In just some brief days, The Umbrella Academy will conclude after an exhilarating four-season endeavor.
Primarily based on the comedian e book sequence of the identical identify, the superhero story follows the Hargreeves siblings as they reunite to stop the apocalypse and remedy the thriller of their father’s demise.
Followers have been thrilled with the sequence, which provides an enthralling, acerbic, thought-provoking take a look at a fractured household coming collectively to study their historical past and themselves, all whereas attempting to save lots of the world.
Diego Hargreeves is a kind of siblings.
Once we first met him, he was an armed vigilante, however he slowly got here into his personal over time, even falling in love. He was able to quiet down together with his longtime love, Lila, after we final left him in season three.
David Castañeda has portrayed the fan-favorite Diego for the reason that sequence inception and has endeared himself to many by his gripping portrayal of the rebellious, knife-slinging hero.
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I used to be delighted to talk with the totally charismatic Castañeda as we mentioned the upcoming season and dove deep into his beloved character. He’s acquired super perception and a ton of respect for Diego and the followers, who’ve genuinely come to like the character and the sequence.
Castañeda was pleasant, and this interview was full of laughs and super introspection. It’s a deal with for all you Umbrella Academy fanatics!
When season three ended, everybody was splintered off, powerless, going their separate methods. What sort of Diego are we going to satisfy in season 4?
Properly, he’s going to be very resentful. Clearly, he’s going to be a father, a husband, a working man, a nine-to-five form of man.
And he’s undoubtedly going to be in an area the place he’s going to place a whole lot of strain on himself to be one thing that he’s not, and secretly hope that he has a possibility to return to the established order, which is being a superhero.
And that kind of permeates into his marriage, and kind of the eagerness and love that he as soon as had for Lila has dissipated. In order that’s the place you see him in the beginning.
That’s fascinating as a result of when Diego and Lila first acquired collectively, I used to be a bit of bit not sure about it. I’m not going to lie. I used to be like, “Do they match? Do they not match?” However they match one another so nicely.
What do you take pleasure in most about their relationship? It appears like they are going to have some points this season, however on the whole, what makes it work?
For me, it’s Ritu Arya. She and I’ve a really playful, open, and collaborative method of working collectively. If I’m going left, she goes left. If she goes straight, I’m going straight. So there’s a whole lot of that banter you see on display screen that may additionally translate to the dynamics off-screen.
One of many largest issues about working with somebody is that whenever you see them having enjoyable on-screen, the viewers has enjoyable, too.
It’s like whenever you watch an actor, and you’re feeling like, “Oh, that actor is having enjoyable,” you possibly can’t assist however hold watching. And I do really feel that between Diego and Lila, irrespective of how imply they’re to one another, there’s a bit of little bit of pleasure beneath that kind of spitefulness that makes their relationship, only for me from watching it.
You need to root for it. You assume, “Oh, they belong collectively.” You don’t need them to be separated.
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Coming into season 4, what sort of progress have you ever seen and appreciated in Diego from the start to now?
Oddly sufficient, I haven’t seen the primary season shortly. However I keep in mind taking pictures it, and I simply keep in mind my very own private headspace of like… there was simply a whole lot of deep insecurity.
I feel Diego was going by the identical factor about his resentment in the direction of his household for leaving and his should be recognized or have some kind of that means in his lifetime of being a superhero.
From season one to season 4, you have got Diego having a midlife disaster in a sure method, the place he form of needs he was again in season one; he form of needs he was nonetheless that.
However simply the truth that he’s not — I feel that in itself provides a battle between who Diego is and the place he really must go and what he really must study, which is that the grass is rarely greener on the opposite aspect. He’s reliving his previous. It’s like an Al Bundy form of factor.
He’s like, “Yeah. Properly, you recognize, again in my day after I was taking part in soccer, I used to throw the soccer over the mountains,” form of factor.
