Last week, ahead of the return of DC Studios rambunctious Peacemaker, we had the chance to sit down with some of the series cast. We talked dance routines, stunt work and even dug deeper in to some of season 2’s darker, more emotional moments. So today we’re going to be bringing you all of the highlights from each of these sessions.
Following our chat with David Denman, now we’re sitting down with two of the OG 11th Street Kids gang. We had time to speak with Danielle Brooks (Leota Adebayo) and Freddie Stroma (Adrian Chase aka Vigilante) and jumped at the chance to ask them about an incredibly emotional sequence which comes in episode 5. Beware there are some very minor spoilers in the interview below.
Check out the official trailer for season 2 in the player below and scroll down for our chat with Danielle and Freddie:
NB: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Neil (GYCO): I wanted to ask about an emotional moment between the two of you from this season, from the end of episode five. It resonated with me so much. Just after everyone has read the letter from Chris (John Cena). So it’s this beautiful moment where Freddie, you’re in the bedroom and crying, and Adebayo walks in and that really tender embrace between them is so emotional. So I wanted to ask you what it was like filming that moment and how those moments compared to filming the comedy moments audiences are used to?
Freddie Stroma (FS): Well, for me, those are my least favorite things to film. I always try to play everything as grounded and real as I can. So I don’t like having to get to that sad, dark place. But luckily everyone was great. I can listen music, and Danielle is just awesome as always. So coming in it was it was nice. It was kind of cathartic and it was nice to to share that moment because we do such silly stuff in the show, it’s nice to feel that drama in that character work. So it was fun to do it to a certain degree. But I do generally prefer to joke around on set and not have to be super, super ethereal.
Danielle Brooks (DB): When you said you hate those I was like, I like those moments! It’s not that I enjoy crying. I just like the vulnerability that it allows the audience to see with the character. I think especially for Vigilante having autism. To see him really… the whole moment isn’t for him to cry it’s to fight those tears. To see [Freddie] work through that and deliver so well was fun for me on set. It’s so unpredictable. Now we’re getting to the tear thing but I actually enjoy watching an actor fight through tears and maybe not even drop one because there’s just all this internal struggle going on.
That is so much more fun to watch and to try to do as an actor. So yeah, I enjoy, the challenge of finding it, especially because you’re still learning each other [as actors]. We didn’t study acting together so it’s really nice when you get to have moments like that with other actors.
NV: Thank you. That really is a beautiful moment. You both play it so incredibly well.
FS: Thank you.
DB: Thank you.
Peacemaker stars John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick return for season two. New cast members include Frank Grillo, David Denman, Sol Rodriguez, and Tim Meadows.
James Gunn wrote all eight episodes of season two and directed three, including the first episode. Gunn, Peter Safran, and John Cena serve as executive producers. Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, and Althea Jones also direct. Based on characters from DC, Peacemaker is produced by Gunn’s Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros. Television.
