The Deadbolt Interview - Inside the Minds of Alan Tudyk for the 'Dollhouse' Season Finale

Inside the Minds of Alan Tudyk for the 'Dollhouse' Season Finale
by Troy Rogers

Dollhouse Fox Alan Tudyk Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator, Joss Whedon, have been glad Fox has stayed with Whedon's new series, Dollhouse, for the entire season. Co-created by former Joss Whedon Buffy cohort, Eliza Dushku, the series follows Dushku as lead Dollhouse character, Echo, an "Active" in the futuristic Dollhouse whose mind has been wiped clean on a new journey to become self aware with new imprinted personalities for specific fantastical or criminal engagements.

However, the first season of Dollhouse saw a rogue "Active" named Alpha (Alan Tudyk) escape the Dollhouse in a killing spree where a slew of his imprinted personalities burst out at once, leading Alpha to go underground where he began to give the FBI clues to the validity that the mysterious, personality controlling Dollhouse does indeed exist. In the second chapter of the two-part season finale of Dollhouse on May 8 at 9:01pm on Fox, while Sierra and November work as bounty hunters, the identity of the deadly rogue "Active" Alpha is finally unmasked in a way that will alter the Dollhouse world forever after Alpha's plan is kicked into motion.

With Dollhouse about to close out its first season with an explosive engagement, we wiped our mind clean for a conference call where we got a few brief minutes with rogue "Active" Alpha actor, Alan Tudyk, who also worked on Firefly with Joss Whedon, to find out what it's like to have so many personas all living in one character, how he makes it work as an actor, which one he likes best, who else we could see inside Alpha if the series gets picked up for a second season, and if there's a possibility that we'll ever see a mini Firefly reunion.

THE DEADBOLT: Playing a character that has 43 personalities inside of him, what does that give you as an actor?

ALAN TUDYK: [laughs] A rash. A stress rash. No, it gives you a lot to chew on. In this coming episode, you see the effect of what 43 people is on one person. Alpha has a little bit of difficulty controlling them. We all have inner monologues, different voices that sort of chime in throughout our day. You know, different opinions on situations.

He’s a little less in control of his opinions; they are full people who all want voices, so it takes an effort to maintain order in his brain. So it was fun. It was a challenge. It was a little crazy making, you know, playing with that in your head and having to have different voices and sort them out and give them voice and then also having to fight them, create them, and fight them in a way.

THE DEADBOLT: So does it get confusing or is it really hard [to play]?

TUDYK: [laughs] Did it really hurt my brain? It did. There’s one line - I can’t say the line - there’s one line that was like he can contradict himself because he’s different people. He’ll say one thing and then say the exact opposite and then say something similar to it because everybody is chiming in at once. So it was a bit crazy making, trying to wrap your head around those lines and make them real for yourself when you’re saying them, even though you’re saying the exact opposite of what you just said and meaning it just as much and fighting it.

THE DEADBOLT: In addition to Stephen Kepler, are there any other of his personalities that you like?

TUDYK: Yes. There’s been mentioned Malory and ...

THE DEADBOLT: Mickey.

TUDYK: There’s sort of a Mickey personality that I like a lot, a good ole boy. He’s fun. He’s one of the more distinct ones that you’ll see that has a little more room to breathe. Yeah, him, and just sort of the overall Alpha. The composite guy because there is a center when he’s in control, which is egomaniacal and he believes he’s God.

THE DEADBOLT: Will we see Steve the Pirate?

TUDYK: [laughs] Maybe. There’s a ‘Garrr,’ but it’s very subtle. Actually, there’s a great dodgeball player in there, he was just never given a shot. I don’t get a chance to do that. If he survives this episode and there’s a new season, hopefully we can flesh that out.

THE DEADBOLT: Is there a chance we’ll maybe see Nathan [Fillion] Gina [Torres] or Summer [Glau] with you on the show at some point?

TUDYK: If it’s picked up? Well, Nathan’s got that Castle thing, you know? He seems to be pretty busy.

THE DEADBOLT: Yeah, and Summer’s a terminator now, too. So maybe just Gina.

TUDYK: Summer’s a terminator, right. He [Joss Whedon] may need to call in Summer just to kick Alpha’s ass if he survives.

-- Troy Rogers