Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Unveils the Secret to ‘Wonder Man’: ‘It Never Starts with the Powers’
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II discusses his role as Simon Williams in the Disney+ series 'Wonder Man.' He emphasizes that the character's struggles stem from self-doubt rather than his superpowers. Abdul-Mateen reflects on his own journey as an actor and the challenges of overcoming anxiety in performance.
- ▪Simon Williams, the protagonist of 'Wonder Man,' wants to be a successful actor while keeping his superpowers a secret.
- ▪Abdul-Mateen believes that Simon's true struggle is rooted in self-doubt rather than his abilities.
- ▪The actor shares that his own journey in acting has been different from his character's experiences.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
At first shrouded in secrecy, the plot of the Disney+ series “Wonder Man” soon becomes simple enough to understand. Protagonist Simon Williams wants to be a successful actor, but must keep his superpowers a secret in order to do so. But sitting across from series star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II at a conference room inside IndieWire’s Los Angeles office, the Emmy winner becomes most animated when confronting the idea that his characters’ superpowers are the true thing holding Williams back. “That’s not the secret. Simon’s secret is that he doesn’t actually think that he can do it,” said Abdul-Mateen. “It’s the convenient excuse. ‘Oh, I have these powers, what if my powers break out?’ You’re not worried about the powers. There’s something else going on. Move, move, move. I see you.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at IndieWire.
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