‘Westworld’ Season 2: Why Ed Harris Sees His Character As A Protagonist

The Man in Black (Ed Harris) treats the hosts of “Westworld” with cruelty, and he does not seem to care whether he hurts them or takes them out of their comfort zone.

However, Harris still believes his character is one of the good guys. Despite his tough and emotionless demeanor, the actor said that there’s a whole different side to his character.

“I see him as a protagonist actually, yes,” Harris told Indie Wire. “Particularly this season. The maze is […] history. He’s on a whole other track this year, and I think the track that he’s on definitely makes him a protagonist. I’m worried about Season 3, to tell you the truth.”

Harris even admitted that his character “becomes less mysterious” than he seemed in Season 1. “We learn more about him,” he confirmed.

Shannon Woodward, who plays Elsie Hughes in the series, also shared Harris’ views about protagonists and villains. She told The Independent that Elsie is structured as a “classic hero,” although she acknowledged “there are no villains in this show, everyone has their directives but I don’t think anyone is set out to be one - that’s part of the nature of this show, questioning the idea of narrative and how we categorize people and characters,” she explained.

The same is the case for Evan Rachel Wood’s character, Dolores Abernathy, who is also programmed as the villain Wyatt. Dolores was pretty timid when she was first introduced in Season 1, although she slowly came to her own devices while traveling with young William (Jimmi Simpson).

Next season, Dolores is going to get some help from fellow host, Teddy Flood (James Marsden), as they take on a new revolution. For Wood, Dolores’ bravery and transformation is really inspiring.

“That is what strikes me about her - she gets knocked down but always gets back up and fights harder. I’ve definitely taken that with me,” she told W Magazine.

“Dolores is awake now. She can’t be the same as she is in Season 1. She was still stuck in the dream. There was a letting go of that pure version of her that I knew and loved so much,” she added.

“Westworld” Season 2 premieres on April 22 on HBO.