Maya Jama received a direct warning from her co-star Kaya Scodelario before stepping onto the set of Netflix's The Gentlemen season 2, with advice centred on director Guy Ritchie's unpredictable working methods.
Scodelario, who plays Susie Glass in the series, revealed in an interview with Grazia that she contacted Jama before filming began. She messaged her directly, saying: "I just said, 'Hey, babe, heads up! This is going to not be what you expect. Be ready to be on your toes and trust the process.'"
Guy Ritchie's On-the-Spot Rewrites
Ritchie is known for his spontaneous approach to directing, frequently discarding prepared scripts and feeding actors new lines during shooting. Scodelario described her own first experience with this method, explaining: "On the day, he reads the dialogue and goes, 'No, I don't like any of that. Let's change it all.'"
She added that by the second season, she and co-star Theo James were better prepared for these mid-scene changes. "This time around, me and Theo knew what was going to happen – and it does unlock this really unique way of being completely present as a character, which I love," she said.
Supporting Jama's Career Transition
Jama, best known for hosting Love Island, announced her casting on Instagram last year, sharing a screenshot of an article confirming her role alongside the caption: "Told you I've been on some side quests."
Scodelario said her warning was also motivated by a desire to support Jama through a significant career shift. "I knew how intimidating it is stepping into a new part of your career and coming from a working class background. I just wanted her to know that I'm a girls' girl," she explained.
Jama plays the character Aisha in the new season, marking her first major acting role in a high-profile drama series. The second season of The Gentlemen continues the story from the first, which was based on the 2019 film of the same name.
