An interview with Isaiah Washington for Season 2 of The 100

5 December 2014

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What did you enjoy the most about Season 1 of The 100?

I enjoyed seeing the Ark coming down in the Season 1 finale. Well, that’s one of many things that I enjoyed in Season 1. I'll start at the end of the season and I’ll work my way back. The Ark coming down was amazing. Watching Joseph Gatt – who plays Tristan – fighting the war and then the chaos stopped for a second where you see this fire in the sky… That was intense. Season 2 is going to be really fun because that’s where the action stopped in Season 1 and that’s where the action starts for Season 2. I assure you, you're going to be very excited.

What is the appeal of a show like The 100?

I’ve always talked about being a huge fan of [The 100 creator] Jason Rothenberg. If you’re sitting in the privacy of your home, you could be watching 999 other things for 42 minutes – but if you’re taking a ride with us, it’s going to be compelling and it’s going to be great television. Our show is shot beautifully and it’s exciting to be part of it.

The 100 is a pretty dark show at times. What do you think of the darkness?

That is an interesting question to address and I’m going to try and be as frank as possible. Society is living in some very coarse times right now. The world is in some very coarse times. If we look at CNN right now, it looks like people are trying to accelerate what our characters have already – unfortunately – been doing in The 100. The darkness of our show has to reflect the darkness in the world, but hopefully that turns you off; and that’s a good thing because that means you’re human and you want to be better. Our show takes you to the darkness, but there’s also retribution and redemption, as well as a sense of hope. And that’s where Chancellor Jaha comes in. Whatever his fate will be, his presence is still going to be very largely hopeful. I’m not saying it’s spiritual and it’s not perfectly moral, but it’s certainly hopeful to remind everyone that we could be better.

What was the most challenging scene for your character in this first season?

The culling. And then finding out, because of all of this human behaviour, it didn’t have to be that way. That was a tough one. That was hard.

What can you tell us about the storylines of Season 2?

I can’t tell you much. All I can say is the fact that it’s going to be intense. It's going to beautifully brutal. Trust us. Just trust us.

Has Jason Rothenberg told you what’s planned for Thelonious Jaha in Season 2?

Jason knows all, but he hasn’t told me anything. And I haven’t asked.

When we last saw Thelonious, he was left in space with a limited air supply. How long can he survive up there?

This is television. If needed, he could probably survive by sucking on that air for another 12 seasons of the show! They could slow down time. They could do a lot of things if needed. We’ll just have to see what happens.

Thelonious sacrificed himself so that the Ark could return to Earth. How is he feeling when we see him again?

His feelings are definitely explored [in Season 2]. All the choices he made are explored. He deals with the fact that he’s a symptom of his own demise. He made an executive decision that he thought was the right decision, which was to sacrifice 300 people. He then realised that he didn’t have to do that, but that’s not something that he can control. He’s not the type of guy who points fingers. He’s the type of guy who goes, “I’m the Chancellor.” He won’t say, “I did this because…” or, “That happened because…” A true leader doesn’t do that. He has no hesitation about sacrificing himself. He’s up there alone now.

Does this mean you’re alone in isolated scenes in space in Season 2? If so, how do you approach that type of acting style?

It’s deep, man! This is beyond 2001: A Space Odyssey and Tom Hanks talking to a soccer ball [in Castaway]. I keep saying, “Jason, are you out of your mind? This is so exciting.” I was excited about the show last year and I’m excited about the show this year again because I know it’s going to be great. It’s beautiful. And it gets beautifully brutal this year.

When you use the word ‘beautiful’, are you referring to Jaha’s world or the show in general?

I’m talking about the whole, entire show. It’s beautifully shot. Beautifully shot! I honestly can’t wait for everyone to see it. It’s going to be amazing.

ENDS.