Dominic Adams
While the only news that seems to make any dent in the ether right now seems to be that of the upcoming inauguration, one television show has managed to explode on to the scenes and get everyone talking; Six, the new HISTORY series that is as compelling as the current headlines- and as topical! Created by the prolific William Broyles Jr. of Castaway, Apollo 13, and Jarhead fame, as well as David Broyles, and executive produced and directed by the amazing Homeland E.P. and director Lesli Linka Glatter, Six comes from some of the best of the business that is famously known for bringing the harrowing events of realistic headlines to screen- and also for finding the most amazing talent to act out their incredible material, with this new series being no exception! The creators have brought together some of the brightest talents in the business, from incomparable character actor Walter Goggins, to a beloved performer from Chicago Fire, Edwin Hodge, to the absolutely outstanding Dominic Adams, who is giving a serious tour de force in a role that simply commands attention.
Having first stolen the hearts of audiences as the hunky Tony Bishara on the fan-favorite series Devious Maids, the smolderingly handsome actor showed that he could step outside his comfort zone and perform in an off-beat dramedy alongside some of the most beloved actresses in the business. Chiseled to perfection from head to toe, and talented to boot, Adams swiftly became one of the most Googled men in Hollywood by both fans and casting agents alike, and soon enough, the beautiful British artist with the incredible acting pedigree from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in London became one of Tinsel Town's hottest commodities.
Now, Adams is putting his acting schooling to the ultimate test as he plays one of the most layered roles an actor could ask for. As Michael Nasry on Six, the quickly rising star portrays a bright young Lebanese-American Muslim that has been radicalized after the events of 9/11 and the effects they had on his life and his family. The role calls for a certain sense of focus that not many actors have, and the meticulous performer went through painstaking research to make sure that he was able to bring some humanity to his character. An actor's actor, Adams is the type of artist that revels in intense scene-play and acting table-tennis with other actors, and works tirelessly to give back the best performance possible to those around him- whether that be soaking up the other actor's energy, or asking the writers for all their side notes- moves that will surely make for longevity in his career.
As Six quickly becomes one of the hottest shows on television, and Adams immediately becomes one of TV's hottest rising stars, the gifted talent sat down to answer a few questions about his process, what it's like stepping into such a character, how it feels to work with such amazing people, and plenty more. Read below to see what he had to say;
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”Six” is off to a great start and is already making waves! Can you tell fans what they can expect from the show?
Six are the crème de la crème- the top absolute top of the Navy SEALs. It is one of the highest special forces groups in the U.S., or really in the world. So, this show follows a group of S.I.X. members as they deal with the complexities of balancing life, home life and morality, with absolutely insane, otherworldly situations that they get into on a regular basis. So, on the one level it's about how they live these high pressure lives, and then jump back into a civilian world- and is that even possible, and the other part of the show is really about what happens when foreign forces go into other countries and act in the name of liberation, or freedom, and how that actually affects people on the other side. So, it really tackles that from both sides of the coin. This show shows that we all do things that are within a very murky water between what's right and what's wrong, and this show really makes you think, and makes you realize that every action has a reaction, and every action has a consequence. It gets the audience to think about how maybe it's understandable that people react when certain things are being done to them. So, the show is quite heavy. It's a lot! [Chuckles]
What did you do to tap into the intense research needed for this kind of character you play; Michael Nasry?
I went through mountains of research. I was very fortunate from the get-go to have a link into the writers; Bruce C. McKenna, David Broyles, William Broyles Jr., as well as the rest of the team. I was able to coordinate with their assistants and able to say; "Please keep sending me anything that is part of your process in writing Michael and informing the other sides of things. Please send it my way." So, I got pages upon pages of documents about what happens when people feel disenfranchised, and through that disenfranchisement there's a weakness that can be preyed upon- a young Muslim for example that can be swayed or have their head turned to a radical way- and there are examples of that in this country. And Michael is a first generation American, born and raised, loved his country, went to Michigan State University- he's a bright, happy American man of Lebanese decent. But, events happen in his life that lead him astray from loyalty to the country of his birth. Attitudes after 9/11, attitudes change toward Muslims and toward people who are Arab, so there's a lot of dissecting the mind sets of people on both sides- both the Americans who start to think differently and develop that hate of who they think is "the enemy," and those that are on the other side of that. And the media has a lot to say and stand for in that. Then, I went on to read the stories of those who were Americans that did actually get involved in terrorism. So, I really tried to inform myself as much as possible about the reality of the world we inhabit.
The show is created by William Broyles Jr., writer of “Castaway,” and ”Jarhead,” and also stars incredible actor Walter Goggins. Talk about the great company you're in.
