BY: DINO TAKASHI

Marcus Rutherford plays Perrin Aybara, the giant and quiet gentle lad who harbors a temper and animalistic anger on Amazon Prime Video’s biggest release this last quarter of 2021 “Wheel of Time.” The TV adaptation of high fantasy novels of the same title that American author Robert Jordan built spanning fourteen volumes, in addition to a prequel and two companion books.   

  In real life, Rutherford is the total opposite of the character that he plays in the show. There’s something about him that is endearingly funny. Although he looks quiet and shy, he could definitely thrive as a comedian too. Think of Dwayne Johnson or Michael Jordan or even Shaquille O’Neal. I can see Marcus being on the same league as those legends that also made a big impact in the comedic realm.

Rutherford has come a long way after working in independent short and full feature films and music video gigs after finishing a degree in University of England. He is extremely proud and never forgets to be grateful being part of a project that has casted a diverse lineup of actors and film production crew that hailed from different continents and creative backgrounds. Although Marcus didn't see many people that looked like him in the sci-fi genre growing up, his admiration reaches beyond cloud nine with the current changes and progress in the film industry. The diversity on “Wheel of Time” has been reflective of what the world looks like today, he quips. 

Like many of us, Marcus is excited to jet off for a holiday somewhere around the world as soon as travel restrictions related to Covid-19 ease up globally.

While Marcus was in Prague and had a free time from his busy schedule, we talked about his other passions outside of acting, how the pandemic brought him closer to his family in Nottingham and his humble beginnings in the food service industry working in bars and being a barista before getting this major break. 

How are you?

I'm a good man! I'm great! It's nice to be out in Prague filming season two, but it's also exciting that people now get to see season one. We started in 2019, and we got stopped because of Covid twice, so it's wicked that it's finally coming out!

How many countries so far has been part of filming this show?
Mostly it was based in Prague and around the Czech Republic, but we also went to Slovenia, filmed in beautiful mountains and streams. We filmed in Croatia as well in season one.

You mentioned that 2019 was when the production all got started. How did you get selected for the role?
My agent was like, "there's this big fantasy Amazon series, and there is a role for a big quiet, very tall guy -- you could be good for it." I made an audition tape and went into the audition room. There are about three more stages of going in the room with different characters for chemistry tests. I just kind of forgot about it after, and I thought it was good to get that far. That was around May or June, and I found out I got the part, and I had to move to Prague in late August 2019. I had about a couple of months to read the first book before we started shooting.

What happened when the production had to be stopped because of Covid?
The first time, I went back to Nottingham, where I am from, no one knew what it was like during the first wave of Covid, how long we were going to stop for, and how serious it was. That's when the whole world shut down. I was back with my mum and dad. Then when we got shut down the second time, I went back to London and stayed there for a bit.

Can you tell us about your background? How did you get into acting?
I grew up in Nottingham in the Midlands, and there was a drama club in my local city. I was so lucky that it landed on my doorstep. A lot of great actors are from there, like Jack O'Connell. It was producing a lot of good young actors. We used to do a lot of plays, and it was very rare outside of London that something like that exists where you're able to audition and meet casting directors. That's where I got started, and then I went to a university in London. I tried music videos, short films, and feature films, and slowly bit by bit, I started doing more acting.

When was the moment you realized you really wanted to pursue acting?
I think I always wanted to be an actor, but I was always scared. I went to university, but it was more out of fear disguised as practicality. I was a bit unhappy and frustrated. I was about 21 and 22, and I did a film while I was in university, and I loved it. Afterward, I thought, "if I don't do it now, I'll just be miserable. At least I can give it a go now while I am young." I decided to move to London when I was around 21 or 22 and was determined to try to go for it.

