‘Half Man’ Stars on Their ‘Sinister’ Fraternal Relationship in Richard Gadd’s New Drama and That Shocking Virginity-Loss Scene: ‘A Lot Scarier on the Page Than It Was to Shoot’

Apr 23, 2026 7:00pm PT ‘Half Man’ Stars on Their ‘Sinister’ Fraternal Relationship in Richard Gadd’s New Drama and That Shocking Virginity-Loss Scene: ‘A Lot Scarier on the Page Than It Was to Shoot’

By K.J. Yossman

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K.J. Yossman

@KJYossman

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Courtesy of HBO

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains stories from the series premiere of “Half Man,” now streaming on HBO Max.

“Half Man,” the sophomore drama from “Baby Reindeer” creator Richard Gadd, follows the story of two very different teenage boys thrown together by fate, whose relationship will affect the rest of their lives.

There’s awkward, under-confident Niall (played by Mitchell Robertson, and later Jamie Bell) and volatile, angry Ruben (Stuart Campbell, then Gadd) who form a tragic and suffocating lifelong bond when they find themselves living under one roof. Over the course of the series’ six episodes, their relationship waxes and wanes, but continues to cast a shadow over their fates until the finale’s electrifying denouement.

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