"It Felt Illegal": Rhys Ifans Explains Inheritance's On-The-Fly Filming & Previews House Of The Dragon Season 3

Rhys Ifans reappears in his daughter's life, though with ulterior motives, in Inheritance. Ifans stars in the spy thriller as Sam, a man who runs an international shipping business, which previously led to the deterioration of his marriage and alienation from his two daughters. After the death of their mother, Sam reappears and attempts to reconnect with his daughter, Maya, only to be kidnapped and for her to learn that he has actually been a spy for multiple governments for years.

Alongside Ifans, the ensemble Inheritance cast includes Bridgerton alum Phoebe Dynevor, Four Weddings and a Funeral's Ciara Baxendale, Kersti Bryan, Majd Eid and Mayor of Kingstown's Necar Zadegan. The Neil Burger-directed movie takes a unique approach to the spy genre, primarily focusing on a character not trained in the world of espionage, while also being shot entirely on an iPhone across multiple countries.

Prior to the movie's release, ScreenRant interviewed Rhys Ifans to discuss Inheritance, what it was about Burger and Olen Steinhauer's script that sparked his interest to be part of the film, the unique production process of the spy thriller, how much of Sam's backstory he, Burger and Steinhauer mapped out together and a brief preview on House of the Dragon season 3's progress.

Ifans Was Thrilled To Get To Work With Burger For Inheritance

"It was really thrilling, just for me, on a nerdy level, to kind of be around Neil..."

ScreenRant: Inheritance is such a gripping ride from start to finish, such a refreshing take on the spy genre, and very grounded. What was it about Neil and Olen's script that really drew you to want to be a part of it?

Rhys Ifans: Well, Olen's script, of course, it's always the script, but ultimately, it was Neil, who's a filmmaker I've admired for decades. Any opportunity to work with Neil, and then, when I realized that both Neil and I would be in virgin territory, that we'd be working with a methodology that neither of us had kind of explored in any real way before. I've shot things on mobile phones before, but not to this level, and it was thrilling, but it was also a great comfort. I mean, we all have these phones in our pockets, we're all potential movie directors, but this tech means nothing unless you have a cinematic grammar, and Neil does.
Neil could translate what we were doing on the phone, not just to a TV screen, but he always had in mind that this was going to be projected, and it was going to be one of those experiences, you know? It was really thrilling, just for me, on a nerdy level, to kind of be around Neil, and just to see how he used this tech. I saw the film a couple of days ago, and I agree with you, it's just such a great use of the phone, because it isn't one of those shaky phone films. It feels very grounded and cinematic, but it also has that kind of visceral, anything-can-happen mess about it, that you find in those TikTok war videos.
And that's a testament to Neil as a filmmaker. He knows what he's doing, obviously, and then what it allowed us as actors was to constantly have this very real sense of danger, because we were working with the best actors in the world. And the best actors in the world are members of the public who don't know they're acting. Every one of them an Oscar winner. You're immersed in the real world completely, so when we very quietly say,"Action" — or not even action — no one knows you're even making a film. So, there's always a chance that some kid can come up to you and punch you in the balls, or someone can come and sell you a samosa or an oil lamp, or a car might come through, or the police might wonder what you're doing. [Chuckles]
So, it felt pleasantly a little bit illegal every time we shot. It felt like we were breaking the rules in a really kind of exciting way, it was really fun. It felt like street theater often, because most of the film, I'd say, is in very populated places, airports, markets, streets. I really got off on it, because sometimes, when you make a film, you're so protected. Nothing feels real, even when you're shooting in Manhattan, you realize that even the people looking at you through a window are paid extras, so this felt dangerous and fun.

Neil Burger certainlyisn't the first filmmaker to utilize the iPhone for shooting a good majority or all of their projects, but he definitely is aiming to break new ground in the territory with Inheritance, which his cast looks to have appreciated. As Ifans notes above, every filming location felt real for him, Dynevor and others, which added a feeling of danger and "fun" to their production.

Ifans Worked Closely With Burger & Steinhauer To Flesh Out Sam's Backstory

"...I love the gray area about him..."

