THERE has been much Poldark-like swooning over James Norton in the sprawling BBC adaptation of Tolstoy’s timeless classic War and Peace.

Norton plays brooding Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, one of the central characters in this enthralling series which has all the hallmarks of quality drama for which the BBC is famous.

He is undoubtedly a good-looking young man, but it would be a shame if all the hype over his looks took anything away from his skills as an actor. He was, you may recall, the murderer Tommy Lee Royce in the award-winning series Happy Valley, vastly impressing all so much he won a nomination for a British Academy Television Award.

True, there is a compelling stillness about him which, along with cut-glass cheekbones, adds to his charm. But he is also a talented actor, able to give a first-class performance whatever the part.

He’s shaping up to be mesmerising in this latest Russian role and deserves all the plaudits. Handsome men may come and go but the genuinely skilled endure.