However I like how from season one to season 4, how a lot they’ve leaned into how foolish it’s, how foolish he’s. And I feel within the first season, it was simply very brooding. And now they’ve turned it on its head, the broodiness turns into the joke in itself, and it’s grow to be far more conscious.
Me, as an actor getting in, I’m far more conscious of like, “Oh, right here’s the comedy, what Diego is.”There wasn’t a lot of that within the first season. I didn’t know I used to be being humorous, and someway, they had been like, “Hey, dude, that’s actually humorous.”
And I used to be like, “I assumed I used to be being simply tremendous intense.” And it’s like, “Truly, it’s actually humorous the place you’re intense.”
I can see that. In season three, particularly, he was a bit extra joyful, you would say, as in comparison with season one. However I additionally thought he was humorous in season one as a result of he took himself too severely.
To me, in my very own egocentric method, that is my favourite season—this one and season two—as a result of they had been simply the funnest to shoot. They had been simply so, so enjoyable.
Diego is a large fan favourite. He was at all times my favourite as a result of he was very actual and really rooted in himself. As I stated, I assumed he was humorous to start with.
He did take himself actually severely and all that form of stuff. However as we’ve gone on, we’ve seen completely different sides of him, and we’ve seen him fall in love.
What do you assume it’s about Diego that actually has endeared him to followers?
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I’m shocked that he’s a fan favourite, if I’m sincere. I feel what makes him a fan favourite is likely to be that perhaps he does issues that we, as individuals, need to do.
Possibly he does sure issues we see in ourselves that make it very relatable, the place typically we’ll have these waves of hysteria of, “I want to do that, and I should be this, and I want to do that.
And I want it now. I have to do it now.” After which whenever you see it play out someplace else, it’s relieving to see like, “Oh, perhaps that’s what I appear like.” I don’t know. Credit score to the writers. They’re those developing with the gags. They’re those that had been just like the Öga for Öga gag.
Right here’s a small, little-did-you-know factor.
So, after we had been doing season three, there was a fantastic line; I feel it might need been within the later episodes, like episode 4, 5, or six, the place Luther, he’s attempting to take the lead on one thing, they usually make enjoyable of him as a result of they’re like, “Oh, like that point you gave all of your cash to Prince one thing?”
And he goes, “Hey, he was a king, they usually took his throne unrightfully.” In order that was within the script, and it was such a humorous gag. However then later, when the rewrites got here out, they took that out. Tom and I had rehearsed that gag a lot that we nonetheless did it.
To me, that’s simply credit score to the writers for developing with relatable issues just like the rip-off emails we get on a regular basis, corresponding to “I’ve misplaced my fortune, please ship $500,” and stuff. I feel the writers do these issues, and clearly, we go in there and simply placed on fits and attempt to embody them.
Each fan favourite has one thing completely different. However, like I stated, Diego at all times felt very actual. And so, as you stated, you would see sure issues in him in your self at completely different occasions. That’s why he was my favourite.
I respect that, Whitney.
You’re welcome. The dynamics and the dysfunctional household who actually do love one another are form of the core story of Umbrella Academy.
This is likely to be troublesome, however do you have got a favourite Diego dynamic among the many siblings? Or is there one that you just felt was a whole lot of enjoyable to play or required going to completely different layers?
Yeah. Clearly, around the nostril can be the connection with Lila as a result of that has been permeated by the seasons, and it’s kind of been a staple.
But additionally, I’ll say the Luther-Diego dynamic is one thing that was barely exported in season one; in season two, it took off a bit of bit extra, and in season three, a bit of bit extra.
And I feel in season 4, you’re going to get much more of that. And it’s a kind of issues that I like the Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, and people types of issues.
And Diego and Luther are simply the proper steadiness between naive and utter seriousness. And you place these two collectively, and it’s such as you simply have a combustion of comedy. It’s actually humorous.
Yeah, that’s a fantastic dynamic.
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How did you are feeling whenever you learn the ultimate scripts for the season and noticed how every part would finish? How do you are feeling in regards to the finish of the sequence?
Properly, [showrunner] Steve Blackman at all times withholds the previous couple of pages till a day or so earlier than taking pictures. So, there have been a whole lot of dilemmas on the finish of this season about what was going to occur and the way it was going to finish. And after I learn it, it wasn’t one thing like, “Oh, man, I can’t imagine that is over.”
I didn’t actually have that. It wasn’t till we really shot the final scene that it was very surreal. It was surreal to be doing this with everybody on the identical time.
And I don’t know. I’m nonetheless processing, like, “Oh, man, is it actually over?” Part of me remains to be holding onto this factor of, “Oh, perhaps Netflix will resolve, ‘Are you aware what? Let’s do one other half-season. Let’s do one other six episodes.’” However yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see. Hopefully, the followers take pleasure in this final one.
Have been you in a position to take a memento or something from the set, one thing of Diego’s to maintain with you?
Something that I’ve? I had a knife, one of many large knives, and I gave it to our battle coordinator, Tommy Chang. I signed it and stated, “As significant as it’s to me, I acquired to dwell it. I’ve all of it right here in my head.” However other than that, I’ve acquired tons of photographs. I’ve acquired set photographs and issues like that to maintain with me.
Good recollections, proper? And also you get to observe it again, too—that’s a reminiscence.
It’s like an entire photograph e book. It’s a kind of issues the place when and if I ever have a household, I can kind of look again and say, “Hey, look, that is your dad.” I’ll Diego my very own children. “Watch your dad. Watch your dad act. Lila is fairly good, proper? I misplaced weight, however now I’m fats. I’m good, proper?”
There you go. You form of simply answered this, however The Umbrella Academy has such a passionate fan base. What would you say to the followers who’ve been taking this journey for the previous few years proper earlier than they embark on the previous couple of episodes?
Take your time. It’s six episodes, and also you’re going to undergo it in a day, and you then’re by no means going to have one other episode to observe. So, take your time, take pleasure in it. Or don’t. Sit down with your loved ones and go six hours ballistic. Go in there.
However the largest factor is thanks. As a lot as you noticed us develop, it’s very nice to see all of you guys develop as a result of a lot of them are in or graduated from faculty. Once they began the present, they had been sophomores or juniors in highschool.
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Some had been in center faculty, and now they’re working at prestigious jobs, and Domino’s Pizzas, and stuff like that. It’s been good. It’s been good to listen to individuals’s reactions to it, so hopefully, they take pleasure in it.
Working for TV Fanatic, I’m clearly large into TV, so I like to ask these I’m talking with for the primary time what TV exhibits they’re at present having fun with and what are a few of their all-time favourite consolation tv exhibits.
Okay. The present that I’m really watching proper now could be Child Reindeer. I’m on episode 5. It’s a fantastic present. I want I may watch extra TV, however I watched Beef. Beef was nice. I haven’t seen The Bear. I do know everybody retains speaking about The Bear, however I haven’t seen The Bear.
However by way of consolation TV, Seinfeld is up there for me. I can watch Seinfeld all day and be like, “Oh, yeah,” I may simply chill. And, oh, Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball Z is one other one. It’s an anime, however it’s nonetheless kind of a TV present.
Whitney, I’ve a query, although. What’s yours? What’s your consolation TV?
Oh, there’s rather a lot. I in all probability watch The King of Queens on daily basis.
Wait, wait. Is that Kevin James?
Yeah.
I like that present. I like that. Everybody’s nice. Their dynamic. Leah Remini and Kevin, and that entire spiel between them and Jerry Stiller.
Yeah, that’s how I do it each night time: Earlier than I’m going to mattress, I’ll placed on an episode.
Oh, man. That will need to have made you cheerful when that meme blew up of him!
Oh, yeah. Sure, it was nice! So nice. Properly, that’s my time. It was nice speaking to you, David.
Yeah, you too. Thanks a lot.
The ultimate season of The Umbrella Academy premieres on Netflix on August 8, 2024.