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This interview contains spoilers for the sixth episode of HBOsWatchmen.
What was it like to audition for this part?
Did they tell you much?I didnt audition for this part.
Its usually like a quick text: How you doing?
Okay, love you.
He was like, Im going to call you in like 20 minutes.
I didnt even know what to expect until we actually got on the phone.
Maybe a year before, Id stopped by while theWatchmenoffices were just getting started.
He was asking me if I knew what my availability was a year from then.
Im ready to get over there.
Were you familiar withWatchmen?
I wasnt really familiar with the Minutemen at all.
This episode mostly takes place in Angelas Nostalgia-pill-induced delirium.
That meant they were going to be a lot of scenes that were really long.
To be able to do the switches, both of us were always on set at the same time.
It was always me and her right in each others pocket, basically.
The camera was expertly manipulated by Chris Cuevas, whos also fromThe Leftovers.
I wanted to impose my body by poking my chest out and keeping my fists clenched when I walked.
Did you discuss how Wills sexuality would play into his character?
In our story, he wasnt some sexual deviant.
He was just a man who was attracted to other men.
The audience doesnt know how many sexual experiences Will has had with men.
We entertained the thought that this wasnt his first, but perhaps this was his most significant.
But I think Metropolis was skewed in his intentions.
Youre not totally sure if his intentions as a costumed adventurer are as genuine as Wills are.
We didnt want to make Wills sexuality a novelty.
Now he has to hide his sexuality.
How hes still living in his eighties and nineties is just beyond me.
I really wanted to because Im a fan.
This is very much Mr. Gossetts part.
I just was able to play a very specific moment in time.
Day one, we talked about the lynching scene where you see the lynching from Wills POV.
Thats one of the most traumatic camera angles Ive ever seen.
I dont know how audiences are going to take that.
I dont even know the words to explain how he could have felt.
When thatfirst episodecame out, there were a lot of viewers who didnt even know theTulsa massacrewas real.
Its much more than, Hey, were going to do a lynching scene.
Were educating at this point.
For me, we are performing it.
I prayed on it before I even did the scene.
You do what you should probably do to get into that headspace.
But when it was done, I made it my business to leave it on the set.
Whether I was 100 percent successful at that, I dont think I was.
It was still something I was thinking about afterward.
And I think the same could be said for Regina.
I dont want to disrespect the people who actually experienced that by saying Ive lived it.
I tried my best to shake it at the end, but a little bit always stays with you.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
