T O M E L L I S
Interview & Photography { John Russo
Produced { Photohouse Productions
Grooming { Nicole Elle King
Styling { Cannon wearing
Video{ Ken Waller Media
Location { Waldorf Astoria NYC
JR{ Being on two different shows sounds a bit overwhelming, then let’s add in a family and relocating across the country. Are you secretly Superman?
TE{ I inadvertently was training with Superman last year because we actually had the same trainer, so maybe he rubbed off on me (laughs). But last year, 2025, was a lot for our family. Doing “Tell Me Lies” was an opportunity to work alongside Meaghan and, obviously, be where we were shooting as a family. Whilst moving house to come and start “CIA” was stressful, moving to New York is something that we’ve been dreaming of doing for the past few years. So, it’s also like I can’t believe it’s happening, and our dreams are coming true. And that sort of helped energize us for the year. But yes, when I look at it now, I think, gosh, we did a lot last year.
JR{ CIA has taken you to NYC, what have you found to be the most challenging aspect of living in the city?
TE{ It just so happens that my first winter in New York is what many people say is the coldest winter in New York for years and years and years. So that has indeed been challenging. Filming outside in the bitter cold is quite exhausting, especially if you’re having to pretend it’s not as cold as it is. The other thing I love about shooting in New York, which is also a challenge, is that when we are out and about, especially shooting in Manhattan, there’s no closing off of the roads or the streets that we’re shooting on, so we are literally shooting in and amongst the New York public who don’t stop for anything or anybody. That can be quite a challenge. You can be halfway through a take, and someone comes up and asks for a selfie, or you’re dangerously close to being run over by an Uber Eats bike. It’s quite perilous, but quite fun, and it adds a kind of energy to the scenes that we do there as well, which I love.
JR{ What drew you to this role in CIA — and what did you immediately understand about this character that made you say yes?
TE{ I liked the aspect of Colin’s character that his life is so secret that no one knows about it, not even his inner circle. His way of living out his profession, which is also his life, because the two can’t really be exclusive, means that he’s constantly shapeshifting and code switching and adapting to whatever environment he’s in. I thought, as an actor, that it would be a really fun opportunity to find the character. And I think also just the opportunity to come and work for Dick Wolf, who’s such a legend and has got quite an unbelievable track record of TV shows being successful. So, to come and work with a group of people that really know what they’re doing and to play such an interesting character… it was a bit of a no-brainer for me.
JR{ CIA blends espionage with psychological tension. How would you describe the show’s tone to someone who thinks they’ve “seen every spy series already”?
TE{ I think the show has a lot of things that you will have seen in spy series before, but I think what makes it unique is the fusion with the FBI element of it. So, we’re combining spy craft with traditional law enforcement, and that in itself throws up some pretty interesting and unique scenarios. I’d say that, in the show, whilst living in the world of espionage, we also try to have fun with the characters and the dynamics between the characters, especially the central relationship of Colin and Bill.
JR{ Was there a particular scene or episode where you felt the show “clicked” into something special?
TE{ The day that I met Nick and we did our chemistry reads, it wasn’t like a traditional chemistry read, just sitting in an audition room together in front of a blue screen. We spent a day on the set with some mocked up scenes and the crew and we shot it as if we would be shooting the show. It was that day and working with Nick, how easy and effortless it was, and what a great person and great actor he was, that made me think to myself: I think we got something here.
JR{ What was the most unexpectedly challenging part of filming CIA?
TE{ I think for me, I haven’t led a show since I finished “Lucifer” five years ago. And obviously I’m a bit older now, and I’ve got a two-year-old daughter. I think that the most unexpectedly challenging part was the combinations of aging and life and coming back to do a schedule and lead a show on a schedule. I forgot how hard, taxing, and exhausting it is.
JR{ Switching lanes here to your character in Tell Me Lies enters a world already charged with emotional volatility. What part of his psychology did you find the most intriguing to unpack?
TE{ It was interesting playing Oliver because normally I find something about the character that I’m playing that I can empathize with so I can at least gain an understanding as to why their psychology allows them to do the things they do and make the choices they make. But with Oliver, I couldn’t find anything to empathize with. There was no reason for, and there was no remorse within the character about his actions. So, for the first time, I found myself playing a true sociopath who has no thoughts and feelings for others, only their actions. I’m always looking for the answer to, “what’s this person’s soul?” and I realized that this person didn’t really have a soul. So, it was more about emptying myself and making myself vacant and void behind the eyes to gain an understanding of him. But yeah, it was probably the character I least enjoyed playing in my career, even though I loved being in the show. It was one where I walked away without the normal degree of satisfaction I get from playing a character.
JR{ The relationships in Tell Me Lies are messy, intoxicating, and often destructive. Does experiencing this level of drama enforce the things you do not want in your personal life?
TE{ Thankfully, I’m much older than the characters in this show, so I’ve learned through my life that the choices they make don’t lead to very good endings.
JR{ Tell Me Lies blurs the line between truth and manipulation. How did you justify your character’s morally complicated choices?
TE{ The only way that I was able to justify it was by acknowledging that this character was empty inside. Once I got my head around that and stopped looking for justification, that was my way into playing the character.
JR{ What’s next for Tom Ellis?
TE{ Sleep.
To learn more about Tom follow him @officialtomellis
Clothing credits: cover shirt and tie courtesy of @ISAIA under Chandelier Sweater by @ISAIA Closet shot:Jacket by KROST @krostnewyorkShirt and pants John Varvatos @johnvarvatos Boots @allsaints