April Bowlby, Joivan Wade, And Michelle Gomez On The Joys Of Working With The Doom Patrol Cast - Exclusive Interview
The highly anticipated Season 4 of "Doom Patrol" is finally here, and somehow, the cast and writers have upped the ante on the wild shenanigans the upcoming season has to offer. While everyone loves Superman and Batman, "Doom Patrol" brings DC Comics a chaotic alternative for those days when the Man of Steel just isn't saucy enough. The series' stars include April Bowlby (Elasti-Woman), Joivan Wade (Cyborg), and Season 3 addition Michelle Gomez (Madame Rouge).
Fans may recognize Gomez from projects like "Doctor Who," "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," "Green Wing," and "The Flight Attendant." Bowlby has plenty of TV credits as well, having done shows like "Two and a Half Men," "Drop Dead Diva," "The Big Bang Theory," and "How I Met Your Mother." Like Gomez, Wade had an arc on "Doctor Who," along with appearances on "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," "EastEnders," "The First Purge," and "The Weekend."
"Doom Patrol" invited Looper to the New York Comic Con press room, where we exclusively spoke to Bowlby, Wade, and Gomez. The actors waxed poetic about the cast, teased Season 4, and shared some fun stories from the set.
Butts, sex ghosts, and time travel
This show has an incredible cast, [between] Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, [and] Diane Guerrero. What are some of the highlights of working with this cast, and what can you tell us about the upcoming season?
April Bowlby: The highlights of working with such talented people is that I become more talented. They're incredible. We've got four years together, so it's like family at this point, where we get to play and create. To be around people who have had such beautiful life experiences to bring to the episodes and to our work is a huge gift. This season, there's going to be more butts, sex ghosts, time travel, [and] psychedelic loopholes. The list goes on and on. It's going to be a lot of evolution once again — growing, struggle, [and] accepting who you are, which are the themes that make our show very special.
You've done a lot of iconic comedy work. How do roles like "Two and a Half Men" and "Drop Dead Diva" compare to a big action-packed series like this?
Bowlby: There's a lighter thing about comedy. You read the script, you find the beats, and you go. This is more [that] you read the script, you break it down, you think you have an idea how the scene is going to go, and then you do the scene with another beautiful actor, and then you find and uncover things that you never thought were there. So it goes a little deeper than comedy.
Witchy woman
This isn't your first larger-than-life role like this. You've done "[Chilling Adventures of] Sabrina"; you've done "Doctor Who." What attracts you to these crazy, larger-than-life roles, and what is most exciting about working with these wild casts?
Michelle Gomez: [crawling to the ground] This is a good angle for me. Never come at me with a phone under [the] chin. I'm just going to do it from down here. What attracted me? I don't know. I think the attraction was the other way around. I think they took one look at me, and they said, "We need a little bit of Mickey G in the house," and here I am.
What have been the most exciting aspects of taking on this challenge?
Gomez: Peeing in front of somebody, asking them for their theatrical flyer, using it as toilet paper, and then thrusting them down a large hole — that was a fun day. It was my first day on the job, actually. Also, getting to play with them remotely — I got to play with the first James Bond of my life, the wonderful Niles Caulder, played by Timothy Dalton with the impossibly blue twinkly eyes. Not that I would know anything about that.
Do you have any fun stories from set or anyone that you've worked with?
Gomez: I do have some fun stories from set, but that's absolutely none of your business. If you did want some fun stories, you can check into our panel because I'm going to roll out two or three of them, and they're all inappropriate.
Can you describe your character in three words?
Gomez: Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
Doom Patrol's charades champ
What are some of the highlights and fun moments from set that have really stood out to you in working with icons like Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, and Diane Guerrero?
Joivan Wade: It's got to be charades. We get to play these characters and live in this space constantly, but charades is where I really get to see their acting chops, and without a script. How you gonna do without a script, buddy? That's when the improvisation comes into it and the quick thinking. And I'm proud to say that I'm holding the record right now. Brendan, you got to step up your game, mate. Got to step up your game, Diane, April, Riley, Matt, Mickey G. Step up your game.
The first two episodes of "Doom Patrol" premiere on December 8, with additional episodes being released weekly before its mid-season break on January 5.
This interview has been edited for clarity.