Bradley James of A&E’s “Damien” on Bringing the Antichrist Back to Life

In an inspired touch amp8220Damienamp8221 which runs Monday nights on AampampE after amp8220Bates Motelamp8221 very effectively utilizes clips from the original 1976 amp8220Omenamp8221 movie starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick Fans of NBCamp8217s amp8220Merlinamp8221 and The CWamp8217s amp8220iZombieamp8221 will recognize British actor Bradley James in the title roleamp8220I was in working in Vancouver and had a handful of scripts sent my wayamp8221 James tells MediaVillage in an exclusive interview amp8220I really didn39t have time to read them all so I kind of ignored them Eventually someone said amp8216Have a look at this oneamp8217 It was amp8216Damienamp8217 It didn39t take me very long to understand why it had been nudged in my directionamp8221According to James the smart writing immediately grabbed his attention A meeting in Los Angeles with the producers followed cementing his interest amp8220I finally got to meet the warped minds that had created the showamp8221 he says amp8220It was a great match and I was hookedamp8221James was relieved that the series focuses solely on the original film and ignores its two sequels as it is the only one in the series he has seenamp160 He opted to not watch the sequels amp8220Damien Omen IIamp8221 released in 1978 and amp8220Omen III The Final Conflict released in 1981 given that they have no bearing on the adult Damien Thorn of today that he is portrayingamp8220Iamp8217d really only seen the first movie not the second or third sort of purposely really and not to influence any decisions I might make consciously or subconsciouslyamp8221 he shares amp8220I really needed a fresh and original kind of take on itamp8221Of course revisiting the original film seemed mandatory homework amp8220I saw it when I was young probably too young to understand what it wasamp8221 he recalls amp8220So I rewatched it and understood fully why it was so popular Suddenly I realized there was this fan base there for it which you don39t really think about I was surprised when I mentioned amp8216Damienamp8217 that people are very aware of itamp8221James also says he had to catch up on amp8220Damienamp8217samp8221 companion piece amp8220Bates Motelamp8221 amp8220I was a little concerned when I saw that it was set in modern day and kind of wondered what was going on hereamp8221 he admits amp8220But it39s a show that has created its own life away from the movie Series lead Freddie Highmore who portrays the murderous and motherobsessed Norman Bates has done a terrific jobamp8221 James says the amp8220Damienamp8221 team has also amp8220taken a classic and with no disrespect and for the sake of getting the story right essentially set up our own rules for the story we want to tellamp8221James refers to himself as a amp8220casual watcher of horror movies mainly as a good excuse to cuddle up on the sofa with a girl and pretend to be frightenedamp8221 While amp8220The Omenamp8221 was very violent and terrifying in its day he feels it was the nongory aspects of the original film that set it apart in the genreamp8220That39s part of amp8216The Omenamp8217samp8217 class it39s not a straight up horror frightfestamp8221 he says amp8220It really tries to create a grip that tightens because you care about Robert Thorne you feel this grip tightening on his life but itamp8217s too late before he realizes he needs to escape it I think that39s really a testament to Gregory Peck Robert is just hoping to make his way out but doesn39tamp8221As for personifying the Antichrist and any associated social stigma James laughs amp8220That39s the challenge of an actor I spent five years playing King Arthur on amp8216Merlinamp8217 The challenge is to escape the limitations of other people39s minds and do something else This is something else something very different that Iamp8217ve put my heart and soul intoamp8221James also admits that being amp8220brandedamp8221 with the iconic amp8220Number of the Beastamp8221 666 did leave him feeling cold amp8220Thereamp8217s something really ominous about having amp8216666amp8217 drawn on the back of your headamp8221 he says amp8220But I have this cap with the 666 in place so if I do want to feel like I have it I can In fact at the end of the show they pummeled us with all of this merchandise with amp8216Damien 666amp8217 all over it I am set for Halloween for the rest of my lifeamp8221And what about women fleeing the Antichrist at the local supermarket amp8220That happens to me anywayamp8221 he says with a laugh amp8220So no change thereamp8221The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers

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Bradley James of A&E’s “Damien” on Bringing the Antichrist Back to Life

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Bradley James of A&E’s “Damien” on Bringing the Antichrist Back to Life

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