Interview with Gideon Emery

March 24, 2016 | Seductive voice, aura of superiority, piercing eyes, blind but seeing everything: Deucalion has been a riveting presence from the first moment we met him in "Teen Wolf" season 3 and Gideon Emery portrays him with so much charisma that we've been eagerly waiting for his return ever since his last appearance in the 3A finale. Season 5 finally saw his return to Beacon Hills! Gideon Emery kindly made time to answer our questions about his character, the alpha of alphas, and he also talks a little bit about working on "Teen Wolf" as well as on "Marvel's Daredevil".

Foto: Gideon Emery - Copyright: Photo by OG Photography
Gideon Emery
© Photo by OG Photography
Note: © myFanbase 2016 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first two questions (up to 180 words) if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the link to this site.

German translation of the interview.

It's so good to have Deucalion back! I was waiting for that moment ever since he sent Braeden to rescue Derek from the Calaveras. What was it like for you to be back in Beacon Hills?

For me the actor, it was great. Teen Wolf feels like a 2nd family. From cast to crew, they really are an exceptional group of warm, hard working people. Always a treat to go to work! For Deucalion, there was probably some reluctance in returning, but at the same time he's been waiting a long time, watching from a distance. And to have the chance to prove he's truly changed was, like for most of us, a special opportunity that doesn't come around too often.

Most of your scenes this time around were with Cody Christian, a worthy successor in the line of Teen Wolf villains that we love to hate and hate to love simultaneously. Did you guys get to talk a little bit about how to achieve this kind of impact?

We didn't talk about that specifically. But meeting Cody was rewarding as he enjoyed my character in season 3. And I'd been enjoying his plotting, charming role, so it felt like a natural pairing. They're both intelligent villains, not simple brute force and that's always more interesting to play as an actor.

Redemption, trust and being worth saving are key issues on "Teen Wolf". Every now and then Scott trusts a "necessary evil" (as Gerard Argent put it) but his trust has been abused before. Do you think Deucalion is truly looking for redemption and a new pack maybe?

I can't be sure what Deucalion has been doing in his absence. But I do know that the old Deucalion was all about power and taking that power. Now he seems have evolved into more of a teacher and true ally. Like the Teen Wolf equivalent of James Bond's M. Been there, done that, and has the wisdom of years of experience. As for a new pack, maybe, if only to feel part of a family again. And to earn back the trust and redemption in his own eyes, perhaps. To prove not only to others, but also to himself, that he is capable of being true and noble.

I loved watching Deucalion having his own sort of afternon tea in Theo's little shop of horros! Was he testing the chimeras for their loyalty towards Scott vs. Theo?

Absolutely. There's always more going on beneath the surface of Deucalion and you never truly know where you stand, as he's always analyzing. You just have to hope he's sussing out how to help, rather than harm...

Deucalion really taught Theo a master class about absorbing his pack's power and kill them in the process. If Theo wanted to learn that why did he keep Deucalion on the black goo IV for so long?

Possibly because he thought Deucalion was his trump card. If he failed against the Beast, then he could ultimately kill and absorb Deucalion's power, and become the ultimate Alpha werewolf. Or maybe he was scared about what might happen if he released him. Once he had Deucalion contained and trapped, he became more dangerous in a way, like a caged wild animal. You know it's going to attack you the moment you try to release it.

Teaching Theo how to decimate his own pack doesn't sound very much like Scott. What are your thoughts about what the deal between Scott and Deucalion really was?

Deucalion was a double agent. Learning about his enemy and feeding them misinformation. I think Scott's goal was partly to have Cody's pack implode and fall apart, to weaken him. I don't know if Scott specifically asked Deucalion to encourage Cody to literally kill his pack, but, in war, they became acceptable collateral damage. Certainly Deucalion had to win Cody's trust and giving him that technique forged that trust. But I also think there's a part of Deucalion which had to enjoy watching him do it.

Foto: Gideon Emery, Teen Wolf - Copyright: MTV
Gideon Emery, Teen Wolf
© MTV

I would have loved to see Scott and Stiles presenting their plan to Deucalion. What a sass-off between Stiles and Deucalion that could have been. Were there plans for scenes like that or was it always gonna be a twist in the finale?

I never hear about plans for scenes other than what I get in a script. I've always wanted to see 2 things: another scene with Stiles, and for a showdown between Deucalion and Gerard. If only for him to get revenge for Gerard blinding him years ago. Sadly, Gerard seemed to get the upper hand. This time...

As someone growing up with Russell Mulcahy's 80s music videos and "Highlander" you notice his signature style in the look of the episodes, e.g. the wet floors in the Dread Doctors' lab. From script to screen, what do you think makes "Teen Wolf" special?

Great point! I think each episode of Teen Wolf feels like a mini movie. It just looks beautiful, the lighting, the way it's shot. The way they craft suspense, with great dialogue, emotive scoring and moments that breathe on-screen when characters connect. They manage to strike a perfect balance between action, romance and comedy, all wrapped up in engaging storylines. It always starts with the writing and Jeff Davis' hands-on approach has ensured that it retains not only an overall look but also quality of story. He created the show and still manages to write for nearly every episode. They're engaging characters and, dare I say it, Wendy's and Jeff's quality casting brings it to life.

With Deucalion and Gerard and also Peter Hale assumedly still in the mix, I feel like they had decidedly too few scenes together so far. And while Deucalion and Peter might bust heads on who has always been the Alpha of Alphas they seem to share a common enemy in Gerard. Who would outsmart who?

Well you know I'm gonna say Deucalion would come out on top. Let's be honest. Peter got to cry out "I am the alpha!" while Deucalion is the "alpha of alphas...the demon wolf!" Deucalion holds the champion's belt. For now.

You also played Anatoly Ranskahov in "Daredevil" season 1. Could you please talk a little bit about working on this show? You shared quite a memorable scene with Vincent D'Onofrio and Anatoly's death illustrated Wilson Fisk's brutality for the first time.

Daredevil was my first opportunity to work on a Marvel show and in New York. Both were goals of mine for a while, so it was a rewarding experience. Vincent is a really nice guy but as Fisk he's brutal. He's also very strong. It was exhausting filming the fight scene, multiple takes and angles. The longest fight scene I've shot and I've been in many! It just never stops haha. And that's all me, except for the end, where my trusty stunt double stepped in. I didn't think I'd risk that car door NOT crushing my real head!

You played your fair share of dark characters. Is that your favorite part of acting, exploring that kind of darkness?

It's not my favorite part, but it is certainly interesting and a part in all of us. It's just about how much we choose to show the world on a given day. Some characters feed it, get off on it, but it's usually masking something very fragile within. I have just found myself being cast as a number of villains, but I certainly don't seek them out. I started out in stand up comedy, although that can be pretty dark self exploratory work, too. I'd still like to play a bumbling Hugh Grant type role. I think that's partly why I enjoy Stiles on Teen Wolf (apart from Dylan's acting of course). It's closer to who I really am.

Since myFanbase is an online magazine about tv shows, we would like to know what your favorite shows are?

Right now, I'm enjoying "How to Get Away with Murder", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", "The Grinder", "Mad Dogs", "Togetherness" and "Better Call Saul".

Thank you so very much for the interview!

My pleasure! Thanks for asking me!

Nicole Oebel - myFanbase

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