Cast of “Blindspot”
Acting can be a matter of life and death, even for tough and fit actors like Sullivan Stapleton.
The 42-year-old Australian performer, who costars with Jaimie Alexander in the fifth and final season of Warner TV’s “Blindspot” (Fridays at 9 p.m. on Warner TV), almost died after falling off a tuktuk (Thailand’s version of the tricycle) and hitting his head hard while on location in Thailand for the hugely popular Cinemax action series “Strike Back” in 2014.
In fact, the trauma was so severe the actor became comatose shortly after the accident, resulting in a six-month production delay for the show.
Sullivan’s “Strike Back” colleague Robson Green confirmed this “little-discussed” issue to the press in a 2016 promo for his other show, “Granchester.” “Sullivan was in a coma after suffering a serious injury in February 2014,” the actor was quoted as saying at a Television Critics Association sortie.
The subject matter came up when we spoke to Sullivan on the phone on Tuesday to discuss the fifth and final season of “Blindspot,” which began airing yesterday (channel 34 on SkyCable and channel 35 on Destiny).
When the topic of conversation shifted to the show’s many actions scenes, we asked Sullivan what he thought of the accompanying hazards of the acting trade. We brought up his “death-defying” accident in 2014.
Asked how he managed to bounce back from it and how that whole experience changed him, Sullivan turned contemplative. “It obviously changed me a lot,” he mused. “After surviving something like that, you start to value life a lot more. You realize that no matter how tough you think you are, you can get hurt.
“That experience certainly brought forward just how I ended up embracing life a little more and how certain things affected me, knowing that I survived a bad accident. I’m glad I’m still here and could still be a part of a project like ‘Blindspot.’”
Yes, Sullivan is particularly fond of the action series, and you can’t blame him if he’s feeling a little nostalgic now that the show—initially about a mysterious tattoo-clad woman (Jaimie) who’s found naked inside a travel bag in Times Square—is wrapping up its five-season adventure with just 11 episodes.
“We start off Season 5 in the aftermath of the drone strike that hit our safe house in Iceland,” he shared. “That really affects the team, especially after we lost a crucial member (FBI special agent Edgar, played by Rob Brown) following the bombing.”
But the team has bigger problems ahead. Vengeful Madeline Burke (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who’s now the head of an oversight committee at the FBI, has turned the bureau against special agent Kurt Weller (Sullivan), Remi “Jane Doe” Briggs (Jaimie) and the other members of their group, who continue to fight the bad guys as they race against time to prove their innocence and clear their names.
“It’s not a great beginning for our characters, but it certainly is an auspicious start for Season 5,” the actor stated with a laugh.
Sullivan Stapleton
Our Q&A with Sullivan;
On your last hurrah, what do you get to do that you haven’t done in previous seasons?
We go rogue this season. Madeline has somehow made us look bad as agents, so we’re on the run and must find a way to straighten things out—and that in itself required a different approach from us. We’re trying to save ourselves, and we lose some members of the team, two of the things that make it a great story.
In the midst of its compelling mix of action, political machination and some humor, what do you think is the reason behind “Blindspot’s” longevity and success?
It’s because our scriptwriters kept giving us great stories to sink our teeth into. All the things you mentioned are mixed well within good stories and challenging character arcs. We also get to do a lot of action. All these elements set us apart from the usual police procedural drama.
Talk about how the cast had to keep fit for the series’ action-packed episodes.
That was the hard part of it, especially with our schedule being so busy. So, aside from working long hours on set, we had to wake up early and go to the gym (laughs).
How has the “saying goodbye” part been?
It’s always sad when you have to say goodbye to a group of people after working closely together for five years. It wasn’t easy because we have become a family.
Hasn’t the pandemic-related lockdown affected the shoot? What do you do at home these days?
We already finished filming by the time the pandemic happened, and I’m thankful I was already back here in Australia by then. But I’m thankful we finished the show just in time for quarantine, to bring something that people can hopefully enjoy during this period of isolation.
I’m enjoying my time being at home in Australia, where the number of coronavirus infections is a lot lower than it is in the United States. I’m thankful I wasn’t stuck in New York at this time. Still, I’m trying to do my best to stay positive.
Stapleton (right) with Jaimie Alexander
But I’m also starting to get worried about what the future holds and how it’s going to affect everyone. I’m just trying my best to stay clean—always washing my hands and disinfecting everything in sight (laughs).
What do you remember about your first shooting day in Season 1? Did you think it would become successful?
I remember being excited to be working in New York City and chasing criminals around in its iconic landmarks. At the Statue of Liberty, we ended up having a fight up there, followed by setups in Times Square and other iconic landmarks.
It was thrilling to have the opportunity to work in that environment. I hoped it would be successful. So, I was very grateful when it eventually became a hit. I’m excited to close out the fifth season with 11 episodes and wrap it up properly.
How would you describe your character?
Kurt is very stoic “standup” kind of man. He constantly fights to rid the world of evil and bad people. But he’s quite vulnerable when it comes to kids who are being hurt. He’s got a big heart and he would do anything for his wife. He’s fun to play. He’d never give up chasing criminals.
Has there been any discussion about either a sixth season or a movie version of “Blindspot”?
It will be very hard to say goodbye to this show but, to answer the question, I don’t think so. Everyone else hopefully goes on to other jobs, but you never know. Just like what happened to “Strike Back” after we finished that series—they rebooted it with a new cast because it was still doing well. That’s just the nature of the beast.
You’re affiliated with shows that a lot of people really patronize—from “Blindspot” to “Animal Kingdom” to “Strike Back,” which also ended its run this year. What other career options would you have taken if you didn’t pursue acting at the very ripe age of 8?(Laughs) I probably would have gone into a career in construction or as a grip on film sets, because I used to grip behind cameras on some of the shows that I was working on as an actor. So, I was very lucky that somehow acting took off.