Quinto transforms for AMC’s ‘NOS4A2’
PASADENA, Calif. — Green Tree native Zachary Quinto broke into the limelight playing the villainous Sylar on NBC’s “Heroes,” but for AMC’s summer horror drama “NOS4A2,” based on the Joe Hill novel, his latest bad guy character required a more substantial physical transformation.
Mr. Quinto underwent four hours of makeup to become 135year-old Charlie Manx, a vampirelike being who feeds off the souls of children rather than their blood.
“I had been looking for a project and a character that would give me the opportunity to really transform and into whom I could disappear,” Mr. Quinto said during an AMC press conference at the Television Critics Association winter 2019 press tour. “I was a little resistant at first, to be honest, about the horror nature of the show and the kind of archetypal villain that I’d be playing. But as I read the scripts … it seemed to me
that there was a real depth and an emotional grounding in these characters.
Mr. Quinto said he expects his History “In Search Of” series will be renewed for a second season, but the future of the “Star Trek” movie franchise, where he plays Spock, is on hold. Director S.J. Clarkson (”Jessica Jones”) was expected to direct the fourth movie, but now she’s directing HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel pilot, leaving “Trek” dead in the water.
“[Those are] conversations we’ve been having for a while in terms of what the future of the franchise is, and it’s in process, so I don’t know exactly what to say except there are no plans for a movie happening at this moment,” Mr. Quinto said. “I would love to [play Spock again]. I feel like that’s been an anchor of my creative life for the last 10 years now. If I can go back to it, I’d always be happy to, and I love my ‘Star Trek’ family, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Hamill joins ‘Knightfall’
When History’s “Knightfall” returns for its eight-episode second season at 10 p.m. March 25, “Star Wars” legend Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker) will join the cast as a Knights Templar leader who has no desire to give former Master of the Temple Landry (Tom Cullen) a second chance.
“I’m playing basically the equivalent of a medieval drill sergeant,” Mr. Hamill said. “Landry is seeking redemption. He wants to rejoin the Templar Knights, and I’m dead-set against it. Hence, you have drama.”
Mr. Hamill said he didn’t realize there might be similarities between the Knights Templar and the Jedi of “Star Wars” until after he accepted the role.
“I didn’t really think it through,” he said. “I’m sure George Lucas drew from so many different inspirations, both from the movies and literature. He was probably thinking more of King Arthur and the knights of the roundtable because it was more idealized and glamorous certainly than the Templar Knights, but there’s no question his inspiration was rooted partially in this mythology.”
Still ‘Killing Eve’
BBC America’s “Killing Eve,” a recent Golden Globe winner for best TV drama, was the rare TV series that saw its first-season ratings grow week to week. Season two, premiering at 8 p.m. April 7, will air on both BBC America and sister network AMC in an effort to grow the show’s audience even more.
The new season picks up 30 seconds after season one ended after MI-6 agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh, who won a Golden Globe for her role) stabbed psychotic killer Villanelle (Jodie Comer).
“What is most interesting about Eve stabbing Villanelle at the end of [season one] is Villanelle’s reaction to that, and just how emotionally she perceives that,” Ms. Comer said. “It both affects them and changes them in a way neither of them are quite expecting.”
“They’ve crossed a line,” Ms. Oh added. “There’s no going back, and I think we have a lot of energy at the beginning of the series, and that pushes both of them into a different place of vulnerability.”
Co-star Fiona Shaw, who plays MI-6 boss Carolyn, posits why “Eve” struck a chord: The show’s humor is about the instability of the time that we’re living in.
“Maybe you’re not in any instability in America, but we certainly are in the UK,” she said, prompting laughter. “We have no idea how the world’s gonna change next, and I think this series absolutely nails that.”
AMC Networks updates
AMC brings back “Into the Badlands” (10 p.m. March 24) and “The Son” (9 p.m. April 27) for their final episodes.
On BBC America, new seasons of “Top Gear” (9 p.m. April 25) and “Luther” (8 p.m. June 2) are on tap.
IFC brings back “Brockmire” for season three at 10 p.m. April 3.
Channel surfing
The Hollywood Reporter says “The Walking Dead” star Danai Gurira (”Black Panther”) will depart the AMC zombie drama after appearing in a limited capacity in season 10. … Actress Allison Tolman (”Fargo”), who starred in the shot-in-Pittsburgh ABC series “Downward Dog,” will headline NBC drama pilot “Emergence” as a police officer who takes in a child found near a mysterious accident. … Production has begun on McCandless native Greg Nicotero’s six-episode “Creepshow” anthology series for streaming service Shudder, which will include stories by Stephen King, Joe Hill, Josh Malerman and Joe Lansdale.