'The Great' star Sacha Dhawan says the exploration of Orlo's sexuality throughout season 2 is 'beautifully done'
- Orlo (Sacha Dhawan) sleeps with men and women on season two of Hulu's "The Great."
- The actor told Insider that Orlo's journey of self-discovery is "beautifully done."
Warning: This article contains spoilers for season two of "The Great."
"The Great" actor Sacha Dhawan commended the way creator Tony McNamara handles Count Orlo's sexual exploration on season two, which is currently streaming on Hulu.
In the new episodes of McNamara's fictionalized retelling of Catherine The Great's reign over 18th-century Russia, the empress' bookish advisor feels out of place in a court filled with people preoccupied by either killing each other or sleeping together.
So when he's not busy helping Catherine (Elle Fanning) reshape Russia into a more progressive, enlightened nation, Orlo forces himself into covert sexual escapades with both men and women. If he can pinpoint exactly why he doesn't have the same sex drive as those surrounding him, he reasons that he may feel less alienated.
"It started to happen towards the tail-end of season one, so I was really happy to continue with Orlo finding himself," the 37-year-old actor told Insider.
He added, "It's nice that he's still fighting for Russia's cause, but also still finding himself."
On episode three, Orlo has sex with a man, remarking afterwards that the experience was "similarly disappointing to doing it with a woman." Disheartened, he admits that he would "really rather be reading a book."
It isn't until he crosses paths with Katya Velcra, the witty girls' school teacher portrayed by Jane Mahady, on episode four that Orlo feels true desire and romantic intrigue.
A fellow intellect, Katya quotes Immanuel Kant, makes René Descartes-related puns, and is even willing to read aloud to Orlo during intercourse. They have immediate chemistry.
Dhawan told Insider that, in his opinion, the character's arc is "really beautifully done," particularly because Orlo doesn't end up changing himself.
"It's okay. He doesn't necessarily have to be having sex like everyone else in the court. As he says it, he'd rather be reading a book," the actor said, continuing, "It was beautifully done. I actually really enjoyed filming those scenes."
Season two of "The Great" is currently available to stream on Hulu.