It’s hard to believe The Night Agent Season 2 is finally right around the corner. We went months and months with little to no word about the series outside of a few filming notes and Season 2 location change, but then Netflix dropped a January release date and we were off to the races. Now, series lead Gabriel Basso is finally doing promo for the new season, and he confirmed one cool thing about filming the show I personally didn’t realize: he’s like Tom Cruise filming (the majority) of his own stunts.
During a late night appearance this past week, Basso spoke about the new episodes of the series hitting the Netflix schedule on January 23rd and explained the real reason he feels like it’s important to do as much as he can stunt-wise on the series. It all boils down to him wanting the audience to have an authentic experience:
Yeah [I do my stunts] but not– I think that can get kind of misconstrued into the world of like ‘I do it because I wanna say I can do it’ and it’s really not about that. To me it’s about, like, audience immersion. I don’t want audiences watching the show and then right as I’m about to get hit, or hip-tossed or thrown, cut to my back. You know, I feel like it’s a lie.
Basso was talking to Jimmy Fallon in a Tonight Show clip about the upcoming episodes when he waxed about doing his own stuntwork, but we’ve seen him working hard in the past, both in the gym and while filming the series. I find the whole thing pretty admirable.
For example, as the show was wrapping, he shared a pic of an insane “escape” stunt and has shared other moments while on location while filming Season 2 of The Night Agent, as well.
He’s very clear he does as much as he can even when it's painful and he’s not just making the point to sound cool. He thinks when quick cut-tos are utilized, it often feels false, or as he puts it, “like lying.”
I enjoy acting; I don’t like lying. And I feel like there’s just a difference. For the sake of the audience immersion, for the sake of the believability, they like Peter, to watch him take hits is important I feel like. If that requires me to get tossed against a wall, then fine. It’s not the end of the world.
There are plenty of stunts that are deemed too dangerous for actors and actresses to attempt themselves, and I’d never begrudge a performer who got some help on a set. On the other hand, if Basso can manage to do at least a large chunk, if not the majority of his own stuff, it does make for a more realistic portrayal onscreen, and may be one of the big reasons the Netflix action-thriller has resonated with audiences so far.
In fact, Netflix is already so bullish on the series the streamer has renewed it for Season 3, so those of you with a Netflix subscription can binge in full confidence of there being more episodes – and I’m hoping it means the Season 2 ending is a doozy as well. We’ll have to wait and see when the show returns in less than a week.
C'mon Netflix, bring on the cliffhangers!
