Common (‘Silo’): ‘This is one of the best characters that I will ever play’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

Rob Licuria
·4 min read
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“I was blown away from the first script I read,” admits triple threat Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winner Common about his initial reactions to the labyrinthine plot and setting of sci-fi drama “Silo.” For our recent webchat he adds, “I was like, ‘thank you God that they are even considering me for this role.’ And when I got to meet with Graham Yost and then eventually got the call that I was chosen for the role of Sims, I was like really in gratitude. This is one of the best characters that I will ever play,” he says, explaining further that “the crew we have, from hair and makeup to our camera crew to obviously set design, costume design. Man, I was like, ‘I am working with excellence!’ I don’t think I’ve been on a on a film or TV project where I looked everywhere, and it was just excellent, and people and the energy turned out to be great. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

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In “Silo,” the last 10,000 people on Earth are living in a gargantuan concrete silo a mile underground, supposedly keeping them safe from the destroyed and dangerous post-apocalyptic world outside. No one knows when or why the silo was built and anyone who asks too many questions gets in serious trouble and is usually banished to the toxic surface (essentially a death sentence) to “clean” a lone security camera that is the silo residents’ only connection to the outside world. When engineer Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) begins investigating the murder of a loved one, she uncovers a subterranean mystery that goes deeper than she ever could have imagined.

“Silo” was created by Emmy winning writer/producer Yost, which he adapted from the bestselling novel trilogy by Hugh Howey, with Oscar nominee Morten Tyldum directing the first three episodes. Ferguson (who also executive produces) stars as Juliette, who leads the emerging resistance against the status-quo in the silo. Common co-stars as head of security Robert Sims alongside Oscar winner Tim Robbins, with Emmy nominees Harriet Walter, David Oyelowo and Rashida Jones also featuring in the large ensemble cast. The series’ 10-episode freshman season concluded last June on Apple TV+, with Season 2 wrapping production in March this year. “Silo” has become a hit for the streamer, debuting as the #1 drama in the history of Apple TV+ with its viewership growing by double digits while also being a hit with critics.

SEE Exclusive Video Interview: Graham Yost (‘Silo’ showrunner)

A character like Robert Sims is of course supposed to be intimidating and often nefarious. But Common was keen to give Sims more nuance and depth, so that there was much more to him than meets the eye. “He could be just the heavy in in the in the story, or the enforcer,” he explains. “I really wanted to create this human being that really believes and is fighting for what he believes in and is willing to do anything to what he believes is protecting the people of the silo. Is he doing this for his family? That may be one aspect of it. Is he doing it because his father has showed him the way, and now he believes that’s the way the best way to serve the people? Is he doing it also to stay in a position of power? Is he doing it out of fear? We make choices. It’s not always just one thing, you know, and I love getting to put those colors into a person, because no human being on this planet is all good and no human being on the planet is all bad.”

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