Jason Isaacs Discusses His Role on Netflix’s “The OA”
Actor Jason Isaacs, best known to Harry Potter fans for his role as Lucius Malfoy, has taken on another role recently: that of a mad scientist. (Okay, while he might not be a mad scientist in real life, his character on the Netflix original series The OA certainly is.) Isaacs plays Dr. Hunter Aloysius Percy, described by Gold Derby as “an obsessed scientist who goes to extreme lengths to solve the mysteries of life after death, including abducting and experimenting on people.”
Isaacs, who appeared in an exclusive video interview with Gold Derby, wouldn’t go so far as to call his character “mad,” however:
What I loved about him is that he knows there is a moral cost to what he’s doing; depriving people of their liberty and experimenting on them and killing them is a terrible thing to do, but he’s also aware that the breakthrough he’s making will change everything for everybody who ever lives, ever. Which is maybe big enough to warrant the stuff that he’s doing in his basement, and that weighs on him.
If this is the first you’re hearing about The OA, don’t worry. It was “a deliberate move” by Netflix to bring the show onto its platform with little publicity, given the mysterious nature of the show itself. Isaacs elaborated on this idea, too:
Whether it feels like a traditional thriller or it feels like a spiritual odyssey or it feels like an unreliable narrator, it encompasses all of those things, and it makes you ask questions, and on a level that you are not even aware of when you’re watching it, [it] makes you ask questions about life and death, truth and faith.
Gold Derby also asked Isaacs about his role on the upcoming series Star Trek Discovery, although he couldn’t say much:
Trekkie fans are desperate for any kind of homeopathic hint of what’s going on. I can tell you that it’s called ‘Star Trek Discovery’; I can tell you I’m in it and I have started shooting. It is absurdly cool, I feel like a five year old. Anything else I tell you would just ruin it for you.
While fans of Star Trek might have to wait for news about Isaacs’ character, The OA is currently streaming on Netflix and has been renewed for a second season.
Have you seen The OA? Would you encourage others to watch it? What do you think of Isaacs’ character? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below, but remember to keep it spoiler-free!
