Based on the internationally best selling series of books by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler), season two of the Netflix original series plunges further into the epic world of this darkly comedic mystery.
Starring Emmy and Tony Award-winner Neil Patrick Harris, A Series of Unfortunate Events recounts the tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans – Violet, Klaus, and Sunny – and their extraordinary encounters with the devious Count Olaf who will stop at nothing to get his hands on their inheritance. Foiling his many dastardly plans and disguises, the young siblings discover clues to their parents’ mysterious death, links to a covert organization, and begin to unlock long-held family secrets.
Executive produced by Emmy Award-winner Barry Sonnenfeld and Daniel Handler – the new season consists of ten cinematic one-hour episodes. Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, Presley Smith, Patrick Warburton and K. Todd Freeman (among others) return for season two. New additions to the cast include (but are not limited to) Lucy Punch, Nathan Fillion, Tony Hale, Sara Rue and Roger Bart.
We caught up with the award-winning actor to get an insight into season 2.
The Knockturnal: So how much fun do you have playing this character? He’s a little bit eccentric.
Neil Patrick Harris: I have a blast playing him. It’s interesting because I’m trying to be as truthful to the source material – the books that the character was written on – and we’re creating this world, so as much I want to be having fun – unbridled, outrageous, ridiculous fun – it still needs to be within the construct of the world that we’ve created. So that becomes its own kind of challenge. I feel a bit sometimes like I’m writing music, I’m a composer a bit, because Olaf if is going to have a big ridiculous scene where he’s shouting and shrieking at his henchpeople here, then it needs to go a different direction for the next few scenes, so that it feels more like music and not just like loud noise, but given that the sandbox with which he’s allowed to build horrible sandcastles is gigantic.
The Knockturnal: I mean let’s talk about music. You’ve done Broadway of course. How’d that background prepare you for this role?
Neil Patrick Harris: Well, Olaf is supposed to be an actor by trade. So he’s a terrible actor. And I think the only way to feel comfortable playing so grandiose and overt is to have stomped around on a stage or two before and felt that kind of flop, sweaty, this-isn’t-going-well kind of physicality. And I’ve done that. I did Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and her whole demeanor was failure. She was in, supposed to be really broken. And so that was a fun part to play because if I played her too well, meaning if she was too good, then I think she would have been more successful, and the whole premise of Hedwig is that she wasn’t that good. She wished she had become more successful and blamed that on someone else. And so there’s correlations there, having done that onstage. Back then I had the freedom to stomp around on a stage, on a sound stage instead and rattle off some bad Olaf-isms, and not feel like a total fool.
The Knockturnal: What do you admire most about Olaf?
Neil Patrick Harris: He’s relentless. I don’t think I have his constitution, in that if I tried to, I don’t know, do some kind of scheme, and it failed, I’d probably change my plan pretty quickly. I’d change my outlook. I’d realize this is not going to work. Let’s try something else. He doesn’t do that. He just puts on a different disguise from this box, from this trunk in the back of his car, and then he’s off, trying a new whole way. He commits. He is all in – trying to steal these kids’ fortune. And you have to admire that, just a little bit.
The Knockturnal: At what age do you let the kids watch your show?
Neil Patrick Harris: I think the shows probably appropriate for what – 8, 9 and up. Our kids just turned 7 so they watched the first season when they were 6. A little bit young, but at the same time, they were on set, and they- It’s a different understanding. They knew the actors by name, so when they were watching it, it wasn’t all freakish new information. They were able to watch it in two different ways and process it.
The Knockturnal: And where do we see Olaf go season 2?
Neil Patrick Harris: Well Olaf’s chasing the Baudelaire kids, as per usual, but this time, they’re moving much more. They’ve decided it’s time for them to take action, and to get out of dodge, and to try and evade, as opposed to just be sent from one home to the next. Now, they’re in control, which forces Olaf to work harder and faster and get more furious. Faster and furious. (laughs) I think they’re making a movie.
The Knockturnal: Season 2 you have some great cast additions: Tony Hale, Nathan Fillion. Talk about the new members and how they were.
Neil Patrick Harris: I like that there’s an odd, dark comedy assumption with our show. That everyone they brought on from season one especially, has this sort of, you know, Patrick Warburton, Catherine O’Hara, has this sort of darker mentality when it comes to comedy. So we’ve continued that for season 2. Tony Hale plays Jerome Squalor, and he’ll do anything. Lucy Punch plays Esme Squalor, and she’s a British actress who is so funny and ridiculous, and that matches Olaf, so it’s going to be a big season for her. Nathan Fillion’s on it, he’s understandably dark and odd. We’ve got some great people. Roger Bart, he’s a theater actor, he’s on the show as Vice Principal Nero. Sara Rue. We have some hitters.
Take your first look at the new season of A Series of Unfortunate Events HERE. Season 2 launches globally on Netflix on March 30.
