KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 ― All eyes are on Singapore in the third season of Westworld as the city-state stars as a stand-in for future Los Angeles.
Befittingly, Singaporean screen talents are given a moment to shine alongside big names such as Evan Rachel Wood, Aaron Paul, Thandie Newton and Ed Harris in the Emmy-winning HBO drama series about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the question of free will.
Bobby Tonelli who is one of five lucky Singapore-based actors to land a role in the series spoke to Malay Mail about the budget, size and attention to detail in a big Hollywood production compared to a local setup.
“I had to move a certain way, look a certain way and all these things were taken into consideration for my outfit alone,” the 44-year-old said.
And that resulted in the actor’s wardrobe custom made as none of the seven suits fitted him well enough to the costume designers liking.
“The attention to the script and subtleties in the dialogue ― we do this here, but we don’t always have the luxury of time to really explore a scene the way they do.”
Recalling a script reading session with Jonathan Nolan, Tonelli said the show’s creator was “extremely detailed and so were the other actors”.
“In some ways it’s more fascinating to see that than the scene itself.”
The filming for Westworld 3 was highly secretive as actors weren’t allowed to tell anyone what they were working on, who they were sharing a scene with, what they wore and where they filmed.
“That day, no one knew what I was doing,” he said with a laugh.
Despite the show’s massive scope, Tonelli described the set as warm and inviting.
“Aaron Paul and Evan Rachel Wood were so down to earth, funny, endearing and a pleasure to work with.
“There were no egos on set,” he said.
With great camaraderie and a collaborative experience, there were many funny moments with his Hollywood co-stars.
Tonelli recalls one particular moment with Paul, who plays the human Caleb, and having to shoot a tense scene over 12 times for various camera angles and timing.
“I’m not sure if that part of the scene is in the final cut, but my timing and accuracy of dropping something during a very tense part of the scene was instrumental.
“A few times it was quite comedic and we all had a good laugh.
“Let’s see if it makes it into the show though,” said Tonelli.
Having lived in Singapore for the past 13 years, Tonelli spoke a lot about the Lion City’s food and sights with his Westworld co-stars who saw a fair bit of the city during their time off.
“Part of being in Singapore as a foreigner, is discovering the small things yourself.”
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tonelli left a promising baseball career after an injury and became a fashion model in Southeast Asia before becoming an actor and television host.
He has been working in Singapore since 2007 and has appeared in numerous television series including the highly-viewed series The Little Nyonya.
Asked if he felt he was offered stereotypical Western roles in Asia much like actors of Asian heritage who often complain they have to play Asian stereotypes in a Western context, Tonelli said he was not exempt from typecasting.
“Sure! I rarely play an American. Most of the time it’s British or another nationality besides American.
“I guess it’s part of the history this part of the world has experienced with a heavy European or British influence.
Admitting that some roles can be stereotypical, he said the challenge is for actors to make it interesting and unique.
“I’ve been fortunate in my career that most of the roles I’ve taken on here in Singapore had substance and challenged me as an actor,” Tonelli said.
Other Singapore-based actors who will appear this season are Tuen Wai Meng, Salif Hardie, Nikki Muller and Cheryl Chitty Tan.
Catch Tonelli and Muller in the upcoming episode of Westworld season 3 which premieres Monday, April 6 at 9am.
The series airs exclusively on HBO GO and HBO (Astro Ch 411 HD) with a same day encore at 10pm on HBO.
