A Deep Dive into the Roots of Wilson Fisk and Maya with Vincent D'Onofrio

1 00:00:00,017 --> 00:00:04,677 This is Tony Tolato, and this is Sci-Fi Talk, the podcast on how sci-fi, 2 00:00:04,717 --> 00:00:09,617 fantasy, and horror, and comics help us explore our own humanity. 3 00:00:09,897 --> 00:00:14,457 On Byte Today, Vincent D'Onofrio, who is once again playing Wilson Fisk, 4 00:00:14,577 --> 00:00:17,297 a.k.a. Kingpin, on Echo. 5 00:00:17,757 --> 00:00:20,777 What about the roots of Wilson Fisk? 6 00:00:21,637 --> 00:00:27,117 What's Wilson Fisk like, and what are his roots, and what does he do for a living? 7 00:00:27,117 --> 00:00:31,357 Well, his roots come from a very emotional place. 8 00:00:31,597 --> 00:00:36,817 He had to kill his father because his father was killing his mother. 9 00:00:37,177 --> 00:00:40,997 That starts his life off. That's how intense it starts off. 10 00:00:41,957 --> 00:00:44,137 He grew up in Hell's Kitchen, New York. 11 00:00:45,337 --> 00:00:48,217 He is he grew up 12 00:00:48,217 --> 00:00:52,977 to be broken but ambitious and 13 00:00:52,977 --> 00:01:00,477 but emotionally broken and he lives his life like that he has a quality about 14 00:01:00,477 --> 00:01:06,837 him that if he doesn't get what he wants he turns to violence But it stems from 15 00:01:06,837 --> 00:01:11,137 that emotional place where he killed his father. 16 00:01:11,517 --> 00:01:19,817 And so you just put that character in any situation, things are pretty nutty. 17 00:01:20,697 --> 00:01:25,677 More of Echo on Byte, so stay tuned. On keeping the MCU canon. 18 00:01:26,117 --> 00:01:33,097 There's canon, MCU canon, when it comes to Maya and Kingpin. 19 00:01:33,097 --> 00:01:39,717 And there was a run of in the comic books where he raises her as an assassin 20 00:01:39,717 --> 00:01:44,677 or trains her as an assassin, kills her father unbeknownst to her. 21 00:01:45,197 --> 00:01:50,617 And I knew I knew about that coming in to Echo. I knew about that already. 22 00:01:51,677 --> 00:02:00,957 And so he he trains her and and he develops her into being quite a criminal. 23 00:02:00,957 --> 00:02:06,377 And teaches her how to survive in this world. 24 00:02:06,957 --> 00:02:19,037 And then she learns the truth about him, and she turns on him. 25 00:02:19,197 --> 00:02:25,877 And she goes off to become who, and she's on a journey to become who she really 26 00:02:25,877 --> 00:02:31,017 is outside of, under the control of the kingpin. What does Echo seek? 27 00:02:31,397 --> 00:02:33,057 She's looking for revenge. 28 00:02:34,277 --> 00:02:40,517 She wants to destroy Kingpin and take his place, so to speak. 29 00:02:41,577 --> 00:02:43,917 It's funny because, you know, the community... 30 00:02:45,995 --> 00:02:54,595 Because she's deaf and communicates with sign language, and we didn't want my 31 00:02:54,595 --> 00:02:57,095 character to learn sign language for it. 32 00:02:57,175 --> 00:03:04,315 The other actors did because their characters needed to, but we wanted him to be in the dark about it. 33 00:03:04,955 --> 00:03:09,335 Like he never had the time to actually do that for her. 34 00:03:10,455 --> 00:03:16,015 So like maybe the first couple of days it was it was like trying to feel out 35 00:03:16,015 --> 00:03:21,115 how Alekua and I were going to communicate and understand the scenes together 36 00:03:21,115 --> 00:03:22,715 so that we were doing the same, 37 00:03:23,275 --> 00:03:27,015 same scene the way we were doing the same you know making the same show and 38 00:03:27,015 --> 00:03:32,315 felt the same way about the the scenes but it only took a couple of days and 39 00:03:32,315 --> 00:03:36,315 then it was just like normal you know just like you deal with any other actor. 40 00:03:36,915 --> 00:03:42,935 She's very impressive. And for somebody new like her to be carrying a show the 41 00:03:42,935 --> 00:03:45,855 way she does, she carries that show in a big way. 42 00:03:46,015 --> 00:03:51,315 And her talent on the day, every day, when the camera was rolling and before 43 00:03:51,315 --> 00:03:56,815 it and after it, and her understanding of scenes, her understanding of specific 44 00:03:56,815 --> 00:03:58,715 little moments in each scene. 