It was pretty cool.
I listened because hes one of these minds that you just wanna work with.
You wanna be in their world.
And so, I was very flattered when he sent me the script.
I was like, Really?
And he said, Do you have any questions for me?
Image via Hulu
I said, How close are we to this actually happening?
And he laughed and was like, Well, maybe not so far off.
I had always wanted to work with [Dan].
Image via Hulu
It felt like whatWestworldfelt like when it was shaping up.
There was chatter about it.
There was talk of, This is Dans next show.
These are the people that are involved.
This is a very exclusive thing to be a part of.
Does it feel daunting to play a president?
Image via Hulu
I do think hes qualified and hes capable.
Sometimes maybe its impossible to do everything good.
So, that wasnt as daunting.
MARSDEN: Sure, it certainly made me want the job less.
I would want to rewrite the rule book on that.
Its silly that we hold certain standards for that position.
These people are sometimes not allowed to be human beings.
Theyre supposed to be robots who have never smoked a joint in their life or whatever.
Butit definitely didnt really make me ever want that job.
Political conspiracies, lies, and the human heart collide in Brown and Dan Fogelman’s reunion effort.
MARSDEN: Great question.
It makes everything feel way more concentrated becauseyou know where the beginning is and where the end is.
Everything can be more deliberate.
you could find the places where hes going to evolve and change.
Theres a really beautiful arc that he goes through in the show.
There are a lot of shifts inside of him as a human being trying to right his wrongs.
At some point, I think Cal is resigned to the idea that he might not make it.
I dont think he knows for sure that he isnt going to.
Hes not martyring himself.
He wants to do everything possible that he can to write his wrongs before that potentially takes place.
Did you have to lie there for the scenes when your body is discovered?
What is it like to shoot a death scene like that?
MARSDEN: They were very kind on this show.
I dont mind getting dirty.
It was a fully, head-to-toe prosthetic James, lying there in a bathrobe.
His name was Russell, and I was jealous of him.
They used the mannequin version of me for a lot of it.
Its a strange thing.
My mom was like, Oh, do you die in it?
Im not watching that.
We really get to know your character better through his conversations and in his more intimate moments.
Cal and Xavier have a lot of very personal conversations.
MARSDEN: When hes around a group of people, he has to be very presidential.
Its that one-on-one connection that he really desires.
Thats why hes with Krys character.
But you also see the loneliness in his life.
You see Cal doing that throughout the course of the show.
What was it like to have Sterling K. Brown to play those moments with?
Whats that like to work off of?
MARSDEN: Its a dream.
You just feel him.
Hes one of those people that just feels.
The writing was so perfect and did most of our work for us.
I understood the assignment, and he understood the assignment.
When we got there, we just clicked and we got it.
I knew what it was about, and so did he.
We were not thinking about the scripts, at that point.
We were thinking about the connection and the dynamic between these two people.
I think thats why all the scenes with he and I just work so well.
I was very lucky to be working with that man.
‘Paradise’ is worth tuning into alone for these subtle references.
Can he ever actually truly forgive what happened?
MARSDEN: Just to play devils advocate, there is room there.
You could argue that Cal did his best.
Hes absolutely entitled to feel everything hes feeling.
I think he really doesnt think there was any deceit.
Can you forgive me for not being a perfect human being?
Thats the best I can make of it.
What was your reaction the first time you read the finale script?
How do you feel about the way everything wraps up and where it leaves things?
Are you already asking for them to find a long lost twin of Cals?
MARSDEN: It was such a great group to work for.
So, the idea of doing this again is really appealing to me.
The writing is off the charts.
The acting company is brilliant.
The crew and everybody is like a big family.
I can see whyThis Is Usworked so well.
Maybe one of the 25,000 people who was allowed to stay can start cloning people.
Im gonna run this by Dan.
Your Rating
Your comment has not been saved
Cast
Paradiseis available to stream on Hulu.
Check out the trailer:
