As the Dark Matter premiere draws ever closer, allow me to introduce you to our cast – and the characters they’ll be playing. Today, let’s talk about Alex Mallari Jr., Dark Matter’s FOUR.
This was part of the original breakdown that went out for casting:
“Possessed of a quiet strength and dignity that belies an exacting ruthlessness. The part is written as male but could be female. Written as Asian but can be open to all ethnicities.”
This character pays tribute to the many inspirations that helped shape the creation and development of the series: comics, t.v., film, and directly, in this case, anime. The latter was a particularly big influence, specifically, a show called CowBoy Bebop that offered a wonderful mix of humor and scifi in it’s all too brief 26 episode run. The sword-wielding character of FOUR is a tip of the hat to SF-themed anime, from classics like Gundam to more contemporary titles like Code Geass. Fans of the genre will no doubt recognize many familiar elements. FOUR is Lupin III’s Goeman, Berserk’s Griffith, One Piece’s Rorona Zoro.
In creating the character, and his storyline, I consulted with many of my friends in Japan and girlfriend (who also happens to be Japanese) who were absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a North American scifi series with recognizable anime trappings. FOUR was as much a tribute to them as it was a nod to those early inspirations.
As stated above, we opened the role up to all ethnicities and genders. One of the early front runners was a young actor named Alex Mallari Jr. What really made him stand out was his performance in what I dubbed “the interrogation scene”. Unlike a lot of the other actors who came in to audition, his read was incredibly cool and controlled. There was a sense of quiet menace about him I found wholly enthralling.
When it came time for the call-backs, I got on the phone with each and every actor to prepare them, talking them through the context of the scene and what we would be looking for. It was also a great opportunity for me to learn a little about the actors – and after my conversation with Alex, I knew we could have something special in him. He was intelligent, humble, and very enthusiastic. I wanted him to succeed. But it would all come down to that second round audition.
Which he nailed.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more dedicated individual. Here’s a guy who’ll wake up at 3:00 a.m. to get in a workout before his early call. Under the tutelage of our fantastic stunt coordinator, John Stead, Alex has trained and become proficient in almost every weapon in the training room, from swords to sai’s.
This tweet from Alex nicely sums up who he is:
Humble, grounded, and extremely appreciative. A hard guy not to like.
Welcome Alex! Can’t believe the premiere is getting ever so close. Very excited to say the least!
Alex is awesome and seems super nice.
But, no “dance of the day” video for his special blog entry? I’m disappointed! 🙂
I’m a sucker for someone who can wield swords. Hopefully there’s a good reason for him being proficient in swords and maybe martial arts. Alex seems like a really fun guy.
Have to admit I started following all of the cast on Twitter because of my(not so) secret crush on Zoie, but Alex has become my man crush. He seems so sweet and excited to be apart of the show. I always enjoy watching an actor who appreciates the fans, and are willing to interact with them. I hope this show is a huge success and all the crew get the adoration that they deserve.
A little less than a month now. Woo-hoo!
I love the intensity of his(Alex’s) character, looking forward to the swordplay action. Yes, I think this willbe a hit!..
I agree gforce! Where’s our dance? lol
I can’t wait to see Alex in action!
FOURClan seems to have such an great upbeat personality. And a good sport dancing for us. I miss his dancing. He is so cute, it will be fun watching him in Dark Matter. I have my new bigger screen TV and I am all ready to go for Dark Matter. Bring it on!
For fans outside of the United States.
=============
Dark Matter sneak Peek (recorded from Syfy site) – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7d3x1JRvuw
=============
Hey Alex! You’re awesome!
Alex and swords, this could be squeee level excitement.
the animes mentioned are some of my faves! (ages ago before life got in the way XD)
Just a wild guess, he’s filipino or partly…right?
I can’t wait to see Alex doing his martial arts thing. Just the little bit I’ve seen in the previews looks awesome!!!
Woo-HOO! Cannot wait! 😀 Love getting to know all the actors (and characters) – cannot wait to see Alex doing his thing on the screen! 😀
das
How cool this worked out for Alex! It sure worked out for us fans. Heh… now wouldn’t it be great to see FOUR and TWO in sparring practice? 😀
Tam Dixon, thanks for the cute pix of Harry kitty! Sending warm and healing prayers for Harry and your family.
And sending lots more of the same to you, Das, and your dear mom. Am so sorry about her kitty! Let us know how your mom is, after a while.