We’ve got Autumn Durald Arkapaw, recent Academy Award winner, who shot the pilot. It looks stunning. It’s what Ryan has always done: he sets a high bar. I think it’s gonna be really special. Hopefully special enough to get us a series.
You’re in the biggest movie of the summer, so we’re all watching you. But what have you been watching this summer?
I’ve just started Widow’s Bay, I’m four episodes in. Hiro [Murai] texted me when he saw The Odyssey and I said, “Thanks, and thanks for absolutely terrifying me shitless with that clown in episode two.” What was that?!
Hiro’s so good, that balance he has between comedy and genuine horror, it’s brilliant. One minute, thinking, “That’s really creepy, and terrifying.” Next minute, I’m laughing. He’s a special guy. Matthew Rhys is great, Stephen Root, always amazing. I’m really enjoying it.
Did Nolan or Coogler ask you to watch anything in preparation for your roles in their respective projects? If not, are there any films you pulled from when shaping the character or preparing for the role?
I didn’t actually pull from anything for The Odyssey, because I thought this is gonna be a thing unto itself. Knowing Chris’s influences of Lawrence of Arabia and that he admires Gladiator, there’s a sense of the tone to some degree. With X-Files, it was a case of not wanting to model myself after anything because we’re playing completely new characters.
I went back to the beginning of the show and started watching it to get a sense, because I never really properly watched it. I watched the odd episode here and there when I grew up. But I was too young to watch the series when it started. I’m still making my way through it.
Earlier this year, you made a cameo in Riz Ahmed’s Bait, which explores the representation of South Asian actors in Hollywood. When your casting in The Odyssey was announced, you received some backlash, and there was a bit of it with the X-Files as well. Did that affect or color this role for you?
The backlash doesn’t, really. It’s funny with The Odyssey and some of the, dare I say, quieter backlash with X-Files. Even saying it out loud is so silly. It’s very easy to quickly dismiss the complete nonsense of it. But it doesn’t really get into my head; it adds fuel to the fire for me.
Anyone can be underestimated for a long time based on many factors. But for me, a lot of it definitely had to do with being who I am, the way I look. It’s always been, “That’s fine, but I’ll work hard and then you’ll see.”
There are viral clips going around of people’s experiences viewing The Odyssey in 4DX. The seats are being shaken, water and scents are being sprayed.
