The lead actors in Robert Kirkman’s hit adult animated superhero series discuss their characters’ inner turmoil, emotional conflict, and ‘lurking in the grey areas’ as long-awaited Season 3 kicks off February 6 on Prime Video.
When J.K.Simmons was first offered a role in Robert Kirkman’s adult animated superhero television series , he turned it down.
“I don't know if I've actually said this publicly before,” shares Simmons recalling the story.
“When they first came to me at the very beginning of this, it was, first of all, a very busy time for me.And second of all, it was to play a different character.I read it - though there wasn't much to read yet - and I didn't know the source material.
I'm one of the few people who didn’t.So, I just went, ‘Interesting.But I don't think so.’” Of course, the team, being familiar with Simmons’ famous portfolio of work from to , didn’t give up on recruiting the Academy Award-winning actor. “I don't know how much later it was that they came back and asked me to play Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man,” Simmons says.
“I gave it another read, and it was like, ‘Why did I ever not want to be a part of this world in the first place?’ Being able to play Nolan and Omni-Man and the inner turmoil that exists from the beginning, the inner conflict between his true nature as a Viltrumite [or alien race] and aspects of humanity that might be creeping in and denting that armor, I find that to be an ongoing, continuing, really interesting challenge.” Now in its third season, which releases on Prime Video Thursday, February 6, follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson - voiced by Steven Yeun – who has inherited superpowers from his father Nolan (Simmons) and sets out to become Earth’s greatest defender, only to discover the job is more challenging than he could have ever imagined.Which includes dealing with the aftermath of his father’s Season 1 betrayal.Everything changes this season – including the suits – as Mark/Invincible is forced to face his past, and his future, while discovering how much further he'll need to go to protect the people he loves.
As stated by Global Defense Agency director Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) in the trailer: “Mark, we can be the good guys, or we can be the guys that save the world.We can’t be both.” Based on the award-winning comic book series by Kirkman, co-creator Cory Walker, and contributing creator Ryan Ottley, is co-produced by Skybound Animation and Amazon MGM Studios.Kirkman, David Alpert, Catherine Winder, Simon Racioppa, Margaret M.
Dean, Rogen, and Evan Goldberg executive produce.Helen Leigh and Walker co-produce.Yeun – known for his live-action roles like Glenn Rhee in and his voiceover acting with characters such as Steve Palchuk in – says is one of the most fun and creatively challenging jobs he’s had in his career. “Everybody is always growing [in this show] but Invincible has a tough time,” he says.
“Sometimes he regresses.And I will say, those regression points, as a human looking outside of my own 20-year-old self, can be frustrating.It’s like ‘Really? You’re back here?’ But then, as an actor, it's really fun because then you're trying to play the nuance of what that means to move forward and take two steps back and then move forward and take another two steps back.
I have a good time with it.” Simmons adds, “Steven is such a good actor and such an insightful guy and really a pleasure to work with.That is another aspect of this animated superhero show that is so real.We do get frustrated.
We do backslide.We do repeat old mistakes in life.And part of the journey is figuring out why and figuring out how to not do that anymore.
Some of the characters in this show are really allowed to explore that.” star Gillian Jacobs’ character Samantha Eve Wilkins, or Atom Eve, is a matter-manipulating superheroine and classmate of Invincible who gets invited to join the world's greatest superhero team, the Guardians of the Globe.But she refuses to join after learning her teammate and ex-boyfriend Rex Splode cheated on her with teammate Dupli-Kate.In her struggle to find self-meaning, Atom Eve chooses to find her own ways of helping humanity. “Atom Eve started off more confident and surer of herself and as part of this Teen Team, knew what it was to be a superhero,” notes Jacobs.
“And then it all fell apart and she's really questioning it.Should she be a superhero at all? How could she use her power? In Season 3, I'm excited to see her leave the treehouse and reemerge into the world.But I love the quandaries and the questioning and the internal journeys that these characters go on.
It gives so much depth to the show.” But Jacobs notes that peeling back a character’s layers in live-action is different - on set, props and other people help ground actors, providing a constant reminder that the roles they play aren’t their real selves.Alone in a booth, with only their imagination to guide them, an actor must navigate intense emotional turmoil.How do they stay in character without becoming too personally affected by the role? Or, on the other hand, should an actor disregard that boundary and dare to push for a more personal, authentic performance? “I mean, for me, it's also an opportunity to heal little things in my own past,” shares Yeun.
“You know, I probably only get frustrated [with Invincible] because I might have done that back then, or there’s a part of me that relates to that where you’re like, ‘Oh, I hate that part of myself.’ But getting to re-examine it is always fun.That's the privilege of acting in that way, too.” Jacobs adds, “For this, it really does require you going into your own mind sometimes and making it all very real for yourself so that you can give the best performance you can give.” In Simmons’ case, the actor shares he has always intentionally sought out mentally complex roles and that the morally grey areas explores, as well as the tormented souls that make up its cast of characters, was a big draw. “Lurking in the grey areas of morality and ethics; I am grateful that this show is continuing to do that,” says Simmons.“I hope it continues to do it for another three seasons, or four or five.
We can explore absolutely anything.There are zero limits because we're living in the multiverse and timelines of animation land.It's a great environment for the creative team and, obviously, for what they give us as actors.” Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime.
She's reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment.Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
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