Alex Hassell, who plays Rupert Campbell-Black in the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel Rivals, marked his birthday with a party attended by several co-stars as the series films its second season.
Guests included Emily Atack and Aidan Turner, who portray Sarah Stratton and Declan O'Hara on the series, along with Hubert Burton and other members of the cast. Atack shared video and photos from the gathering on her Instagram Story, showing Hassell in a white vest and high-waisted black trousers as friends sang "Happy Birthday" and presented him with a cake.
Atack posted a snap of Hassell with his wife, Emma King, captioning the image "Sexiest hosts ever," and later shared a selfie with Turner, who appeared with the moustache his character sports in the series. Burton, who plays Gerald Middleton, was also among those photographed at the event.
Production on Rivals series two began in May and has continued to add cast members. Disney+ confirmed that Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett will join the ensemble as Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife, and show-jumping coach Malise Gordon, respectively. Other announced additions include Maxim Ays, Holly Cattle, Oliver Dench, Amanda Lawrence, Bobby Lockwood, Eliot Salt and Jonny Weldon.
Rivals premiered on Disney+ in the U.K. and on Hulu in the U.S. in October 2024. The period drama, adapted from Cooper's 1988 novel, became one of Disney+'s most prominent British original productions, a designation Disney's executive director of scripted originals for EMEA said made the series a "landmark" for the streamer.
The show's production has attracted attention beyond casting and social posts. Actor Danny Dyer, who appears in the series, drew media comment when he said the volume of on-screen sex in Rivals 2 had led to hiring "every intimacy coach in the U.K." That remark prompted author Jilly Cooper to comment on the growing use of intimacy coordinators. Cooper told The Times she found the development "bemusing," saying that when she worked as an actor she and her colleagues would perform sex scenes without a choreographer and that she would personally have felt uncomfortable with an intimacy coordinator.
Producers and cast have continued to share behind-the-scenes glimpses as filming progresses. With primary and supporting roles expanding for the second season, the series remains a focal point for British streaming drama and for audiences following both the adaptations of Cooper's work and the careers of its ensemble cast.