The Blair Underwood Project

The Grammy-winnner talks about his character in Quantico, sharing screen space with Priyanka Chopra, and his dream of landing a role in Bollywood

November 11, 2016 04:06 pm | Updated December 02, 2016 04:30 pm IST - Chennai

Blair Underwood

Blair Underwood

Two Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards and one Grammy. Blair Underwood has been busy in the many years he has been in the industry. After playing Andrew Gardner in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , and appearances in The Lion Guard and The Good Wife earlier this year, his latest TV project has him playing the role of CIA agent Owen Hall in Quantico .

Excerpts from a telephonic interview:

How did Quantico happen?

I came in in the second season, and it began with just a phone call from my agent. Then, there was talk about my joining the cast. After that, I got a clear idea of where they wanted to go with my character and the show... it’s a lot edgier this season. I liked it.

Who is Owen Hall and how does he fit into the scheme of things in the show?

Owen Hall is a lead instructor at the CIA. Priyanka Chopra’s and Jake McLaughlin’s characters (Alex Parrish and Ryan Booth) believe he is creating a group of people — basically a shadow group of nefarious, dark and questionable people — inside the CIA.

So, the FBI is investigating what I’m up to. No one knows what my agenda is, and that is always fun to play. And in terms of Priyanka’s character, Alex, Owen genuinely sees great potential in her as an agent. We don’t know whether for good or for bad.

So, we’re going to have to wait till the end of the season to find out?

(Laughs) Well, not necessarily! You may not have to wait the entire season.

Was it your first time playing a CIA agent?

You know, I played an FBI agent before, but never CIA. One of the things that is different is that an FBI agent is all about top law enforcement and finding the truth, and bringing justice to people. The CIA is all about intelligence and information, espionage...

It’s really about deceit and lies, and trying to find out the truth by using different tactics.

It made for a very interesting opportunity as an actor to play a character that had so many agendas.

How was it to work with this cast and crew? Was it your first time with a lot of them?

It was my first time working with all of them. There’s always a bit of adjustment period, but I was an Army kid; I’ve always been the new kid on the block. Being a new person in a new environment was kind of familiar, and we just learned from each other.

We have a great cast.

I’m from India, so I have to ask: how was it working with Priyanka Chopra?

And, I have to tell you! She is the bomb.

I love this girl. She is smart, funny, she really understands her role as the star of the show. She’s in almost every scene; the kind of commitment she shows to the show is amazing.

She is not afraid of hard work. I’m inspired by her work ethic. And she’s just good. She’s absolutely gorgeous, yes, but what’s even better is that she’s got a good heart.

What’s next on your schedule?

I have a production company called Intrepid Inc., and we’re producing a number of projects here. At NBC, we have a show called Give , which will introduce viewers to the world of philanthropy.

I love doing projects that highlight a part of society that hasn’t been seen or shown before. There are people doing good for other people. In terms of acting, I’m knee-deep into the next season of Quantico right now. But, the next thing I want to do is be in a Bollywood movie.

That was unexpected!

Every day I go to work, I learn more about the country and the culture. My latest introduction was to Deepavali. The more I know, the more I’m pumped to be a part of it.

Quantico Season 2 airs on Star World and Star World HD on Mondays at 9 PM.

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