Diego Klattenhoff has come a long way since Tina Fey’s Mean Girls (2004). Having worked with directors such as JJ Abrams, Guillermo Del Torro ( Pacific Rim ) and M Night Shymalan ( After Earth ), he is now a name to reckon with on the small screen. Post his much-talked about role as Major Mike Faber in Homeland , he stepped into the shoes of an experienced FBI agent, Donald Ressler, in The Blacklist . We speak to the 37-year-old Canadian over telephone from New York. Excerpts:
What research went into your role?
No heavy research; I did a little reading, a little watching of TV, and whatever I could find online. We also had a great technical advisor, Jimmy Bodnar, a former Brooklyn detective. I haven’t had to do anything too demanding but I would like to.
Your experience working with James Spader?
He is somebody who has been around for so long and been a part of many great projects. It is tough when you work with people you have admired. It can be a bit of a disappointment, but thankfully it hasn’t here. We’ve been doing it together for four years now.
How has your character evolved?
Over the last 89 episodes, my character has become a little less black and white than it was in the beginning. I have been referred to as the show’s moral compass. It is not that I started off as a good guy and have now become the bad guy, I’ve just been exposed to more shades of grey. I hear the finale is coming up shortly, so I am not going to throw in any spoilers. As actors we don’t know that much, it is in the hands of the writer, the creator and the show-runner — where they want to take certain characters.
Do you watch a lot of television?
Not as much as I would like. There are a lot of great shows being made right now, but it is tough to keep up with my schedule. Westworld is a great show and the new season of Game of Thrones is coming up, too. I make sure I watch these every week. They are well-written, beautifully crafted shows that draw you in.
How do you pick your projects?
I have representation that looks around and sees what is available. We discuss certain projects, why I’d want to do them, what characters are there. A lot of times it just comes down to scheduling. When you are shooting nine months out of the year, it is hard to find the things that fit in. Having said that, I have been fortunate to be able to work with directors such as JJ Abrams and Guillermo Del Torro. Both terrific writers, they have a way approaching a character and communicating with different ideas and scenes.
Season 4 finale of The Blacklist airs today at 8 pm, on Star World and Star World HD.
