Mark Pellegrino could not be any nicer, any more charming or more gregarious. Yet despite this disposition, there is still something quite sinister about his eyes, his mouth and his whole demeanor. Perhaps that’s why he’s memorably brought some of the baddest bads (Lucifer on “Supernatural) and most mysterious goods (Jacob on “Lost”) to life.
And while he sticks with the villainy in his latest role — as vampire Bishop on SyFy’s “Being Human” — the role diverged from his last in an enormous way: Mark knew what the hell was going on.
Which isn’t to say he didn’t enjoy the “Lost” experience, quite the opposite. But to hear Mark tell it, knowing if your character is good or bad, alive or dead, real or fictional does actually make a difference for an actor. Shocker.
PopWrap: Were you familiar with the BBC original in the beginning?
Mark Pellegrino: I wasn’t. When I found out, I watched only part of one episode. It was really good but I didn’t want to imitate the style or get any of their version in my head because I knew we were doing our own original thing.
PW: Then what was it about Bishop that appealed to you?
Mark: I found Bishop’s problem very interesting – and as the show suggests, it’s a very human one. Everyone goes through problems of loyalty and betrayal. His issue was like the father with a prodigal son. One who rejects his values and he’s trying to lead him back to the right path of life. I thought that was really profound and an emotional bond I wanted to explore.
PW: The audience seems to view Bishop as “the villain,” but your father analogy makes it clear that you do not.
Mark: Definitely. There may be one part in a million that comes along and you think, there’s no humanity here, but most people are just trying to live their lives. It’s up to the audience to decide whether my character’s actions are appropriate or inappropriate.
PW: A couple of the more high profile roles you’ve had (“Dexter,” “Supernatural”) were definitely more on the evil spectrum, are you more intrigued by the bad guys?
Mark: They’re more interesting because I think our culture makes “evil” more active. For an artist, or an actor, active roles – going for that goal – is far more interesting than just passively responding like the good guys do.
PW: Does that mean you might have preferred to play The Man in Black to Jacob on “Lost?”
Mark: [laughs] The great thing about “Lost” was that there was so much ambiguity. Everyone was in grey territory and it questions the notion of good. Not to destroy the idea of good but to acknowledge that it’s a complicated idea. The Man in Black had some great things to do, but so did Jacob – and so much of his stuff turned out to be far different from what I thought.
PW: How so?
Mark: He went from being an overwhelming god-like figure to one in a long line of people. He had a childlike quality and an innocence that was so much about loyalty. He had simple virtues, but he did bad things [laughs].
PW: When all is said and done, do you have a grasp on what “Lost” was about and Jacob’s role in that world?
Mark: I think he is another cog in an enormous machine. We pick the story up when he just so happened to be the cog [laughs] – the guy pulling the levers and get redemption and set things straight for what he’s done. I have some ideas but I think the fans have been churning about it longer than I have, so their notions are more figured out than mine.
PW: Was part of the appeal with “Being Human” to work on a show that was a little more straight-forward, less esoteric, than “Lost?”
Mark: Yea, it was nice to know the majority of the mystery beforehand, that’s for sure. There were times during “Lost” where information would surface that I wish I had known four episodes prior. It didn’t hurt anything, it all worked out in the wash, but on some level it’s nice for an actor to know where they’re going because we’re telling the story too. I like the clarity of playing Bishop.
PW: Since you can’t compare it to the original, tell me, as the episodes wear on, how do you feel about the direction “Being Human” is headed in?
Mark: Oh, I really like it. There’s very thrilling, savage elements to it. I don’t know if that’s in the original, but you’re always left hanging from one episode to another, wondering where the next thing is going to come in. What’s going to happen next. It’s very sexy too. I think vampires need sexiness – that savagery, that danger.
PW: What’s your take on the vampire world?
Mark: I looked at my vampire world as an oppressed minority. I know they do that in “True Blood” as well, but I think that’s right on when talking about the vampire world. They’re on the fringes, bottom-feeders slinking around in the dark because they know they could be wiped out if discovered. That’s why Bishop insinuates himself into an area of authority where he can take command while spreading his influence. It’s a pretty smart move on Bishop’s part.
“Being Human” airs Monday’s at 9pm on SyFy
Photo: SyFy; ABC