Lenny Rush Reflects on ‘Unreal’ Season 6 of ‘Slow Horses’

Winning a BAFTA award is a significant achievement, but for 17-year-old actor Lenny Rush, sharing a scene, or even a "fart-off," with veteran actors like Sir Gary Oldman and Hugo Weaving on Apple TV's spy thriller Slow Horses was an equally treasured experience.

Rush joined the acclaimed series in its sixth season, portraying Reece Nesmith, a murder witness who becomes entangled with the Slough House agents. As the youngest character to be closely integrated with the core group, Rush expressed his delight that the show did not shy away from his character's potential for edginess, maintaining the series' signature tone.

"It’d be horrible if they brought the kid in and then the show got a little bit more family-friendly. No one wants that," Rush told DECIDER. "The writers could have had a kid that didn’t speak much. He could just be there. But they made quite a bit out of the character, and I’m very pleased."

Rush described his experience working with Gary Oldman, who plays the cantankerous Jackson Lamb, as "unreal." He recalled a particular moment: "I think I must be the first person to say that I had a fart-off with Gary Oldman." Beyond such memorable interactions, Rush found Oldman to be a great role model, appreciating that the seasoned actor made time for him despite Rush being a new cast member.

"He didn’t even have to give me advice; just watching him. I think he’s a great role model. And he was so normal," Rush said. He admitted to discussing Oldman's past roles, such as in The Dark Knight and Léon, with the actor.

The dynamic between Rush's Reece and Christopher Chung's Roddy Ho was a highlight of the season. Rush described their working relationship as easy and natural, with Chung acting like a "big brother on that shoot."

"It was so easy, not in the sense that we hated each other, but because he’s such a nice guy and so easy to get on with," Rush explained. "I remember the first day we met; it was like I’d known him for ages, and I felt free to chat with him and come up with ideas with him."

Rush also acknowledged the comedic writing and performances, particularly Chung's portrayal of the often offensive Roddy Ho. He admitted that the script for the fart scene allowed him to laugh naturally as part of the character, which helped him avoid breaking character.

One particularly memorable scene for Rush was the encounter at Shake Shack in Episode 4, where Reece verbally spars with Hugo Weaving's antagonist, Frank Harkness. Rush, who stated he has a "thing for villains," enjoyed the tension created by Weaving's slow, deliberate delivery.

"He is a great villain. And the thing that I love about Hugo Weaving as Frank Harkness is that he isn’t menacing-looking, and when he says stuff, it’s the way he says it," Rush said. He relished the opportunity to simply observe Oldman and Weaving during the scene after delivering his lines.

Rush also touched upon his BAFTA win for his role in Am I Being Unreasonable? and mentioned that Dustin Demri-Burns, who plays Min in Slow Horses, had encouraged him before filming began, saying he was "gonna have the best time."

Reflecting on the Slow Horses experience, Rush emphasized the supportive environment and the valuable lessons learned. "I learned so much being on that job, to be honest. I think the one thing I just couldn’t fathom was that this is a job. It’s unreal," he said. His advice for future guest stars is to "take in every moment."