Twisted Metal Season 2: Lisa Gilroy and Richard de Klerk explain how they made Vermin and Grimm work in the show

Peacock’s Twisted Metal Season 2 takes things up a notch by adding interesting new characters to the already outrageous energy of the first season. It also introduces its own original characters inspired by the cult PlayStation video games. Of these, the pairing of Lisa Gilroy’s Vermin and Richard de Klerk’s Mr. Grimm has already become a highlight, due to the distinctive performance of the actors and the creative choices of the production team.

Viewers hoping to see typical villain work were instead delighted by the characterization and juicy details given to Vermin, a new character, and Mr. Grimm, a character with a long history in the games. So, how did Gilroy and de Klerk succeed in making characters that are so likable, while being so eccentric? The answer is a clever combination of character, physical acting, and a willingness to embrace the weird tone of Twisted Metal Season 2.

Lisa Gilroy and Richard de Klerk explain bringing Vermin and Grimm to life in Twisted Metal Season 2

In an exclusive interview with CBR, Lisa Gilroy and Richard de Klerk shared how they brought two of the wildest and most unforgettable characters in Twisted Metal Season 2 to life. Vermin, a brand-new addition to the series, is part insect, part human, and fully unhinged, while Grimm leaps into the games as a soul-sucking, motorcycle-riding force of nature. Gilroy admitted that finding the sweet spot between Vermin’s outrageousness and emotional authenticity was a tough but thrilling challenge. She confessed:

“...first of all, that there were issues around my being understood in character as Vermin. I know 90 percent of the time everyone on set was like, “What's that girl saying?’ Which can be a problem. But then after we wrapped — well, I guess I feel this way about everything — I always am like I should have gone harder. I should have gone crazier, because [Twisted Metal] is kind of the only time I've ever gotten to do something that insane on an actual television show. I always wish I would have fully put the pedal to the metal.”

Instead of slowing down her outrageous performance, Gilroy leaned in and tapped into the loneliness and alienation that are at the heart of Vermin:

“I guess both Vermin and Grimm are like, at their core, just little freaks who want to be included. So, I think that both of the characters have that in common, and maybe even Richard and Lisa.”

For De Klerk, the chance to play a character that is simultaneously frightening and ridiculous was a “dream come true.” He explained:

“...finding that balance between scary and insane is sometimes kind of funny. It's my dream to play that, and I think trusting the circumstances [in Twisted Metal Season 2] and trusting some of the characters’ goals is kind of the key to that.”

Transforming such extreme characters into relatable characters was the biggest challenge that both actors agreed to achieve for Twisted Metal Season 2. The challenge was making these ‘little freaks’ as emotionally honest as possible. Beneath all the chaos and antics, we wanted to layer in vulnerability, sincerity, and even a touch of sweetness in everything they did.

Another aspect that influenced the performances of these individuals was action. Although the two actors had not participated in something of that action-packed nature, de Klerk observed, many of the effects in the show were “practical.”

“So, there was a lot of resetting and going again. And in terms of the action, I think one of the coolest things about the action is that it's informed by all the interplay that's going on between all the characters.”

Trending

Gilroy, for her part, injected some humour into the fact that she was not cast in the fighting roles in Twisted Metal Season 2, citing an unforgettable dance routine which proved to be the real challenge:

“Richard and I did a dance thing, and we had a choreographer, and I was so bad at that that I wonder if [the producers and directors] didn't give me any fighting to do because I have no spatial awareness. I would have hurt someone!”

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback