“Wait, sorry, so Ridley Scott is a fan of Eurovision the annual musical event or ‘Eurovision’ the Netflix film that you star in?” Journalism, folks! It’s always important to clarify fuzzy details.
In this case: Ridley Scott is a huge fan of the Netflix film. Maybe the annual musical event too? But, at least according to “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” star Dan Stevens, the legendary filmmaker and iconic producer loves to laugh at daffy musical numbers on the world’s largest streaming service.
These are the kinds of things that come up in conversation with the wonderfully shape-shifting actor, who always seems to be doing something new. The last time we spoke was a staggering six years ago, during which I tried — and, frankly, think I mostly succeeded — in helping make “the Summer of Dan Stevens” happen during a time when we all really needed something silly and fun to focus on. (Stevens today: “Tricky in 2020 to make it the summer of anything other than what was obviously going on. That’s very kind of you to try, though.”)
And while it remains to be seen if Scott was aware of the Summer of Dan Stevens, he sure as hell was aware of “Eurovision.” The film. That Stevens stars in. On Netflix.
And he loved Dan Stevens in it.
“There were certain things that popped that year in terms of entertainment that we were consuming, whether it was ‘Tiger King’ or ‘Eurovision,’ that just gave people this weird release,” Stevens said as he Zoomed with IndieWire from his sunny back garden late last month. “Funnily enough, it led to me doing the show. I was chatting with [series producer] David Zucker about Ridley Scott, and Scott Free obviously had a huge hand in making ‘The Terror,’ and he said, ‘Ridley brings up “Eurovision” roughly every two weeks in a meeting. He’s obsessed.’”
And, yes, he did mean “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” in which Stevens stars as Russian pop superstar Alexander Lemtov, a wildly sexy and deeply insane contestant in the annual musical competition, which was lovingly (and hilariously) dramatized into the David Dobkin film that also stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams.
“He’s a huge fan and he loved Lemtov and it was like, ‘We’ve got to work with Dan Stevens, because of ‘Eurovision.’” For all of my other endeavors, it was ‘Eurovision’ that got the attention of Ridley Scott, which was amazing,” Stevens said with a smile.
‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’John Wilson/Netflix/Kobal/Shutterstock
Stevens has long been able to move between comedy and horror, so it’s oddly fitting that his latest scary role, as the lead of the third season of the anthology series “The Terror,” was at least partially the product of his comedic work. This iteration of the AMC series is subtitled “Devil in Silver” and sees author Victor LaValle adapting his 2012 novel of the same name. (LaValle also showruns, along with Christopher Cantwell.)
The first modern entry in the supernatural series, this season’s six episodes center on Stevens’ Pepper, a hot-headed (but good-hearted) moving man who lands in a local psychiatric hospital, only to find that rumors of evil stalking its halls are not entirely the stuff of nightmares.
“I’m a big fan of anthology series in general, it’s a chance for genre to find a way into television a bit more,” he said. “What was interesting with this one was the combination of classic horror tropes and more of a social realist institutional critique. You’ve got this going between the metaphorical and the literal devil. There’s a really complex weaving that Victor and Chris did, which is these institutions that are supposed to civilize and regulate people like Pepper who are impulsive, and you put that inside of a place that is supposed to help him, and actually it feeds that inner devil rather than addressing it. You’ve got this dehumanization of the ward and it doesn’t produce any reflection or growth, it just produces rage.”
And, yes, there is a literal devil in this one, which won’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with LaValle’s novel. What drew Stevens to the part and project is that the monster is tied up in very human emotions and actions. It doesn’t “let Pepper off the hook,” he said. Just because there’s something scary down the hall, that doesn’t mean that being a good person doesn’t matter. It matters more, actually.
“It’s a story that wants you to engage with it. It wants to keep you a little bit guessing,” the actor said. “Is it a literal devil? Is it a metaphorical devil? Is it both? He’s surrounded by unreliable narrators. He’s got this wonderful cast of inmates and staff who are also wrestling with what’s going on. And ultimately, that’s what draws us in, is that what is going to defeat this is care for others. Specifically for people that are more vulnerable than you, than Pepper. It’s a weirdly sweet and lovely tale within a very dark one. It’s not therapy, it’s not medication, it’s not the institution, that’s going to heal. It’s actually just the ancient, unglamorous work of showing up for people.”
Dan Stevens and Judith Light in ‘The Terror: Devil in Silver‘Courtesy of Emily V. Aragones / AMC
Monster fans, never fear, you will get some glimpses of the so-called devil in silver during the course of the show. This is, after all, a Dan Stevens joint (the man has even played a beast himself). But bring your imagination to play.
“There is never actually an integrated monster,” Stevens said. “What they were very careful to do was show pieces, so we had literal pieces of this creature. Without giving too much away, when Pepper’s getting kicked in the head by this monster, there’s literally just this disembodied leg that we swung into frame rather than having a whole creature created. The thing I love about shooting horror and genre stuff is that, generally speaking, the activities that are taking place for the making of it versus the actual effect of watching it are so wildly different. Just being drenched in blood, having a hoof come across your skull is so much sillier hopefully than the effect that we’re trying to create.”
