Ray Stevenson is a great actor. So, when I heard that he would be playing the villain on Season 7 of the Showtime drama series Dexter, I was very intrigued, and he definitely didn’t disappoint. As Isaak Sirko, the ruthless leader of the Koshka Brotherhood, Stevenson gave a complex and layered performance of a character where there was certainly more than meets the eye.
During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, actor Ray Stevenson talked about how he came to be a part of Dexter, how he wished his character could have gotten Dexter (Michael C. Hall) on a kill table, that he loved working with such a great cast and crew, what it was like to work on such a secretive show, and just how much more villainous a stone cold killer can get when you break his heart. He also talked about being a part of the Marvel universe as Volstagg in the Thor films and the challenges of wearing such an extensive fat suit, as well as what appealed to him about Divergent, in which he’s playing Marcus. Check out what he had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.
Collider: How did you come to be a part of Dexter?
RAY STEVENSON: Scott Buck, who’s the showrunner, had worked with Bruno Heller on the series Rome, that I did, and the call came out of the blue. I knew that it was a very privileged thing to get offered this nine episode lead baddie, as such. When he started telling me about it, and said he was this Ukrainian mob boss whose business associate friend gets killed and that he’s worst than any other hit man, I was like, “Yeah, okay.” But then, when he told me the reveal, I went, “Oh, god, Scott, I’m in!”
When you’ve got gangsters who are homosexual, it always has to be something deviant to them. This guy was a stone cold killer, but there always has to be some perverse deviance about a gay gangster guy. This guy didn’t have that. His heart was ripped out. His heart had been broken and that’s why he went after Dexter. So I said, “Okay, Scott, now you’ve got my attention. Yes, I want to do it!”
I was delighted at the chance. It was courageous of them to go for it, and I was very happy not to end up on Dexter’s table. At one point, I said, “What if I got Dexter on his table and put the knife across his lips, and then go, ‘You’re too pretty to kill’?” And then, you could just see me leave on my G4 and not know where he’s going. But, it was a beautiful ending. Working with Michael [C. Hall] was just brilliant. He’s the real deal. Everybody is. It’s an amazing crew and cast.
Was the unexpectedness of the character what ultimately appealed to you most?
STEVENSON: It was really lovely, the way they went for it and allowed Dexter’s character to find somebody, in the weirdest place, that he could actually talk to about the detachment of being a cold serial murderer, but who is really scared about being emotionless in other aspects of his life. They took some bold choices, which is a testament to the series itself.
Had you been aware of how important the villains are to each season of Dexter?
STEVENSON: I don’t get a chance to follow TV. I try to catch whatever series is out there, every now and then. So, they opened me up to this, and then I realized how important it was to have this nine episodic piece. The character played such a pivotal role in that season. He wasn’t just in for one episode, or two or three episodes, as a villain-of-the-week sort of thing. That’s when it dawned on me. It was a tremendous opportunity. I just loved it, and I loved working on it.
READ MUCH MORE: http://collider.com/ray-stevenson-dexter-thor-2-divergent-interview/