Rhys Ifans' Sam talking while sitting at a restaurant table in Inheritance-1

So, in talking about the characters, I'd love to know more about Sam, because this is a character who, obviously, is immersed in the spy world, but he seems like he has such an interesting backstory. I'd love to know how much you actually talked with Neil and Olen to see how much of an extensive backstory they had in mind for him?

Rhys Ifans: Yeah, I think what we all agreed on, so often, was in spy thrillers, there's this sense that people are in school or university, and then they say, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a spy." But that rarely happens. People end up spying, often, or they end up having to work for secret services in some way, shape or form, or you fall into it, or you're working in a peripheral state that one could argue is espionage, but also maybe just business. So I love the gray area about him, and also how when you join that world, it's hard to shed it, because you're always at the beck and call of someone.
You're always on, in his case, someone's hitlist, potentially, regardless of regime changes and what have you. So, I just like that it was messy, and I liked that he was messy, that he wasn't necessarily efficient. But what was very clear to me that in order to survive in that industry, you have to be ruthless, and you have to be prepared to employ and jettison even the closest members of your family. And of course, we all know there are married couples who are married for decades and decades with only one of them knowing what he or she actually does for a living.
So, that was very strange to me, and what that does, it was very interesting to me, because I could never fathom being able to behave like that with someone I love. The fundamentals of any relationship, I would hope, is honesty. Maybe spies are just actors, you know? But I just found it interesting and kind of sad how cold his world had made him.

Much like others in the world of spy stories, Sam clearly has expertise going back years when it comes to espionage. Unlike many others, though, Sam's backstory was kept largely under wraps in the duration of the film, with brief mentions towards his prior missions and having left his family behind. Even still, while some filmmakers would elect to leave that up for the audience to debate, Ifans' confirmation that there was a full history to his character not only ensured that he delivered a well-rounded performance, but even leaves the door open for future stories should Burger and Steinhauer want to develop a sequel.

Working With Dynevor Was A Joy For Ifans

"...Phoebe carried us all through it."

Rhys Ifans' Sam and Phoebe Dynevor's Maya clinking glasses in Inheritance

I'd love to hear about working with Phoebe, since you talk about working with the world's best actors.

Rhys Ifans: I mean, all my stuff was with Phoebe, and with this kind of process, you have to come from a place of playfulness and fun. It's the only way to get through, and Phoebe carried us all through it. Neil, myself and Phoebe, especially, just completely embraced this way of working, and it infused everyone who came into contact with us. She was just fantastic to work with, and I would play her dad again. [Chuckles]

Since making her acting debut in Waterloo Road, Dynevor has largely been involved in the drama genre, particularly with her breakthrough role in Netflix's Bridgerton. Even still, as Ifans reflects on above, the rising star clearly brought more to the table than just the heavyweight drama expected of the globe-trotting spy thriller, infusing its set with a sense of "fun".

Ifans Doesn't Know When House Of The Dragon Season 3 Kicks Off Filming (But It's Soon)

"...I can smell the sulfur."

Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower being kept prisoner in House of the Dragon's season 2 finale

I see I'm coming up on time, so I did also want to ask you really quickly. Big fan of House of the Dragon, I know season 3 is supposed to get rolling soon. Do you have an exact date of when cameras are supposed to begin rolling?

Rhys Ifans: I don't know. I don't know, but I can smell the sulfur. [Chuckles] There's something brewing. I can say, yeah, they start shooting soon this year, so I'm sure you'll be able to watch it in about 25 years' time. [Chuckles]

One of Ifans' most popular recent roles is that of Otto in the Game of Thrones prequel, and fans of the show are very keen on learning Otto's fate as he remains imprisoned by a mysterious foe. Though he may not have an exact date as of now, it seems clear audiences won't hopefully have to wait too long for House of the Dragon season 3, as filming looks to be around the corner.

About Inheritance

When Maya (Dynevor) learns that her father was once a spy, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an international conspiracy. In her quest for answers, Maya becomes a target and must travel the globe, mastering her father’s skills and unraveling the mysteries of his past in this gripping espionage thriller.

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