Has Noah let you in on what’s in store for Arthur in season 2 at all? What are you hoping for?
We’re still figuring it out. Noah’s got a lot of ideas but he’s always a little tight-lipped. I’ve been thinking a lot about the fact that I’ve never played an alien before. I’ve never played something that’s seen a lot of the universe but also has a sense of humor. Like the pi episode with the shit on the floor. That’s funny! There’s such an absurdity to this T. Ocellus that I think it’d be really fun to play. I mean, there are already a lot of rules for this little creature from season one. What does it do to the brain that it’s in? It uses this new lens to see the world, and Arthur’s a new lens so how much of Arthur can I bring in? I’m having a lot of ideas as an actor already, so we’ll see how Noah wants to shape it.
Your one scene in the finale obviously packs a punch but I feel like the penultimate episode is Arthur’s finest hour. What was it like playing that scene with Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) and Smee (Jonathan Ajayi) in which you’re very gentle with them, holding their hands and teaching them about lying, just before the chestburster moment?
Noah and I talked about this idea that I’m a scientist and I’m a dad. And slowly through the course of the season, the dad wins out. That last scene needs to feel “full father.” I’m no longer seeing them as hybrids; I’m seeing them as two children who I care for deeply.
We’ve all seen what the chestburster does. So the “what” is not in question, but the “how” is interesting. We were like “well, what makes this chestburster moment distinct and interesting from the ones that have come before us?” This is a father being chestbursted by his “son” to birth a new “xenomorph son” in a way. It was actually the simplest scene because all the science has faded, and it’s just me being a father to two troubled sons.
From a physical acting perspective, what is it like to be chestbursted? Did you do research into previous chestburstings?