Stevens also serves as a producer on the project, marking only the fourth time he’s taken on that role and the first in the TV space.
“For the most part, it’s adding extra willpower, which is needed for any creative endeavor. It’s like, ‘I really want to see this happen and I want to see this happen with the right people involved and I want to have a hand in that,’” Stevens said of why he produces certain projects. “There’s a certain responsibility to that. ‘Executive producer’ means something different every time, but I’m really honored to have partnered with everybody and continuing to work with Scott Free on other shows and ideas now, which is great.”
He laughed. “It’s probably ‘Eurovision,’ but this as well has helped to nurture a really fruitful relationship there,” he added.
Despite his bonafides in both comedy and horror, Stevens isn’t too caught up in labels. He’s never specifically looking for “a comedy” or seeking out “a scary movie.” It’s more about the intention and the execution, something he finds more often in supposed genre packaging.
‘The Terror: Devil in Silver’
“Increasingly the way that comedy and horror are interweaved has become much more interesting to me,” Stevens said. “Those lines have become much more blurred in a really interesting way. I really enjoy bringing comedic elements to horror and horrific elements to comedy. … I’ve experimented in a lot of different areas and a lot of different styles, and I want to increasingly cross-pollinate those things and take elements that I’ve learned from period drama and bring them to an action thriller or whatever it is, and just play between those realms and bring those things together.”
He’ll next bring that philosophy to another TV role, as the actor was recently cast as a serial killer in the second season of “Dexter: Resurrection,” which is shooting this spring in New York City.
“I can’t tell you very much at all about it because I’m sworn to secrecy because ‘Dexter’ is institutionally secretive about their stuff,” he said. “But I can tell you that he’s called The Five Borough Killer, you can make of that what you will. It’s a great fun show to step into. It’s such a well-oiled machine, and it’s a real privilege to step onto a set like that, with a crew who’ve been doing it for so many years, a lot of the actors have been doing it so many years. We’ve got Brian Cox on this season as well as Uma Thurman, and it’s a great gang. Michael C. Hall is delightful. I’m having great fun stalking the streets of all five boroughs.”
Next year, Stevens will also return to the Monsterverse for the second time. His kooky vet character Trapper, who first appeared in Adam Wingard’s “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in 2024, will be back in Grant Sputore’s “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.” He’s just fine with not being the main attraction in that one.
“I think people care more about Godzilla and Kong than they do about the human characters really, which is what you come to learn when you start playing these roles,” the actor said. “But that said, I have had a lot of fun with Trapper. He’s a great character. I was very grateful to Adam Wingard for getting me into that whole Monsterverse. Listen, if I can take Kong’s tooth out or help extract something from a Titan’s belly if they’ve got a bit of a tummy ache, then I’m happy to do that.”
‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Also a possibility in 2027? His third film with Wingard, who he first worked with way back in 2014 for Stevens’ breakthrough role in “The Guest.” Little has been revealed about “Onslaught,” other than it takes place in a trailer park and follows a young mother trying to protect her loved ones when a “threat” escapes a nearby military base.
“Ultimately, it’s Adam Wingard back on form, returning to a batshit action-thriller in the desert, which is where I first met him and fell in love with him,” he said. “This time, Adria Arjona, who is incredible, is our lead and has done an amazing job. People are going to really enjoy what she’s brought to that movie, I won’t say any more than that. But my contribution is, typically, bonkers.”
In the interest of circling back on the Summer of Dan Stevens, I asked Stevens about his continued hopes for a) returning to Broadway (he was preparing for a role in Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” before the pandemic shut everything down) and b) adding “director” to his resume.
Stevens doesn’t demur. He is “very interested” in a role on Broadway, “and when the right thing comes along and when the timing is right.” Back in New York City this spring for “Dexter,” he’s hoping to see some shows and “get inspired.” (Top of the list: Rose Byrne in “Fallen Angels,” which I had just seen and heartily recommended.)
He is also still interested in directing and, in fact, seems even closer to that goal these days. “I’m definitely developing some things that I hope to bring to fruition soon. I’m keen not to rush into it, but when the right thing comes together,” he said. “It feels like a bit of a new era will emerge. In the meantime, I’m really excited to be developing stuff as a producer. Some of that stuff I might direct, some of it I won’t, but we’ll see. That’s been a really exciting new chapter.”
For a man known for doing a little about everything — “cross-pollinating,” in his parlance — there must still be something else he’s dying to do, right? Yup, and fittingly, Stevens’ big “I’d love to do this sort of thing” dream occupies yet another classic genre space.
“I haven’t really done a Western,” he said. “I would fuck with a Western. I’ve definitely read some over the years, but none of them have quite grabbed me. I’m waiting to find one. I love watching them and I love it as a genre, but as an Englishman, we don’t often get invited to those ultra American type roles. But sometimes we do! Yeah, let’s put that out there.”
“The Terror: Devil in Silver” premieres Thursday, May 7 on AMC+ and Shudder.