Original-Cin Q&A: Umbrella Academy’s Ellen Page and Steve Blackman on Superpowers, Family and Fact as Fiction
By Bonnie Laufer
The wildly popular Toronto-shot Netflix series The Umbrella Academy is back for season two. Based on the comic book series of the same name by Gerard Way (from My Chemical Romance) and Gabriel Bá, season one was one of Netflix’s highest watched series; expectations for season two are thus running high.
The show follows the Hargreeves, a dysfunctional family of superpowered, adopted siblings of the Umbrella Academy who might be the only ones capable of stopping the apocalypse.
Our Bonnie Laufer spoke with star Ellen Page and creator/executive producer, and showrunner Steve Blackman about the popularity of the series and what fans can expect in season two, which begins streaming on Netflix July 31.
Original-Cin: Congratulations on the success of the series. What is attracting so many viewers?
Steve Blackman: I think what sets us apart is at the core of the show, they’re a dysfunctional family and what makes this unique is their powers. I mean, there's a lot of wonderful superhero shows out there but the superhero nature of the show in some ways is incidental. What I really love to watch and what I have heard from my friends and family is that we love these characters and find them so relatable. They are a family, they're struggling, and had this messed-up childhood with a very strange father and they're trying to come together as a sort of rediscovered family. I think those themes are part of what resonate with people.
OC: Ellen, your character Vanya had a rocky road so far, but in season two we get to see a whole new side of her. How challenging and rewarding has it been for you to play her?
Ellen Page: The challenging stuff is the rewarding stuff. You know what I mean? It gives me such joy to play a character like this. It’s rare for me to have the experience of living with a character for this long. So, to get to have such an exciting arc in the first season and in many ways as you said, getting to play almost a new Vanya in season two has been gratifying and exciting. It felt like establishing a bit of a new character. And It was getting the opportunity to change how she expresses herself and exists in her body, so it is little things like that make my job fulfilling.
OC: What were you most excited about?
EP: At the end of the first season, we saw Vanya release a lot of energy, a lot of repressed emotions, anger, and trauma. But we find her in the beginning of the second season and she’s much lighter, happier and I think more open. She can connect to her emotions, she can connect to other people and she falls in love for the first time. That is what I was really excited about.
OC: Were you surprised and a little thrilled when you got the scripts for season two to see where she was going?
EP: We always discuss it a bit with the writers and with Steve. So, you have an idea that Vanya was going in a whole new direction and getting the scripts made me smile from ear to ear. To be honest, all the new storylines were just absolutely fantastic, and the twists and turns are an integral part of the show. I was really excited for season two and I really loved it.
OC: Steve, I am going to put you on the spot and ask what is it that makes Ellen so special because she really does stand out on this show.
SB: There are so many things to say about Ellen, I don’t think we have enough time! I can tell you she's just so real and what you see is what you get. She's just such a wonderfully genuine person and a delight to work with. She's a true artist and sets the bar for everyone else.
EP: He’s just saying that because I am here.
OC: Ellen, was the chemistry among the cast instant?
EP: We absolutely gelled and enjoyed spending time with each other and getting to know each other. It honestly couldn't be a more fantastic group of actors to work with and then this season I think you just see it more and the connections that have developed are more obvious.
OC: Steve, some of the themes in season two are very timely and relevant. We see the 1960s where you had the cast recreate Greensboro's diner sit-ins, in which the recently deceased civil rights activist and U.S. politician John Lewis took part...
SB: It was very emotional creating and shooting that scene. It actually took two nights and days to shoot. It was important that we get it right. It wasn't based on one actual sit-in; it was an amalgamation of many. We did a lot of research but even now when I re-watch it I still get goosebumps. It's really emotional and these people were just so brave that they would walk into a place and endure that kind of humiliation and be nonviolent and sit there with honor and dignity. I wanted to honour them in the best way I knew how.
OC: Ellen, being able to flesh out a character like this has to be a real gift.
EP: Absolutely. I'm just so grateful that I get to play this character, and I'm really fortunate for Vanya's evolution. I hope to continue doing it because I'm just absolutely thrilled to go to set every day and working on this series has truly been a highlight in my career.