We speak with actor Cas Anvar from the hit series The Expanse and get his thoughts on his character, Alex Kamal, and where this epic story is heading.
The Expanse is not only a critically and fan-acclaimed literary masterpiece, but an award-winning television series. It’s no mystery as to why. Like its title, The Expanse is … well … expansive—in narrative, adventure, action, thrills, and most importantly, rich characters. Among the most loved in this story is the character of Martian fighter pilot Alex Kamal, played by the very talented Cas Anvar.
Today, Fantinnum has a treat for all you Expansenites (we tried to find the proper term for the fans, but couldn’t, so we made one up. If one does exist, please let us know via our comments, Facebook, or Twitter). We have an exclusive interview with Cas Anvar where he gives us his thoughts on his character, potential routes the show may take, and a special message to everyone who saved The Expanse from cancellation.
Fantinuum: Did you audition for the role of Alex Kamal from the start? If so, what attracted you to the role?
Cas Anvar: I was one of the first people who was hired. Steven Strait was actually the first hired. I was second or third. The way they did it was they presented a character breakdown which read, “Alex Kamal. Mars-born fighter pilot of Pakistani East Indian descent with a Texas accent.” I took one look and said, “I’m in!” How could I resist!?
F: In a CinemaBlend article—where they got your reaction to the initial news that the show was canceled—you stated that you couldn’t “accept it.” If Amazon hadn’t picked up The Expanse and it were up to you to take action, what would you have done?
CA: I would’ve exhausted all avenues in trying to get this show to continue! It wasn’t just because this was my job. I was also a fan. I’ve read the books, and when I heard the news that they were canceling it, I just couldn’t believe it. There’s so much more story to tell. They’ve only begun to scratch the surface of this huge epic story.
When we received news that the show was moving to Amazon, we were all very excited. And it also made complete sense in terms of it being the best place for us. Amazon already has all three seasons of the show in its catalog. Continuing the fourth season just makes it a smoother transition.
Another aspect that made sense is the fact Jeff Bezos is a fan of both the books and the show. If you noticed, in the past, when he demoed the Kindle, the book that appeared on the device was Leviathan Wakes. We’re very grateful for Amazon Prime Programming and Jeff Bezos for his love of the show.
F: Your character, Alex Kamal, though he’s not the captain of the Rocinante, seems to be more of the peacemaker and glue of the crew. What do you think makes him tick and do this? Is it his need to have a family because his own (wife and son) had let him go?
CA: That’s a very astute observation. However, you have to remember that he himself made the choice of leaving his family. Alex has always been a lost soul. He tried to be a good Martian—a good husband and father—but he sucked at it. He became a deadbeat dad and then ran away on the Canterbury.
Alex also didn’t tell his family he was alive. He would rather have them think he died a hero. He later found his purpose on the Roci—and he found what he was looking for when he sat in that chair. He was meant to be the best fighter pilot the world has ever seen. Alex also found a new family that he loved—and he won’t let anything take it away.
Being part of the crew is who Alex is. An interesting thing is Alex’s past isn’t dark or filled with trauma. If you look at the rest of the crew, they have a lot of pain in their pasts—they read like superhero origin stories. Alex is just a regular guy … a normal guy. Everyone can identify with him. In a way, he’s the audience. When they’re in a stressful place, he’s kind of freaked out.
Acting like the glue of the crew, he will also try and talk sense to his captain. When James wants to do something crazy, it’s Alex trying to talk him down from it—and also making some wise-cracks. When Naomi betrays everyone, Alex is the one to have her back. He loves his new family and is the one to get all of them to sit down and eat dinner together.
F: Being a sci-fi show, The Expanse is definitely not a small budget series. Do you expect anything to change with the move to Amazon in terms of the various possibilities for bringing the books’ universe to life?
CA: Let’s be fair and honest to SyFy. They had a huge task of taking on The Expanse. They never had anything this big and expensive. I, having read the first five books in the series, can say they really honored the spirit and tone of the books. The series did really darn good on SyFy.
Amazon is a bigger beast. It has much more financial power. As for the budgeting, that I don’t know because I don’t handle that side of the production. What I can say is a streaming service will allow us more freedom. With that in mind, Avasarala will be let off the hook—just like the books! We also won’t have concerns about time. Unlike regular network programming where we have to worry about commercial breaks and cliffhangers before them, we get to tell the story in the best way possible.
I have no complaints about the artistic manifestation of the books on the SyFy Channel. As far as I’m concerned, they really delivered it!
Now, going back to the topic of how big of a task this was for SyFy, this whole series goes through massive changes. That’s why I was so upset when the show was canceled. This show is friggin’ amazing! We haven’t even gotten to the climax of the series. We’ve only gotten half way through this Everest climb. There’s just so much good story. As a testament to that, the show won the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
The whole series is written like an opera … it’s a space opera. The first three seasons were the first movement. The fourth season will be the beginning of a new movement. The fans will see the show go in a new direction—and it’ll be a very organic growth!
F: On a more personal note, any exciting upcoming projects for you?
CA: I have two great films coming up. I’m shooting one overseas right now. It’s called The Operative and stars Diane Kruger and Martin Freeman. It’s a compelling thriller, and I’m one of the leads in it.
I just finished shooting a beautiful thriller written and directed by the creator of Seven Seconds, Veena Sud. It’s called Between Earth and Sky starring Peter Sarsgaard. This film is in the tone of the Oscar-winning Crash. It has lots of undertones.
Both films will be coming out in about six months to a year.
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I also want to give a message to the fans: on behalf of myself and The Expanse team, thank you! Without a shadow of a doubt, Seasons 4 and 5 were only made possible because of their effort. The fans came in waves and droves and broke the internet! Amazon said it themselves. They picked up the show because of the fans. We love you and we thank you! Jeff Bezos may have loved the series, but it was the fans who really brought it to the attention of Amazon. Whatever happens this day forward, it’s because of you guys! Don’t ever forget that you have that power!
The two-part Season 3 finale of The Expanse will air on Wednesday, June 27, 2018.
The Expanse Season 4 will air on Amazon Video. The premiere date is to be determined.
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