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Do you think of season two as a reckoning for Lee Sizemore?Yeah.
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The start of this first episode is very much about the breaking down of that.
We see him in an incredibly uncomfortable position with Maeve.
In many ways, hes looking to her for survival.
The tables are turned.
Lee has a very particular view of the hosts in that theyre there just to tell his stories.
Theyre just props to him.
So, yeah, it is a reckoning.
The show tends to be very dark, but your character delivers some welcome levity.
I just like playing him.
In a lot of ways, hes more of a caricature of a human than the hosts are.
The hosts are, in a lot of ways, more human than he is.
Some of it is just ludicrous and bizarre, but its human behavior.
I think thats the other part of Lee he just likes to be seen!
Its obviously a very revealing moment when Maeve forces Lee to strip naked.
What was your initial reaction to that?Well, I actually knew about this months before we started.
Jonathan and Lisa talked to me about it and asked how Id feel about doing that.
My immediate response was, Sure, whatever you need.
Its not often that we see a man naked.
Its a rare thing.
And obviously, doing it with Thandie, who spent most of the season last year naked.
I found it incredibly powerful, actually.
I thought it was important for that scene to happen.
Although, its been a very interesting experience to go through [the premiere] last night.
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How so?Actually, Id recommend it to anyone.
I was really concerned about that moment.
As you’re able to imagine, youre sitting in an auditorium full of a bunch of people.
You know its coming up and youve built yourself up to this.
And its coming, Im about to get naked in front of everyone here.
After it occurred, its quite liberating because it is shown now.
Cant go back, cant hide that anymore.
It is just a body.
I mean, weve all got one.
It was surprisingly impactful to see that reversal.Yeah, I think thats the beautiful part of it.
But it was surprising.
I dont think anyone was ever going to expect anything like that happening.
Its a mirroring of what these hosts have to go through.
The stripping down of it.
Maybe theres something lurking underneath.
Did you have any trepidation approaching the scene?
The team were incredible and they confirm that you are feeling so comfortable about it.
You know, everyones just so supportive on set and you just got on with it.
You just did it.
I was taking my clothes off for the whole day, I dont know, getting naked.
Once it was done once, that was it.
How was it establishing that antagonistic chemistry with Thandie Newton?It is funny.
I love working with Thandie so much.
She is not only an extraordinary actress, but an extraordinary human being.
We just had a ball, just the two of us, pretty much the whole season.
There was a lot of self-discovery along the road, not only for our characters but for ourselves.
It was quite an experience.
We just work really well together.
The characters have such an interesting niche.
And then youve got this sentient being thats growing by the moment in front of him.
Its forcing him to look at parts of himself that hes never really even thought of looking at.
Both of them, in one way or another, they are guiding each other.
Whats it like of being on a show thats part of the Zeitgeist?Its crazy.
The first season really challenged me, to be honest.
I have never been a regular on a TV show.
Then, finding myself a regular with this punch in of cast, it was momentarily overwhelming.
It was quite astonishing.
It has been a ride and Im really enjoying it.
I stay out of it.
I have heard that theres these fan theories, but I dont read any of them at all.
I attempt to keep myself kind of separated from everything.
I dont have any social-media presence.
I just keep myself very, very apart from it.
Im going to keep myself away from that.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
