English actor Rufus Sewell has built a career playing American characters on shows like “The Diplomat” and “The Man in the High Castle,” but some TV viewers might have forgotten about the time he played a prominent American historical figure in “John Adams.”
The HBO miniseries, released in 2008, chronicles the founding of the United States from the start of the Revolutionary War through the years following John Adams’ tenure as the nation’s second president. Headlined by Paul Giamatti as the titular character, “John Adams” featured a number of other major historical figures, including Alexander Hamilton, played by Sewell. He appears in only two of the show’s seven episodes, but Sewell’s Hamilton has a notable dynamic with Adams. The two begin as allies while working to establish the U.S. before drifting apart over policy disagreements.
“John Adams” earned widespread acclaim from critics and audiences and is commonly deemed a must-watch historical drama. The show also won 13 Emmys, which, as of this writing, remains the all-time record for awards won by a limited series.
Rufus Sewell had different expectations for his John Adams role
Rufus Sewell expected his role as Alexander Hamilton in HBO’s “John Adams” to be more substantial than it ultimately was. According to the actor in a 2015 interview with Decider, he wasn’t aware that he would only appear in two episodes when he signed on to the series.
Sewell also prepared extensively for the role, only to discover that the miniseries’ portrayal of Hamilton differed from what he had expected. “I went off like a fool and read everything I could about Alexander Hamilton and I had all this stuff! ‘Could you put this in? Could you put that in? Could you put this in!?!’ Because he was a fascinating character!” Sewell recalled. “As it happens, Hamilton … is positioned as more of a greedy schemer than a tireless worker bent on stabilizing the young American nation.”
Despite the role differing from what Sewell expected, he added Hamilton to the list of American characters he has played on TV. Sewell will return as Kate Wyler’s (Keri Russell) husband, Hal Wyler, in “The Diplomat” Season 4, which is set to premiere on Netflix in October 2026.