Oliver Bell Interview on Playing ‘Salem’s Devil and Working on ‘Westworld’

Salem stars Joe Doyle, Oliver Bell and Tamzin Merchant
Joe Doyle, Oliver Bell, and Tamzin Merchant in WGN America’s ‘Salem’ season 3.

Oliver Bell has a starring role as Little John in WGN America’s popular horror series Salem and he can be seen playing one of the robots (or ‘hosts’) in HBO’s sci-fi series, Westworld. Bell, of course, never anticipated being a part of two popular shows simultaneously and never thought he’d be tackling the role of the Devil on one show while playing a robot in another. Both series have provided the young actor with an opportunity to work with talented adult co-stars and during our interview in support of Salem season three and Westworld‘s first season, Bell said he’s learning from everyone he’s working with and appreciates the chance to be a part of both productions.

Oliver Bell Exclusive Interview:

Is there something you’ve really enjoyed about playing Little John on Salem?

Oliver Bell: “I really enjoy just being able to play someone other than myself in a very big way because really I’m just playing an adult in a boy’s body, and I’ve not been an adult yet. It’s a new experience, of course, because I can only experience being an adult when I’m actually an adult so it’s fun becoming that at my age.”

A lot of actors who play villains or characters who are supposed to be evil say they don’t view their character as being a bad guy. However, there’s no way you can say Little John is anything but evil. How do you approach taking on a character who is totally evil?

Oliver Bell: “I picture him in my head as how they really described him and I’ll put my own interpretation on him. Being able to picture that really helps me find his voice or the way he acts and how powerful he is or evil or nice, his characteristics.”

Did you realize when you first took on the role in Salem that Little John would turn out to be such a major part of the series?

Oliver Bell: “Not at all, honestly. I just thought it was just going to be this one little line, maybe just one line and walk here, something like that. Just this boy who’s just your average 1800s kid, if you know what I mean.”

At what point did they tell you Little John was going to have a more important role in the story?

Oliver Bell: “In season two, really, because if you watch the show you know that I didn’t really have that much action in season one. In two, they really introduce my character and kind of show it as what it is. It kind of appealed to me over each episode how he’s evolving and how he’s growing into what he became. Really, I just learned from the script.”

It’s such a specific setting because you are trying to recapture the 1800s. Does it feel kind of normal walking around those streets and that 1800s set now after filming so many episodes?

Oliver Bell: “Yes, it is. It is in Louisiana and there are some parts of Louisiana that I just wonder do we need to build a set? (Laughing) I mean, honestly. Yeah, it is kind of normal because I eat lunch with zombies and witches, everything that would be dead now and in a sarcophagus.”

Salemstars Janet Montgomery and Oliver Bell
Janet Montgomery and Oliver Bell in ‘Salem’ (Photo Credit: WGN America)

What’s it been like to work with Janet Montgomery and how has your relationship changed over the years?

Oliver Bell: “Well, at first, when I really got to know these guys… They’ve been like a family for a year or two now and I started to join them and to be honest with you, I felt like I really had no one to be with. Once I actually got to know them and start doing scenes with them, I got to know two versions of them. The one that they are in Salem, and the one that they are in real life. It’s nice because I can actually tell the difference between the two.”

You are one of the youngest actors on the series. Is that kind of difficult because you really don’t have anyone your age to hang out with?

Oliver Bell: “You get used to it, eventually. Yeah, there’s sometimes extras and they’re very nice to hang out with. Of course, they’ll be there, they’re so loyal and it’s so nice because they work super hard and I get to see them sometimes maybe just passing by or at lunch. But most of the time, yeah, I’m on my own with adults and I’ve had to get used to that. I’ve accepted it, and it’s fun, really, because it helps me become my character more.”

Is there anything you can tease about what’s coming up on Salem?

Oliver Bell: “Not really, but I can say it’s definitely exciting and you’ll just have to watch to find out.”

Has there been any time on set where you were a little freaked out? I know if I was walking around set, I’d be scared. How do you handle it?

Oliver Bell: (Laughing) “Well, I can tell you one thing – I was scared the first time I ever walked onto that set. I was like, ‘Okay, let’s get out of here!’ I’m the biggest scaredy cat. I hate to admit that, but honestly it’s so hard to go to sleep at night after some of the things that I might reflect on. As I said before, you get used to it. After a while it’s just like a few pieces of wood painted on the outside and then thrown together. It’s not really that scary after a while.”

So Salem isn’t necessarily the type of show you would watch if you weren’t in it because you’re too much of a scaredy cat?

Oliver Bell: “Definitely. I would not be watching that. In fact, when I’m watching regular TV I have to be careful about what (I watch). Even just advertisements for scary shows and stuff like that I am staying away, because I’m that big a scaredy cat. I can’t even see stuff half a second without having nightmares.”

So then being on the set of Westworld must be kind of a relief because it’s not scary.

Oliver Bell: “Yeah.”

Can you talk about working with Sir Anthony Hopkins on Westworld?

Oliver Bell: “It was an incredible experience. He’s an amazing man. I really enjoyed working with him and I learned a heck of a lot, actually. I learn a lot from every actor I work with because I get to see their point of view on how to act and their point of view on how they see the world that they’re living in of that particular set or storyline. So yeah, I learned a lot from him. How they prepare as well because of course preparation always helps. You never know. I might learn something that could actually help me, like a lot. I pay attention.”

Is there anything in particular that you can point out that Anthony Hopkins taught you during your time on Westworld, besides being prepared?

Oliver Bell: “Well, he just really helped me get into character. Because the brilliant actor he is, he’s always preparing for his scene or preparing for something ahead of time. Actually working on a scene with him just shows how much that helps. It’s just being able to learn how much you might need to prepare and study the script actually really helps you. He taught me that because he does it a heck of a lot, like all the time. And it just makes me think, ‘Well, if I did this…’ I do now, of course, and it just really helps me out.”

Are you ready for something a little lighter or maybe a comedy after Salem and Westworld?

Oliver Bell: “I like fantasy. A lot of physical action, where in comedy, yeah, you might get dark humor out of action and stuff like that. Yeah, I think I might be ready for a role along the lines of that.”

How did it feel the first time that you actually saw the completed scene with your face coming apart in Westworld?

Oliver Bell: “Well, here’s the thing. They called me in for a live cast, like you know a whole body silicone mold, to be made from my body. I can tell you one thing, it’s not as pleasant as you would think. I mean, you feel amazing and you feel beautiful and you feel like you just had the treatment of your life, but during the process it’s just like an hour to an hour and half, two hours something like that. They called me in for that and I didn’t know that that was actually possible because I’m sure they did some CGI on it, but they told me it was legit in that, at least part of it was, they used my live cast and then they sent it to some guy that does whatever he did to make my face come off. Not mechanical robotics, you know like that. Seeing it on screen I tried to picture it as best as I could seeing my own face coming off. It looked a lot better than I pictured.”

Did you have to remain completely still for an hour and a half while you were having the mold done?

Oliver Bell: “Yes, mostly because even the tiniest little smile or frown or whatever it is… Your look that they’re trying to get, because silicone just really moves with your face until it dries, even slightest movement would have messed it up so you have to stay still. The sweet thing is I took Yoga classes with my mom in Louisiana, just like, ‘Breathe through your nose,’ all the Kundalini energy.”