Make sure you’re caught up on The Strain season two before checking out this interview with Miguel Gomez from the popular FX series. Gomez, who plays lone wolf vampire hunter Gus, recently took part in a conference call to discuss the critically acclaimed horror series from Guillermo del Toro, Carlton Cuse, and Chuck Hogan, and during our chat, he talked about one of the creepiest scenes of the show’s second season.
Gus is now firmly dedicated to killing all vampires, but his encounter with one particular vampire led to a bizarre – and horrifying – conversation with The Master.
The Strain season two airs on Sunday nights at 10pm ET/PT.
Miguel Gomez Interview:
Can you talk about filming the action scenes?
Miguel Gomez: “I have a lot of fun with the action and getting in there and really doing it for real. I try my best not to use any stunt doubles or anything like that because to me it just feels more authentic when I do it myself. There’s been a few times where I’ve gotten some bumps and bruises, but I think it’s all worth it and I think it all shows in the final product of the show. Yes, it’s been a lot of fun, though.”
Gus has said he only looks out for himself, but will we see that change a little since he’s met Angel and Aanya?
Miguel Gomez: “Yes, I think when he said that it was more out of anger and he was really talking to The Master, whoever it was that was talking to him. But, yes, I think when he starts to get close to someone he just naturally has that protective instinct, yes. So, yes, it’s possible.”
The show is so dark but do you have a funny memory from the set you can share?
Miguel Gomez: “Actually it was with Joaquin Cosio, who plays The Silver Angel, and Parveen Kaur, who plays Aanya Gupta. Working with them every day, we have so much fun. We laugh all the time. And just sometimes in between takes we’d be freezing because we shoot in Toronto, so it’s like frostbite weather. So, we’re freezing but in the midst of all that we’re still enjoying each other and having fun. This season was actually a lot lighter for me to shoot. It was a little more fun because last season was just intense; everything he was going through was so intense. And this season I was able to have a little more fun with them.”
Gus is one of the few characters who’ve had a direct conversation with The Master, and he asked him what he wanted from him and he didn’t get an answer. Will we see that play out over the rest of the season where he’ll come back into contact with The Master? Will that have any bearing on his relationship with the Ancients?
Miguel Gomez: “I think Gus is really just stumbling through everything trying to figure out what’s going on. I’m just as confused as you are about what they want from Gus, you know? But, yes, for some reason they keep seeking him out and I think he’s completely confused about it too. He’s just trying to do his best with the circumstances that he’s in.”
Is there a degree to which he’s still trying to atone for being the one who drove The Master into New York and unleashed this without really realizing what he had been set up to do?
Miguel Gomez: “Yes, I think that’s what really drives him. I think he feels that he lost his mom, and his brother, and his best friend because of his mistakes, and I think his nature is to be protective of the people he cares about and the people that care about him. So I think that’s what’s driving him, that revenge and that redemption, and I think he has one goal now and that’s to seek out whoever caused all these things to happen to his family and get revenge on it.”
You actually touched on it a little bit, but that conversation Gus has with The Master has to be one of the creepiest scenes in a really creepy program. So, what was that actually like to shoot and was it as creepy to shoot as it came across on the screen?
Miguel Gomez: “It is super creepy because Adriana Barraza, the lady that plays Gus’ mom, she’s such a wonderful lady. She’s such a beautiful person and to see her in that makeup and then to hear her speak those words to me, it was definitely something that…the way I am is I allow that into my body, into me, and those fears and those things to sort of awaken. And when I hear her saying these things and I just think back, and yes, it was super creepy to see her in that makeup and to see her completely change, no longer Gus’ mom, just pure evil at that moment. Yes, it was really scary and creepy.”
Do you read ahead in the books to see the arc of your character, or do you go along for the ride like the rest of us by reading each script as it comes to you?
Miguel Gomez: “I do my best to just experience it as the character experiences it. I try my best to not really ask too many questions, unless it’s something that Gus would already know or needs to know for an upcoming scene. But I try my best to really live in that moment and not really know too much.”
What kind of reaction have you been getting from the fans? Do they love the character, or love to hate the character?
Miguel Gomez: “Well, actually it’s been really great interacting with the fans because it was really important to me to show a different side of this guy that comes from the street. I think what’s really great about Gus is that what they’re ultimately saying in the show is you can’t judge a book by its cover, and people have been really giving him a chance and really seeing who he truly is. I think he’s just a guy that’s trying to do the right thing, really loves his family, and is really just doing his best with the circumstances that he’s in. So for the fans to actually see that and give him a chance, it’s really been an honor to play a character like that.”
Even though Gus knew Vaun for a very short period of time, what do you think he may have learned from Vaun and do you think he may have changed Gus in any way?
Miguel Gomez: “Well, I think it’s important to remember that Gus, he’s there against his will. They kidnapped Gus. Gus has no loyalty to these monsters. These are just people that have taken him and they’re holding him, and they’re basically forcing him into working for them. So, there’s no loyalty to them. He wants to get away as quick as possible. He doesn’t want to be anywhere near these monsters, and especially after seeing what they did to this innocent man – the Ancients basically tore him apart.
The good that came from it was that he got some really good training, and I think he’s really equipped now to fight these vampires. He learned a new way to actually kill them and he knows how to fight, and he knows how to engage in combat with these monsters. So, yes, he definitely learned the skills. But I think his thing was he needed to get away from them as soon as possible.”
What do you think it is then about The Strain that really has made it such a fan favorite show so quickly?
Miguel Gomez: “I think The Strain is not trying just to scare you. There’s a political message, there’s a spiritual message that goes along with the show, I think. And even deeper than that, it brings people from different walks of life together because I think in order to defeat this thing you need people from different walks of life. Nobody’s more important than anybody else. The billionaire needs the guy from the street, and the guy from the street needs the scientist, and the scientist needs his son.
If you really look at what’s happening – it’s love. Everybody needs to be together as one. I think it’s very important. It’s an incredible message for us as humanity. We need to all be together. Why does it take something like a sickness or an alien attack for us to realize that we’re just one? We’re all one and we all need each other. I think that’s what people connect to. They realize that we need each other. We’re all human beings, and ultimately what’s going to save us is love.”
The Strain Season 2 Interviews:
- Corey Stoll
- Mia Maestro
- Kevin Durand and Ruta Gedmintas
- David Bradley and Natalie Brown
- Jonathan Hyde and Richard Sammel
- Carlton Cuse and Chuck Hogan
- Samantha Mathis