You're always happy when you get any job as an actor- gainful employment is always happily accepted! [Chuckles kindly] But, this was, for exactly the reasons you say, particularly exciting. You look at the class of the people around and it's just amazing. William Broyles Jr.- or Bill, as he's known, is incredible. The guy's resume speaks for itself. He's a wonderful, caring man who cares deeply about this project and the subject. He served in Vietnam himself as a marine. Jarhead is a wonderful tale on war. He is just absolutely fantastic. From there down, everyone is amazing. David Broyles is a phenomenal writer. Bruce C. McKenna from Band Of Brothers is terrific. We as the actors were very fortunate to work with a very high level of writing, and it makes our jobs that much easier. You can't help but go to work and be thankful when you're looking at your page and thinking how much of the work it does for you. It was a true privilege to be part of that. For myself? A lot of my work is with Walter Goggins, and he is just a lovely human being. He is a really fabulous actor who cares. To be up against an actor who is so focused and intense, I would really like to hope that I echo that in my performance. Again, I really just felt so fortunate to be able to do four minute scenes just conversing with this man- that's an actor's dream. We also have phenomenal directors- Lesli Linka Glatter, who is also one of our executive producers, and she's also one of the executive producers on Homeland. All around, we're just really lucky to be surrounded by people at the top of their game.
With your career rising fast and “Six” really catapulting you to stardom, who else would you love to work with, and what other roles would you love to play ?
You know, what moves me, inspires me and what I gravitate toward is telling stories that matter and that are important. In the wider scope of things, I just want to impact people, and to make things that have a purpose. I believe that actors have a big responsibility with the fact that you get to make something that when it's out there can affect people, or change people. When I watch something that speaks to me, or resonates, it changes me- and when that happens, it's a very powerful, personal experience So, conversely, when I get the opportunity to be involved in something that can do the same, it's a huge feeling of responsibility because I'm aware of it. So, moving forward, that's really what I seek to do- seek out things that resonate with me, as I hope they resonate with other people. And in terms of other individuals, there are so many incredible writers, actors and directors out there- it's so hard to start naming names. Paul Thomas Anderson has always been a huge inspiration as an auteur. I always am in awe of what Damien Chazelle is doing with La La Land and Whiplash- it's so incredible. These are people I would chew my right arm off to get a chance to work for, or with. Steve McQueen is another one- everything he does is just so rich, and that's just something I would really love to get my fingers into- that rich texture.
You also had a very memorable recurring role on "Devious Maids," which had some of the most lovable ladies in the world; Roselyn Sanchez, Judy Reyes, Dania Ramirez, Ana Ortiz, Rebecca Wisocky, and of course, Susan Lucci. Talk about that experience a bit. Do you keep in touch with any of your delightful former co-stars?
They are amazing women! I love all of them! I absolutely love Roselyn- she was so friendly! Judy was terrific, Dania is so sweet, Ana is incredible- they're all fantastic. That was a very dear experience to me. It was my first recurring role in the U.S., and it was very out of my wheelhouse in terms of style. Marc Cherry has a very specific Marc Cherry style that works in the way he approaches the tone of what he is doing. It took a lot of understanding and growth to get into that rhythm- and that was unlike anything I've ever done before coming from very psychological drama school, it was incredible to be open enough to be able to play and jump in line with his tempo. I did a lot of work on that show with Rebecca Wisocky, and she is just an extremely talented actress- that was such a learning curve, getting to watch her process. It was a really good time and I learned a lot, and it was an amazing entry into American television as it was very different from how I envisioned what I might be doing. I always look back fondly on that time, and you truly couldn't ask for a better group of women. I still stay in touch with Edy Ganem actually- she's also very sweet. It was definitely a very informative and quality learning experience and helped my evolution as a man- so, I'm really lucky to have gotten a chance to have worked with such strong, talented women.
And speaking of strong and powerful women, as you mentioned, you get to work with the amazing Lesli Linka Glatter for "Six." Can you talk about how great it is having more great women behind the screen?
She does a lot of work. And there really aren't enough women voices in the industry, and she does such a fantastic job with that, and she's an amazing example of that. I have amazing respect for that, and her work speaks for itself. She's firmly entrenched in the Homeland camp, and to get to bring some of that to this show is great. Even though, we are a very different show, but to bring any of that greatness here is really so amazing. We are heavily thankful.
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And just like the world was thankful to Linka Glatter for bringing them amazing talents like Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkon, Damien Lewis, and Rupert Friend, on that fantastic hit, fans will be equally grateful to the amazing director/producer for blessing them with Dominic Adams on Six!
Six airs Wednesday nights at 10/9c on HISTORY.