Mr. Robot stars: Season 2 goes places you can't possibly imagine
The Mr. Robot cast wrapped production on season 2 this week, and in an interview with EW's Tim Stack at Comic-Con Thursday, they revealed as much as they could. That is to say, nothing at all.
"It sets up season 3 real well," series star Rami Malek teases when asked about what to expect for the end of the sophomore season that concludes in September.
"It goes places that you couldn't possibly imagine," costar Christian Slater adds.
Much like season 1, he recalls.
"[Creator Sam Esmail] was really open and great really from the first meeting that we had," Slater, who won a Golden Globe — his first — earlier this year for his supporting turn on the USA drama, explains when asked how far in advance he knew the show's twists. "I had a sense that something was up with the character when I first read the pilot, and then sat down with him and asked him, and he said, 'Do you really wanna know?' and I said yes, and he spilled it all right there. It was great for me."
Great for costar Portia Doubleday was a scene she filmed recently on the streets of New York, specifically a moment when she thought Esmail had orchestrated some drama for her character to feed off of. But it was just a case of a passerby who "went nuts" and interrupted their work.
"We were outside, and people would just walk through, but this guy was, like, screaming at someone," costar Carly Chaikin starts to explain, "and Portia thought Sam made him do it."
"I thought that Sam, because Sam was asking me — I mean, I guess this is not giving anything away — to be a little bit worried in the scene," Doubleday continues, "and I heard this thing and I was like, 'Oh, Sam is such a genius. He really got me there.' And after the take I was like, 'That was the one!' and they were like, 'We can't use it.'"
Pedestrians might be a problem, but one particular ice cream truck hasn't been. "Mister Softee trucks... when we're shooting outside and you hear that 'ding, ding, ding,'" Slater says, singing the truck's familiar tune, "and you're trying to do a scene..."
"It's kinda worked for the show," Malek interjects. "There's a great creepiness."
There's nothing creepy about the show's success, though. "Miraculous" is the word Slater uses to describe it. His win at the Golden Globes was one of two for the show, which also took home Best Drama Series honors. In addition to a Peabody Award, the show landed four Emmy nominations earlier this month, including Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Lead Actor for Malek. It's all par for the course in their "busy" year.
"From the outside looking in I feel like it almost seems so much crazier than it feels being here, because we're just kind of going through all the motions and working," Chaikin says. "The best part is that we all get to be together so much on the off-season and celebrate all this stuff together, but it's really been just so much fun."
"An unpredictable journey," Slater concludes. "You just kinda go along with it, and I think we're all unanimously very appreciative."
Mr. Robot airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on USA. Check out the full interview above.
Entertainment Weekly is on the scene at San Diego Comic-Con. Go inside with all our coverage, available here.
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