Currently, he costars onSurface, a new thriller on Apple TV+.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What initially attracted you to join this project?
I know you’ve worked with Gugu before, so was that part of the allure?
But I genuinely think it was the scripts.
It was a combination of things it was the scripts, I think Veronica West had written these.
I’d never read anything that was such a page-turner.
And then the whole thing being twisted on itself again.
So it was that.
Then also Hello Sunshine, they are so good at this punch in of stuff.
You know what I mean?
It was a combination of all of the things that all came together.
Was there any concern because you have a history now of playing these bang out of men?
Was there any-
[Laughs] What does that say about me?
Actors used to be afraid of getting typecast and doing the same role over and over.
I don’t think this role is the same, but it starts out thinking it’s the same.
What was your reaction to that?
Well, I actually think that’s why they came to me from the get-go.
Listen, I think all of us are afraid of being seen as one thing.
But I was like, “Oh, I guess this is different.
“The Lost Daughtercharacter is a very different key in of …
I mean, all of these men fall under a banner of toxic men.
But are we all just bad?
And so I guess it all becomes about choices and about the choices people make.
That’s been great fun.
You know what I mean?
What I usually hear from other actors is that the villain role is typically their favorite to portray.
Because you could really play and explore.
you’ve got the option to definitely play.
So it’s hard to talk about without giving too many spoilers away.
But I do hope that with that show James is not what he seems for good or for bad.
You know what I mean?
Women’s roles have definitely been changing in the horror/thriller genre.
Creators are now recognizing the complexities of humanity allowing characters to neither be totally good nor totally bad.
I think that’s what you alluded to with your character here.
But how do you think roles for men have changed?
Well, I think that it’s about f—ing time that we start telling these complex stories.
I think that’s where the most interesting drama lies, in these great characters.
Nothing can be binary and nothing in the world is binary.
It’s never like this or like that.
We all behave in ways that are contradictory in our real lives.
That’s a really good question.
Yeah, I reckon so.
Without sounding like an a–hole, I think I’m pretty decent.
