The eyebrows have it! Or at least, they did in Jimmi Simpson's case. The actor recently opened up on how he spotted that major Westworld twist without being told a thing. As it turns out, asking to shape an actor's eyebrows can tell them a lot. Jimmi Simpson explained, saying:
I think it was around Episode 3, and they brought me into the makeup trailer, and they were staring at my eyebrows, and they asked my permission to change them if they wanted… change their shape. And no one's ever asked me that before. The only logical reason would be to make me look like someone else. And then I started thinking about who they could be trying to make me look like, and the only cast member I could come up with was Ed [Harris].
Talk about an eye-opening experience. Or is it eyebrow opening? Either way, Jimmi Simpson figured out a major piece of the Westworld puzzle ahead of time. That twist being that his character and Ed Harris' are one and the same. To think that it all happened in the makeup chair! Simpson revealed the intel to SYFY WIRE, and he was not done explaining what happened.
After coming up with a theory of his own, Jimmi Simpson got the chance to do what few fans can. He took his speculation to Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy and asked her about it. How did she respond? Here's what Simpson had to say:
She just blanched, and said, 'Don't tell anybody!' And I said, 'Oh my god, what's happening?!' And she goes, 'You have a very special arc in this show.'
It was an answer wrapped in a non-answer. Albeit, saying that he had a "very special arc" definitely signaled that he was far from off base. Learning that his character and the Man in Black are the same was a huge game-changer.
In a show that likes to keep its secrets, Jimmi Simpson got a shockingly early tip-off. How did Simpson use this information? He did not! Simpson chose to ignore what he learned as not to let it impact his portrayal of the character.
Since William started as such a seemingly nice guy, it was important not to tip his hand early. Jimmi Simpson went on to explain why Westworld's secretive approach with its cast works. He pointed out how it keeps them from playing things too soon in their performance.
Considering Westworld is a show where the audience focuses on every nuance to determine an upcoming twist, that makes sense. If you want viewers to play along for as long as possible, they cannot come across a clue too soon.
It is fun to learn how Jimmi Simpson figured out the truth behind his character so early in the season. His story is evidence that actors can be paying close attention to everything that is happening with their role rather than just saying lines from a script. He was smart to figure it out.
In this instance, Westworld had a next to impossible task in keeping Jimmi Simpson in the dark about what was ahead. Once you start messing with someone's eyebrows, they are going to notice, and wonder why. In the case of Jimmi Simpson, his eyebrows revealed a significant twist. As for whether Simpson will return for Season 3, he said he had not heard anything yet.
Stay tuned to find out if Jimmi Simpson returns as William when Westworld Season 3 bows. A premiere date for it has not gotten set yet. When it does air, it will do so on HBO.
