there are other pillars I would focus on first before the time period: Maxim, the fact we’re polo players, and how that would affect our posture, etc., accent, the twins’ personalities are quite specific.

Without giving too much away, what excited you most about the character and the space you get to occupy in season 2?

Bobby Lockwood: The fun. And you know, being a polo player. They’re complete badasses.

Is there anything about working on Rivals that surprised you once you were actually inside it, whether that was the scale, the speed, the tone on set, or the audience response around the show?

Bobby Lockwood: Honestly, the scale of the show was incredible. I’ve never seen so many trailers in my life; it was insane on some days. One thing that really surprised me was just how huge the production was in practice. In some of the larger group scenes, there’d be moments where you would stand waiting around and would completely miss action being called because they were filming another part of the scene nearby, and you wouldn’t even realise they’d started shooting. There were so many cast and crew involved that the whole thing felt massive. It’s something I’d genuinely never experienced before, and it happened a number of times on Rivals.

A lot of viewers first came to know your work through projects like House of Anubis and Wolfblood. How does it feel to be entering another fandom-heavy series at a very different stage in your life and career?

Bobby Lockwood: I couldn’t be happier about it. I still am very grateful and proud of the work I’ve done in my career. I’ve been so lucky to be part of some really cool shows. Now, a little older and with that experience, I feel like I can appreciate this moment more. I’m aware of the excitement, the buzz, and how huge it all feels right now. I also know that it’s ultimately a moment, it’s fleeting, and it won’t last forever. I don’t mean that in a negative way, that’s life, all things must end, and things are forever changing. There will be a new thing at some point, so I must make the most of this time now and enjoy being part of something so incredibly special.

I wasn’t actually aware that Rivals was from Dame Jilly Cooper’s books when I initially sat down to watch the show. Having read them since, I can say I can clearly see why they have such a following; they’re heartfelt, funny, and outrageously naughty. They’ve been a huge part of people’s lives, and I’m just hoping we can continue to do the characters, Rutshire, and Jilly justice.

Your credits now stretch across several genres and projects like Dunkirk, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, and The Outpost. Has your idea of what makes a role worth saying yes to changed over time?

Bobby Lockwood: That’s a good question. I guess so. When I was younger, I wanted to do everything I could, get as much experience as possible, work with as many different people, and, like you said, across as many different genres that would have me! Now I’m older, I think I have to be a little pickier in the projects I choose. I’m at a stage where I need to factor in what kind of actor I want to be, and, this might sound strange, but the industry’s perception of me. I’m no longer a child actor. I take my job seriously and want to do it for as long as I can, and be involved in the best stories and play characters that I find fun and interesting. Being a bit pickier in terms of projects is some of the only control you actually have as an actor, it’s one of the only ways you can tell people the direction you want your career to go in.

You started working incredibly young, even voicing Patch in 101 Dalmatians II. Looking back now, what do you think growing up in the industry taught you that still shapes the actor or person you are today?

Bobby Lockwood: Ooh, interesting question. I’m not entirely sure how it’s shaped me as an actor, to be honest, but more as a person. I understand that you can work hard, and sometimes that hard work doesn’t pay off. It’s a lot about luck. I know a lot of very talented actors who don’t work as much as their talent deserves. I got incredibly lucky in stumbling into this industry at a young age because essentially my mum recognised my love for dancing as soon as I could stand, and things unfolded for me from there.

I think it’s taught me patience and to be grateful for what opportunities I’m given. I’ve been doing this for over 25 years; I’ve seen highs and lows and had years at a time out of work. I’ve juggled so many jobs just trying to make ends meet. Although I have the best job in the world, it doesn’t define me. I’ll keep working hard, but I also need to be lucky. And even then, it’s just a job. What my family and friends think of me as a person, what I think of myself, means a whole lot more to me than what people think of me as an actor.