What's the difference between "Wheel of Time" and the other fantasy series we have already seen?
"Wheel of Time" has got everything that you like in a fantasy series as well as an amazing set, amazing costumes, really good acting, horse riding, sword fighting, battle sequences, and it's got magic. In this specific series based on the books, the magic can only be used by women. The males are the underdogs in society, and that's quite a refreshing take for fantasy. In terms of the ones I've seen, we got a very diverse international cast. This show has been amazing, and that the cast has been reflective of what the world looks like today. We got people from every continent and every color. I hope that's something that people from all over the world can resonate with.

What's a lesson you learned working on big-budgeted films and smaller independent ones as well?
On those independent films, sometimes, weirdly, you get a bit more time because there's not much money involved. For a big production like Wheel of Time, sometimes you're filming something in a day, and you have all these children that had to be wrapped by a certain time. Then we have a big visual effect shot, then we have a green screen, and you just have to be on it a bit more. It's quite busy, and there's a lot of money at stake. Just knowing your performance before you come to the set is quite important.

What's the difference between preparing for a fantasy role and some of the indie movies that you were in? What's your artistic process like?
I have been in stories that, even if they're not real people who exist, you can pull things from people you know and things the media show. With the fantasy genre, it's a completely different world. You must let your imagination do a lot of it, but I luckily had the books to read, so I got to find so many little things about the characters in the literature already existing.

How do you describe your character in "Wheel of Time"?
He's kind of a big quiet lad. He is like a gentle giant. Out of all the young folks was one of the people that Rosamund Pike's characters met when she came in to look for the next leader and this next prophecy, Perrin Aybarra is one of those who might be it. He's a very thoughtful, introverted, quiet character. He has a temper and animalistic anger that, when it is released, he knows it could be quite dangerous. He's very wary of being violent, and he is quite scared that he might do something dangerous if he does flip. He's got a journey with violence, and it seems to always find him, and he has to navigate it. He has to learn if it is something he should embrace or if there is a civilized way to get to a resolution without war, battles, or violence.

What was your headspace like in playing this character?
On a show like this, where so many physical elements were done, we had days filming a scene in a village, and they built this whole village for weeks. There were amazing costumes and jewelry, and you might be riding a horse. All those physical components allow you to get into the character really easily. Sometimes on another part, you might have to just listen to music and think about the script. Whereas on this, as soon as you walk on set, the world has been built for you, so it's quite helpful to just instantly get caught up in it.

What should we expect from Wheel of Time?
Fans of the books will know that everything kind of kicks in at the start. Episode one sets the tone. A lot happened early on, and if people watch that, it is the same as in the book. It is relentless that it always has a new place, new characters, new abilities, and new powers that continue throughout the show and how big this world is that Robert Jordan has created. If they watched episode one and liked it, I hope that they will continue and follow it through because the momentum continues throughout the season.

For you, what's the best part about being an actor?
I genuinely think about all the new experiences! I've worked many jobs outside of acting, I've worked in bars, I've been a barista, and they were all cool! Now, I feel very lucky about pursuing this full-time; it keeps my life constantly changing. New people, new locations, new costumes, new places. That's something I will never take for granted -- how precious it is to work in an environment that is constantly offering you something new every day. It is really special.

What are your other passions aside from acting?
I do like writing, but sometimes it's a bit annoying when someone does something similar already. I'm a big fan of football. Arsenal is my team, and I love music as well.

Any dream role or genre film genre you want to be part of?
I always wanted to be in fantasy. I feel very lucky to have gotten this opportunity, even if the part is just these first two seasons (or however long it will last). It is quite cool, purely because I didn't see many people that look like me in this similar kind of show growing up. I'd like to do something different. Maybe comedy after this.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year?
In general, maybe being able to go a few places because with all the restrictions, I haven't been able to get away. I was just talking to my friend about it -- I'd like to be able to go on holiday somewhere and travel to other places. Fingers crossed, we're not getting another lockdown.

If you were a book, what would it be and why?
I'd be one of the plays by Roy Williams. He's from Nottingham, where I am from, and he went to the same drama club where I am from. He has a book of plays; some of them have been in the National Theatre. Very modern and contemporary, and he writes so well for young black men.

Wheel of Time is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video