A Westworld of confusion
Actor Jeffrey Wright tells Julie Eley why fans of the sci-fi western series shouldn’t worry about being a little bewildered.
Ever wondered what’s happening in SoHo’s Westworld? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Even show star Jeffrey Wright, who plays the robotic host Bernard, says that when season one ended some cast members were confused, too.
‘‘I don’t think the intent right now, the purpose right now, the point right now is to understand everything,’’ says the 52-year-old actor.
‘‘I went back and watched the pilot a couple of weeks ago, simply because I’m growing impatient waiting for this second season to come out, and there are some references, very clear references to season two, that I had not picked up on on the first viewing.’’
Just what they are, he’s not saying, but with season one of the American series ending against a backdrop of chaos and robot revolution, fans can expect big changes ahead.
‘‘The second season is very different to the first,’’ says Wright. ‘‘I kind of had to give in to the unknowns, there are a lot of unknowns. This season for me was about just letting go and being open and present.’’
Last season it was arguably his character who was one of the biggest unknowns when it was revealed in episode seven that Bernard was actually a host working on behalf of Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins).
Wright was let in on the secret after the pilot episode and until then he saw the scientist and programmer as ‘‘the everyman, understated, mild-mannered working his way detective like through the various mysteries and rabbit holes.’’
It’s a role, he says, that appealed because, ‘‘I’m really drawn to the existential questions that are asked. And the ways in which we explore our relationship to reality’’.
Asked if Westworld has changed his views on free will, he says: ‘‘Well, certain scientists say that there is no debate. That there is no free will. It’s only an illusion that is created to placate us, to keep us from going off the rails.
‘‘I think, I think some of us are freer than others, or some of us have the capacity to be freer than others. It is a question I think that is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly when we look at this desire toward giving of control.
‘‘As we’ve seen in our country, there’s this tolerance for authoritarianism that I underestimated and that speaks to a desire to be led, that speaks to a desire to be predetermined, that speaks to a giving up of one’s will in a way that’s been kind of shocking.’’
A thoughtful actor, the political debate permeates his life. He campaigned for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US election and spent hours talking politics with his Westworld co-star Anthony Hopkins.
‘‘Working with Tony, it was as good as it gets. It’s wonderful to play off of him, but also wonderful to talk with him when the camera’s not rolling,’’ he says.
‘‘His career spans backward from Westworld to Thor back to [Laurence] Olivier, so there’s a lot of ground to cover, there’s a lot of tales across that span and he had some interesting early days. He was a bit wilder in his choices than he is now, so it was great.
‘‘He’s a history buff, a bit of a political junkie like myself, so we had some good times trying to figure out all the madness that we saw on the horizon that we are now experiencing.’’
Hardly surprising then that Wright sometimes needs an outlet from ‘‘the madness’’. A keen surfer, he heads for the ocean when ever possible and is an avid follower of fan theories surrounding Westworld.
‘‘I think one of the weirdest overall theories that I took in was that because the weather never changes in Westworld they must be in a biosphere underwater.
‘‘It’s like, ‘No dude the weather doesn’t change because we shoot in LA’. But yes, the fan theories are a lot of fun.’’
So given the hype around Westworld, would he visit such a theme park?
‘‘I don’t know if I’d be going just to shoot people. I’m not sure I’m looking for that,’’ he says.
‘‘I might go to Maripossa, have a couple of alcohols and chat up a couple of ladies, that’s not beyond my interest, but I don’t know if I’m going to go there and shoot any body in the head.’’
It’s a view not shared by his costar Rodrigo Santoro who plays cowboy killer Hector.
‘‘If I’m there, I would go full throttle. I’m going to see what’s the deal. I think the idea is to deal with our own ghosts and the dark side of your self,’’ he says.
‘‘I’m not saying I would do bad things. I’m saying I would be stimulated to deal with my dark side and hopefully work it through.’’
It’s not a sentiment that Hector is likely to embrace. Traditionally his idea of working things through involves a six-shooter.
Season two might see the hosts free from the narrative and on a journey of self-discovery, but Santoro says of his character, ‘‘his essence remains’’.
‘‘He is a nihilist, an apocalyptical warrior. I have never looked at Hector as a villain or like a bad cowboy or whatever name you want. He is going to go through a lot this season, as are the other hosts, so he is eventually going to transform in different ways.’’
And just as Hector is transforming, the show is changing Santoro’s views of the world.
‘‘Since I started doing the show, I’ve become more involved and more interested about everything related to technology and machines.
‘‘It’s very, very tricky what we are going through right now, our relationship with [technology]. It’s an extension of ourselves.’’
That said, just as the humans have lost control of Westworld, could we also lose control in real life?
‘‘We’ve already lost it,’’ says Santoro. ‘‘It’s already at a level we don’t really realise. That’s what attracts people to the show.’’
Season 2 of Westworld debuts on Sky TV’s SoHo channel on April 23 at 1pm and 8.30pm and will also stream on Neon.