Wonder Man Sir Ben Kingsley and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Interview

Interviewer: What drew you to this series from the very beginning?

Sir Ben Kingsley: What drew me to this series, from the outset, was the opportunity to explore and revisit Trevor under entirely different circumstances. To explore him free of drugs, free of villains, out of prison, and to see him pursue what he has wanted to do since he was a boy: to act.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: What drew me to this project was the chance to work with Destin [Daniel Cretton]. I have a lot of respect for him as a person and as an artist; I’d seen two of his films, Short Term 12 and Just Mercy. We actually had a general meeting maybe a year before talking about this project, and he was someone I really felt I wanted to work with. Also, I was looking for a positive experience more than the material itself. I felt that a great experience would include the material, but also the people involved. I told him straight up, "I just want to have fun, I want a good experience." And he kept his word.

Interviewer: This is a very "meta" story, yet a quintessential Hollywood tale told through the Marvel lens. Did anything about this story or your characters resonate with you personally?

Sir Ben Kingsley: You ask about personal resonance because of its setting, but I think the setting is merely the box in which we play. And one doesn't play with the box; one plays the game inside it. The context, like the production design, is Hollywood and Marvel, but inside is an entirely human story about friendship, risk, the danger of discovery, the threat of being found out, and the search for one’s authentic self. These are wonderful universal questions for the audience, but the Marvel/Hollywood frame did not dictate how we approached the material, speaking personally.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: What resonated with me was remembering what it’s like to be an actor who just needs a shot. Simon says to his agent, "I just need you to believe in me." That’s a line I actually asked to put in, because I knew that in that moment, it was all Simon needed: someone to believe in him. I know what it feels like to want someone to believe in you and say, "Trust me, I can do this." A lot of actors walk out of an audition thinking, "I just wish someone could see what I was trying to do." I think it’s a universal theme that a lot of people will relate to.

Interviewer: Tell me about working with the show's co-creators, Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest.

Sir Ben Kingsley: I had already worked with Destin on Shang-Chi, while I met Andrew Guest for the first time here. They were extremely protective of the cast, the genre—though "genre" is the wrong word because this project defies it—and the material. They were eager to give us a wonderful place from which to jump and take risks within the narrative. They always guided us by asking, "What is the story?" We followed the story under their affectionate and skillful guidance.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: I had a fantastic experience with Destin and Andrew, who I call "AG." It felt like a project made by a tight-knit team where everyone cares and is talented. We said to each other, "Let’s make something we all like, do our best, and get home safe to do it again the next day." When the work is like that, it doesn't even feel like work.

Interviewer: Yahya, you’re no stranger to superhero stories, but Simon Williams is very different from Black Manta or Doctor Manhattan. What was your approach to playing him?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: I’ve been lucky enough to play different heroes in the past, but the different and refreshing thing here was being able to treat Simon like a regular guy with a dream. I treated his superpowers almost like a disability, like a big secret that gives him anxiety or something to be ashamed of. This allowed me to keep him human instead of playing him in a supernatural way. It was a gift to be able to do something on a Marvel scale, but in a way that was so grounded in his humanity.

Interviewer: Sir Ben, this is the fourth Marvel property Trevor Slattery has appeared in, but it’s the first time we’re really getting to know him on a deep level. What was it like revisiting him, and what surprised you this time around?

Sir Ben Kingsley: Revisiting Trevor for the fourth time gave me the opportunity, through the writing and the rapport with the other actors, to express his profound love for Shakespeare and the English language. Inhabiting the series with that nuance was rewarding. There isn't much Shakespeare in Iron Man 3 or Shang-Chi, but here it managed to weave its way in forcefully, giving Trevor the chance to quote him while passing on his knowledge of acting to a colleague. It was wonderful to transmit all of that to Yahya’s character through Trevor.

Interviewer: One last question: what do you hope fans take away from this series?

Sir Ben Kingsley: I don't know if I hope the fans take away anything specific, other than that the series ignites some thoughts they wouldn't have had otherwise. I think it will stimulate many sparks, as well as entertain.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Honestly, I haven’t thought about it that deeply yet... but I hope they watch it!