Arthur Darvill Talks DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

Arthur Darvill who’s playing the Rip Hunter in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, spoke exclusively to Entertainment Weekly on his move from British television to getting a role on an American television series, as well as how he got the role and what he’s looking forward to the most about playing Rip Hunter.

Do you remember how you felt when you were asked to join the cast?
I just laughed a lot. I sent off these tapes [to audition for the producers] where I’m on my s–tty camcorder in my living room, like, I’m not very techy, I didn’t have a professional setup. It’s me and the cat and a couple of lamps that I’ve got. And suddenly, there’s a call saying, “Hey, you got the job!” It was just mad.

On Legends of Tomorrow, you’ll be playing a time traveler. On Doctor Who, you went on timey-wimey adventures. Were you always a fan of science fiction or did you just unexpectedly end up on time-travel-centric shows?
I’m not a massive, massive fan of it. If I were, I wouldn’t be able to do it, if that makes sense? What I like about the way these science fiction shows are going — and I suppose it’s always been historically like this — is that the stakes are really high, and the people who write them really, really care about them. There’s a whole community. You get to tell stories about humanity and about what it is to be a human being, what it is to be a person, and good and evil. That’s what’s exciting to me.

What are you most excited about when it comes to playing Rip? Have you been reading all the comics to get into his mindset?
Oh, yeah! I mean, my research is me sitting at home in my pants reading comics, which is great work. I’ve had some discussions with the producers about who Rip is and about what he’s got going on, and I’m so excited. There are elements to his character that are really intriguing, and I think you’re going to be surprised by him. And the physical stuff, I want to do as many of the stunts as possible, and I’d like to do a bit of fighting. I’ve been beaten up a few times but never managed to be the beater! [Laughs] It’s not in my nature … Rip Hunter makes things happen rather than reacts to things that are happening, and that’s a big thing. That was the main reason I wanted the job. He has a certain swagger, like in the trailer, he walks into a room and people listen to him. I don’t know if that happens to me in real life. [Pauses] No, I don’t think it does. [Laughs]

To read the full interview head over to Entertainment Weekly.