David Gyasi
The actor on his roles in Carnival Row and Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil
David Gyasi is no stranger to sci-fi and fantasy. One of his first roles in a major film was as “skinny prisoner” in The Dark Knight Rises, which then led to bigger roles as Autua/ Lester/Duophysite in Cloud Atlas, Romilly in Interstellar and more recently as Achilles in BBC One’s Troy: Fall Of A City. But his latest role, in Amazon Prime series Carnival Row, is perhaps his most fantastical yet. Starring Orlando Bloom as a detective, and Cara Delevingne as a fairy, it’s set in a city in which tensions are rising between citizens and mythical immigrants. One of these creatures include Gyasi’s Agreus, a wealthy faun who causes a stir when he moves into an affluent human neighbourhood.
Yet while the setting and characters of Carnival Row may be the stuff of fantasy, for Gyasi the themes couldn’t be more real…
You’ve played victims of racism and prejudice before. How does a fantasy character like Agreus compare?
It’s not too dissimilar. So if you take my character Victor from [2012 BBC Two drama] White Heat, he comes over to England in the mid-’60s and he’s faced with signs on doors – “No dogs. No blacks. No Irish”. I interviewed my dad for that role because he came over around the same time and he had this spirit that he wasn’t going to be defined by what people threw at him. Agreus has a similar distinguished dignity that’s needed to survive in a hostile environment.
What do you think are the advantages of exploring racism through a fantasy story like this?
What seems to be the advantage is something Orlando said when we were in San Diego: that what really threw him was how different everyone looks – they’re different beings – but yet how much empathy we end up having with them. So you go, “I quite like an element of that character who’s a faun and I see where they’re coming from. I like an element of that character who’s a fairy, and can see where they’re coming from.” It allows you to see different sides of the coin.
How did you find walking with hooves?
Very challenging! It made me question why heels were invented and why so many people wear them. With the hooves you don’t even have the back bit to rest on. It’s like you’re constantly on your toes. But having said that, there is a sort of power and an energy you get from the discipline of standing that way and sitting that way and walking that way.
You seem to gravitate towards sci-fi and fantasy stuff a lot. Is there a particular reason for that?
With me it’s about heart and what resonates with me from the piece. Whether it’s Troy, Interstellar, Cloud Atlas, [kids’ TV show] Chuggington or Maleficent or The A Word. They’re all different genres, but it’s heart that unites them.
What was Christopher Nolan like to work with?
His work ethic and discipline are so impressive. After The Dark Knight Rises I met him randomly on a red carpet in LA and he went, “David, listen, you’re still in the film, but we had to cut your part down.” And I smiled at that, because what he didn’t know at the time was before I got the call to do that job I was thinking about giving up acting. Just being offered that role was affirmation for me. Maybe the way I took that news helped him to remember me for Interstellar.
Your next big role is in the Maleficent sequel. What was it like to work on that?
I loved it, and I didn’t expect to. I thought I was going to be a bystander. We did a dinner party scene that we filmed for nine days with quite a few of the main cast – Angelina Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning. It was just like being at a workshop at university. I enjoyed learning and reaping all the goodness from these highly experienced people.
You play Percival. What can you tell us about him?
He’s the general of the human army and his job is to protect humans from the fae folk, who he has some pretty strong opinions about. He’s like the opposite side to Agreus.
How was it working with Angelina Jolie – is she quite an intimidating presence?
I’ve been in this situation a few times: where what comes in the room before you meet the person is everything you’ve read and watched about them. But the person I met was someone who had incredible heart, generosity and vision. I imagine there’s a whole machine that revolves around her the whole time and I was impressed at how she’s able to leave that at the door.
Carnival Row is streaming on Amazon Prime now, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is in cinemas on 18 October.