Westworld has only aired a few episodes on HBO so far, but in that short time, we've come to know a lot about what sort of world it is presenting. Humans head to the theme park in order to fulfill their every desires---which often include brutally murdering the robot residents who occupy the park. Because the robots need to be recalibrated, they end up naked---which means the actors who play the artificially intelligent characters spend a lot of time without clothes on set.
One of those actors, James Marsden, recently spoke out about how bizarre the experience on the set of Westworld has been, even filming one lengthy scene naked opposite a very clothed Anthony Hopkins. Here's what the actor had to say about the whole experience.
I mean, look at my life! I'm naked in front of Anthony Hopkins, playing a robot. I welcome the craziness. And of course he's a consummate pro. We would cut, and in between takes, when I wasn't allowed to get up and put a robe on, he would tell me stories, acting as if I was clothed. It's funny; when you're on set and you're naked, it's literally the first minute or two. Once those minutes are over, you become a little bit of an exhibitionist. 'You know, this is actually very comfortable and liberating.'
So, if you've been wondering your whole life whether or not it's weird to be butt naked on the set of an HBO drama, you certainly have your answer, now. While speaking to THR, James Marsden revealed that on his very first day filming Westworld, he was actually tasked with getting naked on set. And he wasn't just hanging out playing a naked robot dude with any old actor; instead, he was filming with Anthony Hopkins, who happens to be one of the highest-profile actors on the show. James Marsden went on to reveal that while he was sitting there letting it all hang out, Anthony Hopkins amused him with Brando impersonations. No, really.
He did impersonations of Brando. He had different theories about acting, and talked about Gregory Peck, and how everyone used to work. It was fascinating. And then you would see him basically bring himself back online when the camera's rolling, and he slips into his crazy genius acting. It was such a pleasure to watch, even though I was nude.
Westworld sounds like a surreal set, and it's probably especially strange for the actors who are tasked with playing lifelike robots Wild West-type personalities but that also have to go into maintenance mode from time to time. Evan Rachel Wood's character, Dolores, has so far done a lot of the heavy maintenance in that department, but James Marsden's Teddy isn't too far behind. Because they are such prominent characters, I would expect to continue to see them nude on the series in the future.
You can catch new episodes of Westworld on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, if you'd like to know what HBO has in store for the series in the future, head here.
