Richard Gadd Transformed His Voice To Play Half Man's Ruben Pallister: I 'Wanted Him To Feel Animalistic'

It only takes a few minutes of Half Man to realize that Richard Gadd's character, Ruben Pallister, is a complete departure from his role in Baby Reindeer. In the opening scene of Gadd's new HBO drama, a brawny Ruben with an unkempt beard towers over his "brother from another lover," Jamie Bell's Niall Kennedy. Visually, Ruben is a stark contrast from the comedian Gadd played in his semi-autobiographical Emmy-winning series. "I knew coming off the back of Donny Dunn — really anxious, kind of neurotic in a comedy suit — I had to do everything in my power to change everything about myself in order to make Ruben Pallister work," Gadd told TV Guide. But the transformation did not stop at physical changes: Gadd's latest character sounds entirely different, too. 

"With Ruben, I always wanted him to feel animalistic to a certain degree," he said. "That's why he kind of grunts all the time and he speaks in a lower register." Half Man begins with Ruben showing up unannounced at Niall's wedding, with the two men staring each other down away from the guests. "You don't have to speak. You have to listen," Ruben says in a voice that's hoarse and abrasive. The empty barn they're standing in rings with his low growls, and when he chuckles, the guttural sound reverberates throughout the building. 

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"I just wanted him to exist on almost a deeper plane than everyone else in a vocal sense," Gadd explained. "I felt like there was something just innately intimidating about a gruff, lower voice." And intimidating captures the essence of Ruben. The opening scene ends with him punching his cowering estranged brother squarely in the face. 

Gadd recalled the various vocal exercises he did for the role. "They took ages, and I did them every single day in order to deepen my register," he shared. "I just practiced and practiced and practiced — I almost can't remember how to do it anymore, but it helps with the kind of transformation."

Thankfully, Gadd is known for having what he describes as a robust voice. "I don't know what it is, I can scream and shout and still stay on voice," he said. "It's funny, I would always speak to Jamie [Bell] about this — because he was the opposite. He would do a shouting scene, and his voice would disappear almost instantly." 

"So I've always been blessed, in a weird way, with a voice that always was kind of robust."

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Half Man premieres April 23 at 9/8c on HBO.