New interview with Sasha Roiz (Edge Boston)

Edge Boston has a great three-page interview with Sasha Roiz. Snippets and link below.

EDGE: The role of Sam was expanded to series regular after the pilot was shot but before that happened did you have a feeling your character could be more important to the show and overall story?

Sasha Roiz: I did. I felt that there was potential for the character. While we were shooting the pilot, I thought I personally would enjoy seeing where this character goes and the world that he exists in because it would introduce this entire sub-world that we only hint at a little bit in the pilot. I thought it would be a very interesting place to go.

EDGE: When you found out that Sam was going to be gay, how did you approach it as an actor?

SR: Well, I was very surprised at first because I didn’t perceive him as gay when I played him in the pilot but then it was explained to me that it wouldn’t effect it all that much because it’s a world without any kind of discrimination in regards to sexuality so I realized there was not a need to alter the performance at least in regards to that. It was just going to be an interesting statement and another layer to this character and an interesting statement about this society at large. To be honest, I really don’t dwell too much on him being straight or gay. I just am more excited by the fact that he’s a more stable, monogamous individual in a loving relationship. That affects the character much more than his sexual orientation. It doesn’t inform me all that much but I do love the statement it makes and I love the effect it casts on the viewers.

EDGE: We kind of see two different sides of Sam - one gentle side with his nephew and his partner but then he’s also a killer and mobster. Is it safe to guess that these two sides are going to cross and make things more complicated?

SR: Yes, I think everyone’s life is going to get more complicated. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch. You’re going to see a lot of characters being put in very compromising situations and having to make very difficult decisions for themselves and others. Things get a lot more complex for Sam, certainly with his loyalties. There seems to be a disconnect at one point between his loyalties to the mob and his loyalties to his home life and it’s going to put him in very precarious situations. It will be very interesting. -- Edge Boston