'American Gods,' 'Deadwood,' other films keeping actor Ian McShane busy

Ian McShane is burning up the screen this spring, with appearances in "American Gods," "John Wick: Chapter 3" and "Deadwood," among other projects. (The New York Times/Emily Berl)
Ian McShane is burning up the screen this spring, with appearances in "American Gods," "John Wick: Chapter 3" and "Deadwood," among other projects. (The New York Times/Emily Berl)

Before he landed the role of Mr. Wednesday in American Gods, Ian McShane hadn't read Neil Gaiman's fantastical 2001 novel. Then he picked it up and, four readings later and counting, still hasn't put it down.

"It's not my preferred genre, as they say, but there was something rather thrilling about it," he says. "It seemed like a perfect blueprint for a TV series because of all the 'coming to America' stories."

American Gods, the book and series, presumes a world where deities are real and walk among us. There are the old gods (like Loki, Bilquis and Anansi), who came to America through the beliefs of immigrants, and the new (Technical Boy and Media), who ascended through contemporary fixations.

In the first season, the show's creators, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, trailed Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), an aimless ex-con, and Mr. Wednesday, an eccentric grifter, on a serpentine cross-country road trip to visit the increasingly irrelevant old gods -- and make the case for war against the upstarts trying to usurp their power.

Mr. Wednesday was eventually revealed to be no less than Odin, the omnipotent Norse all-father. Season 2 -- which has returned to Starz after a 21-month hiatus, during which Fuller and Green left the show -- finds him preparing his ancient troops for an epic battle.

His fierce charm intact at 76, McShane is burning up the screen this spring with American Gods followed by four films in April and May: Hellboy, Bolden, John Wick: Chapter 3 -- Parabellum and Deadwood, the long-gestating follow-up to the popular HBO Western that ended in 2006.

Q: A lot happened between Seasons 1 and 2 of American Gods, with the departure of the original showrunners and Gillian Anderson and Kristin Chenoweth.

A: A little turmoil never hurt anybody as long as it came out slightly more creative in the end, and I think it maybe has.

Q: In what way?

A: Where they are, where they're going to, is to get back to Gaiman's book a little more than the first season, which I thought was excellent and provocative and a lot of startling good things but tended to [stray] from the book.

Q: The series touches on immigration, racism, xenophobia and gun control. Did you have any idea how prescient it would be?

A: Well, it was very interesting what was happening when we did the first season. The country has taken a serious lurch to the right, as much as they'd love to say it's taken a serious lurch to the left. I don't think America would know a socialist if they fell over him. They think it's somebody who lives in a garret in Russia and has no telephone and no refrigerator. But that's due to their lack of education. America's been dumbed down over the years, which is a shame. It's wonderful to see Congress now with a rainbow color, if you like, of immigrants and nationalities and people who love this country.

Q: Let's talk about your films, starting with Deadwood.


Ian McShane in HBO's 'Deadwood'
Ian McShane in HBO's 'Deadwood'

A: Deadwood was like being on an acid trip, like being transported back 15 years ago. People you've loved and known, some you've seen, some you haven't -- but you have a good time with them when you walk on that set, doing great work, loving the work you're doing and hoping that people will enjoy it.

Q: What about John Wick: Chapter 3?

A: That will be big and that will be good.

Q: But you are in the reboot of Hellboy.

A: I think that's going to surprise a lot of people. David [Harbour of Stranger Things] is a marvelous actor. He just fills out the role. It was nice and bittersweet taking over [Professor Bruttenholm] from a dear old friend of mine, John Hurt. But it's not Part 3. It's a complete reboot of [Guillermo del Toro's] Hellboy, and I think they picked the right guy in David. And the scripts are funny and smart and bright, and the action is fantastic, and I have grandkids who love all that.

Q: The heart of American Gods is faith and belief. Are you a believer? And if so, who is your god?

A: I believe Jesus Christ is a great guy, absolutely, and if he came back again they'd kill him, absolutely. And not just because he was Jewish, either. They'd kill him because in this day and age, if you talk about anything you're misinterpreted into something else. So if I was a god, I'd be the god of tolerance and understanding and say, "Everybody is worth it."

Style on 03/17/2019

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