Exclusive: Actor Drew Nelson Dishes on The Strain
Steve Barton
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It’s becoming one of the most anticipated horror-themed television shows in some time. Guillermo del Toro’s unique vampire tale “The Strain” premieres on FX on July 13. Recently one of the stars of the show, Drew Nelson, joined Dread Central to talk about the upcoming series.
Nelson shared his excitement about working with del Toro and having “The Strain” finally hit the air. “You have no idea! I’m so incredibly stoked that Guillermo chose me to be part of his vision,” Nelson said.
“The creative team is top-notch, the best in the biz, and we’re just hoping for the best. We’re hoping that people catch on. I really feel, with this show, we’re going to revolutionize the vampire genre and just turn it on its head. So all of us involved are extremely excited. And we’ve been keeping it a secret. It’s been shrouded in secrecy this whole time and we’re ready to unleash it and we’re ready for people to finally see what this is all about.”
Next Nelson gave a brief overview of what viewers can expect to see with “The Strain”. “It centers around a character named Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, played by the amazing Corey Stoll from ‘House of Cards,'” Nelson said. “He and his team come across this mysterious viral outbreak and they find out over time that it harkens back to an ancient strain of vampirism and the story is about him and his team and a band of everyday New Yorkers banding together to combat ‘The Strain’ before it hits globally.”
“It’s really epic in scale and there are a lot of interesting characters and it’s a very original concept and original kind of story that Chuck (Hogan) and Guillermo were able to write. I think people are going to dig it.”
When audiences finally get a chance to see “The Strain,” they’re in for some intense action and some really unique vamps. “These vampires are like nothing you’ve ever seen,” Nelson explained. “They’re feral, primal creatures that are out to kill and drain anybody and anything they can find. It’s a really high-octane, high-energy thriller show, and Guillermo’s vision of what these vampires look like and what they do is going to just blow people away. And the CG people they’ve got on board for this are just unbelievable. They’re so talented. They did a great job.”
Nelson plays Matt Sayles, and he gave brief overview of the character.“I see Matt as a very fact-based, practical thinker among all the crazy stuff that’s happening,” Nelson said. “Where I fit in the wheel of the story is Ephraim is involved in a bitter divorce battle with Kelly Goodweather, who’s played by Natalie Brown, and they have a son between them. I’m the new guy in Kelly’s life, her live-in boyfriend and also the emerging father figure to the son, Zack, who Ephraim loves and wants in his life but is so busy with his work that he can’t make time for it. So there’s a lot of good rivalry stuff between myself and Corey’s character.”
As for the show itself, Nelson feels “The Strain” is going to blow audiences away. “It’s loaded with a lot of crazy kill scenes, and the books span time periods; it’s really epic in scale,” Nelson said. “It’s going to encompass all kinds of different worlds and all the worlds are so detailed. I’ve seen some of the sets and I was absolutely blown away. I think we’re going to turn the vampire genre in a complete 180. The quality of the acting… the cast is so stacked. We have really great actors on our show and they’re all doing phenomenal work. All the pieces fit in the puzzle for success and we’re just hoping the audience catches on.”
Finally, the real treat for Nelson in working on “The Strain” was the opportunity to collaborate with n legendary director like del Toro. “Guillermo is everything you want in a director,” Nelson said. “He’s so incredibly technically sound when it comes to his vision. He knows every single minute detail, and working with him as your director, as an actor, he’s so open to suggestion at the same time he’s so planned. He knows exactly what he wants but he’s so open to collaborating, too, which is just ideal. And to top it all off, he’s just the best guy. He’s literally having the time of his life. He’s like a big kid. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. He takes the work seriously, but you would never guess that. He’s such a laid back guy on set and everybody on the crew loves him and adores him. He’s always cracking jokes, and he and I had a really special rapport going on. I’d work with him again in a heartbeat. You put all your trust in him and he’s going to get what he needs and you’re going to get what you want. He’s amazing.”
The highly anticipated first season of “The Strain” will premiere on July 13th at 10 p.m. and will include 13 episodes.
For more info visit “The Strain” on YouTube, hang out with “The Strain” on Google +, and follow “The Strain” on Twitter.
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