45 00:03:58,715 --> 00:04:04,295 And, yeah, it was like working with any other very talented actor. 46 00:04:05,335 --> 00:04:07,675 More of Echo on Byte, so stay tuned. 47 00:04:08,879 --> 00:04:13,399 The best kind of villains to play. Those are the best kind of villains to play. 48 00:04:14,179 --> 00:04:17,079 You know, that's just clever writing. 49 00:04:18,179 --> 00:04:22,999 And it's not necessarily, yeah, I guess it is love to hate, but it comes in 50 00:04:22,999 --> 00:04:24,139 all kinds of different forms. 51 00:04:24,139 --> 00:04:30,879 In other words, it's always a good idea to play a villain that's emotionally 52 00:04:30,879 --> 00:04:37,799 based, that his what one might call villainous behavior. 53 00:04:38,499 --> 00:04:41,559 Of course, that's not how I look at it. Like, I don't think he's doing anything 54 00:04:41,559 --> 00:04:43,779 wrong, but I'm the one that's playing him. 55 00:04:44,939 --> 00:04:50,599 But that it stems from something emotional, something real, and that he's acting 56 00:04:50,599 --> 00:04:55,839 through that emotionality. And those are the best villains. 57 00:04:55,899 --> 00:04:59,359 And those are the villains that can keep an audience with them. 58 00:04:59,619 --> 00:05:05,319 Because if it's based in real life things, we connect as an audience. I know I do. 59 00:05:05,399 --> 00:05:12,079 We connect to stuff we can relate to, whether it's a villain or a good guy or a hero or an anti-hero. 60 00:05:12,379 --> 00:05:15,259 So I think those are the best kinds of villains. 61 00:05:16,059 --> 00:05:20,819 Kingpin is in New York and he can be nowhere else. He doesn't fit in Oklahoma. 62 00:05:21,379 --> 00:05:27,719 He is from Hell's Kitchen and he needs to get in and out. 63 00:05:28,519 --> 00:05:35,019 But his, you know, his tentacles reach that far and further in the world. 64 00:05:35,579 --> 00:05:40,379 So he's not, none of these places are completely foreign to him, 65 00:05:40,379 --> 00:05:42,779 but he operates best in New York. 66 00:05:43,059 --> 00:05:47,319 Who makes this series special? Well, I would say Alec Wilcox, 67 00:05:47,459 --> 00:05:51,579 the actress who plays Maya, slash Echo, makes the series super special. 68 00:05:51,899 --> 00:05:58,879 I think our relationship in the show works in this immensely kind of very intense, 69 00:05:59,199 --> 00:06:02,879 emotionally violent and physically violent at times way. 70 00:06:03,479 --> 00:06:05,299 The tone of the show is dark. 71 00:06:06,719 --> 00:06:13,419 But her journey, Eloqua's character's journey, is really quite something. 72 00:06:13,599 --> 00:06:16,199 It has Native American roots. 73 00:06:17,219 --> 00:06:21,679 They become a huge part of the story. There's her kind of ancestral calling 74 00:06:21,679 --> 00:06:29,479 and the history of her ancestors, her close family members who are all Native. 75 00:06:29,479 --> 00:06:36,939 And I think that's a big aspect of the story and it hasn't been done before on this kind of scale. 76 00:06:37,899 --> 00:06:46,359 So I think when it comes to the good and evil play, it's a new take on it and it's fantastic. 77 00:06:47,239 --> 00:06:52,959 It's a darker, more mature version of a Disney Plus series, that's for sure, 78 00:06:53,079 --> 00:06:57,899 which is going to interest, I think, some people and certainly interests me. 79 00:06:58,139 --> 00:07:03,059 And, you know, it's just an all-around great performances by all the actors 80 00:07:03,059 --> 00:07:06,079 and a very, very intense story. 81 00:07:07,119 --> 00:07:13,079 Echo airs on Disney Plus. And Sci-Fi Talk Plus has a special offer for you and 82 00:07:13,079 --> 00:07:14,339 your friends and family. 83 00:07:15,079 --> 00:07:20,559 900 available episodes, commercial-free, uncut, and even special programs. 84 00:07:20,879 --> 00:07:26,079 Best part, it's free. Click on the link in the show notes for that free lifetime access. 85 00:07:26,459 --> 00:07:30,859 But the special offer will expire, so take advantage of it now. 86 00:07:31,679 --> 00:07:35,139 This is Tony Talato for Byte. Thanks for listening.