I Play Sorting Hat for the “Man in the High Castle” Cast

I had the privilege this past weekend of attending New York Comic Con. There were so many different vendors, panels, and booths that everyone could find something that interests them. I had the privilege of being able to attend not only the panel for The Man in the High Castle, but the roundtable interview after as well.

The Man in the High Castle is an Amazon Internet series about an alternate post-WWII universe. In this world, Germany won WWII, vastly changing the society that we live in. Juliana Crain is transporting a film reel in place of her sister to a collector in the Neutral Zone known only as “The Man in the High Castle.” Is her contact who he says he is? Or does he have a secret he’s hiding?

During the interview, I was able to speak with Alexa Davalos, Rufus Sewell, DJ Qualls, and Brennan Brown. While interviewing the cast, I realized how vastly different these actors and characters are. Yes, all actors’ personalities are different than the characters they play. It was the dramatic differences in roles that made me curious about how some of these characters would be Sorted at Hogwarts, versus how the actors were Sorted.

Davalos has the role of Juliana Crain, the protagonist of the story. She is curious as to why her sister was transporting the film real and why it was important enough to cost her sister her life. So she takes her place to deliver the film reel. I feel that her bravery, loyalty, and cunning make Crain a Gryffindor.

I actually feel that Davalos is a Gryffindor, too! Qualls states in his interview, “Alexa is stronger than I thought she was because she is our leader. Because she is the first person on the call sheet, you look to her for guidance. If you are the lead of the show you set the tone; it’s your responsibility.” Even when she is not on camera, she is leading the charge and helping her castmates to improve. A Gryffindor tried and true.

Sewell plays John Smith, a high-ranking official with the Nazi military. He is a Natural American who embraced Nazism. It is speculated that this change in loyalty is due to Smith growing up poor during the Great Depression. Currently, his main job for the Nazis is investigating the Resistance in New York. Due to his “betrayal” of his country, and his apparent power- and wealth-driven needs, I have Sorted Smith into Slytherin.

Unlike Davalos and her character, I feel that Sewell differs from his character too much to be in the same House. I believe that Sewell is a Ravenclaw. One of the other reporters asked about the intersection between the show and the world we currently live in. While agreeing that there are similarities, he goes on to say, “Where this show intersects with the world that we know is where it becomes very, very interesting. And it’s not for me to say where it intersects and where it doesn’t.” Also, when he was asked if there was anything that he learned about himself that surprised him while playing this character, he responded, “No, I’m always trying to discover. If I had discovered anything I would certainly keep it to myself, and I don’t mean that in a rude way. I don’t think it’s to be shared. If I [were] to have a revelation like that, it is precious enough not to squander.” He knows the power of wisdom and that it is precious. Ravenclaw is proud to have this amazing actor among its ranks.

Qualls brings Ed McCarthy, a friend of Frank Frink, Juliana’s boyfriend, to life. They work alongside each other at the factory, producing fake war antiques. McCarthy is an avid follower of politics, making sure he is always up to date. Despite the shady dealings of creating fake antiques, he must have a vast knowledge of these antiques to create accurate replicas, and due to his political curiosity, I Sort McCarthy into Ravenclaw.

Qualls, however, I believe is very much a Hufflepuff. He spends his time collecting, reading, and teaching his castmates about art. He also stated that he can’t wait until Davalos is old enough to wear brooches. He sees them while scrolling through auction lists and realizes that the prices are a good deal for the materials. However, he can’t bear to tear them apart because of the sentimental value it once had. Later on, in the interview, he displayed his Hufflepuff heart once again by saying, “When other people’s shows get canceled, I am sad for them. In a way that I wasn’t before, because so much of people’s lives have [been] put into developing something.” Hufflepuffs salute you!

Overall, it was a great cast and an interesting show. Make sure to check it out before Season 2 drops on December 16, 2016!