Who is Tom Ripley? Everything we know about the Netflix Ripley series character

Ripley, the upcoming psychological thriller series written, created, and directed by Steven Zaillian and produced by Andrew Scott and Enzo Sisti, stars Tom Ripley as its primary character.

Netflix has unveiled the trailer for its new limited series, which is due to premiere on April 4, 2024. The series is based on Patricia Highsmith's bestselling novel, Tom Ripley.

The story revolves around a con artist who travels back to Italy to bring back a wealthy man's son. The mini-series has eight episodes.

It stars Andrew Scott in the lead role, along with Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood and Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf. The secondary cast of the series includes Pasquale Esposito, Eliot Sumner, Liz Tancredi, Dan Matteucci, and Austin Green.

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Is Tom Ripley's character based on a real story?

The character is indeed very catchy, but a fictional one. The character is not based on any real person or a true story. Instead, he's the lead character in the crime novels by Patricia Highsmith.

The adventures of Tom Ripley span five books, namely: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under the Ground, Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water.

His story begins in Boston, where his parents died in Boston Harbor and he was orphaned when he was only five years old. He was raised by his aunt, Dottie, who wasn't very fond of him either.

He finds his way to New York City and tries out his luck in acting. However, he turns out to be a con artist, as he keeps assuming different identities and forging signatures.

Andrew Scott in Ripley (2024)

His life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes friends with a wealthy man, Dickie Greenleaf and gets fascinated by his lifestyle. He strives to maintain the same and tries everything in his power to do so. The fictional character's games with the Italian police make his story more captivating.

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How many movies or TV series have been made about Tom Ripley?

The character has received five movie adaptations so far. The first adaptation was Purple Moon, which came out in 1960. This French-Italian film stars Alain Delon as Tom Ripley. The second adaptation was the German-French movie The American Friend, which was released in 1977. It featured Dennis Hopper as Ripley.

The character was adapted for the third time in The Talented Mr. Ripley, released in 1999. The Bafta-winning movie starred Jude Law, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was the first time the character was brought to life on the big screen.

In 2005, Ripley Under Ground was released, in which Barry Pepper portrayed the lead. The final adaptation will feature Scott as the lead.

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Is Tom Ripley a psychopath?

His character doesn't fit into the definition of a psychopath, although some of his traits match this personality type. Ripley's character is skilled at deceiving others. He is capable of easily charming and manipulating others, masking his true intentions.

He lacks empathy and is willing to harm or kill without any remorse to get what he wants. He lacks genuine emotions but can imitate them when necessary.

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Ripley premiers on April 4, 2024, on Netflix. The trailer is available on YouTube.