The actor talks about Marcus and puppy therapy.
In the world ofHacks , which is now airing its 2nd season on HBO Max , the protagonist Deborah Vance ( Jean Smart ) , legendary stick out - up comedian , and Ava ( Hannah Einbinder ) , lowly joke author , are more alike than they would care to admit . Deborah is the elder stateswoman with impeccable creature - print style and Ava is the mussy bisexual with her human foot constantly in her mouth , but they both will do anything for a laugh . If anyone stands in contrast to them , it ’s Marcus , played by Carl Clemons - Hopkins , the CEO of Deborah ’s empire , whose obtuse deadpan indicates that he takes his job very seriously .
In the first season , Marcus lets his eggshell crack up a piece when he starts to date Wilson ( Johnny Sibilly ) , the man who was antagonizing Deborah about water usage on her palatial belongings . But Marcus ' fearfulness of opening up stupefy the better of him when he reject to go on vacation with his newfangled boyfriend . Now , Marcus is reeling , spending all night at social club where he does n’t fit in and adopting an adorable pup that he has no genuine desire to care for . While Deborah and Ava are out on the road , he ’s been figuring out his bastard back in Vegas . It does n’t go well .
Clemons - Hopkins , who is nonbinary , has transform Marcus from a side character into another one of the lost souls at the series ' centre . They muster Marcus ' intensity level and the joyousness that begins to glance out . Thrillist utter with the player about the show ’s homoeroticism , that little dog , and biz - night gays .
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Thrillist : There ’s an alternate - world version of Marcus that is not at all this character . He could have been just the hard - nosed chief operating officer of Deborah ’s byplay , but he ’s develop in such a fascinating mode . How did you take part in that evolution?Carl Clemons - Hopkins : I recall [ co - creator ] Paul [ W. Downs ] specifically say , " We ’re going to be going a bit into his personal life , just so you jazz . " I initially think , " Oh , sure , okay . possibly it ’ll be something outside of work . majuscule . " And then we got through the first time of year , and then I agnise , oh , this is his first brokenheartedness . This is his first relationship . He ’s already someone who does n’t process feelings very well . He ’s already someone who does n’t have any friends , I mean real friends . And outside of his mamma and his auntie , he does n’t really see reflection of himself . He ’s so focussed on work , and this one thing , he does n’t get the benefit of being included in any of his communities , really . He ’s not actually seeing reflection of himself racially . He ’s not actively surrounded by other rummy multitude outside of oeuvre .
So it ’s been really interesting delving into the mind of someone who is n’t deal with their smell , does n’t have musical accompaniment for the tactual sensation around them . And is in their first heartbreak . It ’s what ’s been the catalyst of all of these , as you said , evolutions in the second season . And it ’s been really captivating to at least seek to do justice to him .
Can you thrive on the the idea that he does n’t have a queer community out of doors of work ? Because his work community of interests is singular , and I think that ’s so great about the show : Queerness is just so constitutional . Well , and what ’s bang-up is in this season that piece of work community is really get to speak with each other . We saw the seeds of it toward the end of last time of year , but unquestionably this time of year — Ava , Damien [ play by Mark Indelicato ] , Marcus — the team is in reality forming in a room where they ’re in reality interact with each other , actually consume parts in each other ’s life , which is something that Marcus definitely did n’t have before . I mean , keep in mind , he just stopped essay to get Ava fired . She was not someone he saw at all . So the fact that that relationship and those relationships within that work community of interests are starting to really become invested in is the source of that community of interests for him .
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Marcus is also exploring the singular community in Vegas , croak out to clubs . Honestly , if you want my take of it , he ’s a game - night homophile who assay to be a party gay and he ’s very clearly wonderfully , beautifully a game - night gay . And not that the two do n’t ever intermingle , but I remember some good friends , some dear sweaters , some good wine and some good games would really be all he demand and more .
I want to ask you about the sequences with the piffling hotdog . The puppy ?
The puppy . I will say my sum discontinue for that poor puppy … Oh , that puppy . Oh , that puppy . Dogs and Adderall , not a good mix . Who know ?
What were those scene like ? And what was Marcus trying to fulfill with this puppy?It was very much an attainment of public convenience out of lack of acceptance or being heard or what have you . It was very , " Oh , I ’ll put all my feelings into this pup . " And then you realise that you were not equipped to care for this . So it was like the heartbreak you never needed on top of the grief you did n’t ask , on top of the heartbreak that you ’re living . But I will say it was some of the most balanced 24-hour interval because it was the emasculated , sweetest little puppy . When you ’re not in impermanent endangerment , you ’re happy . So it really worked out . Outside of what we were there to do , it was some very happy solar day .
Can you sing a little bit about Marcus ' closing off in the first act of the season ? Most of his other colleagues are on Deborah ’s tour bus , and you do n’t decide to come along until the conclusion of the fourth episode . Even in the club scenes , there ’s aloneness . In a stack of way , Wilson was the prince who break the piece because he was hyper - focused , isolated when he ’s alone , keep apart when he ’s not alone , but this hyper - focused being , in many ways to avoid any of the many thing that life will challenge you with , especially if you have the nerve to be not in the majority .
But it ’s also a very real thing that we as world will do sometimes when we are trying to avoid situations or trying to prove that we ’re adept than a pervading feeling . There ’s unquestionably some depression there . There ’s decidedly perchance some manic depression there . But it was , again , something that having a puppy on bent helped a luck . That was a highlighting .
by and by in the time of year , you get to interact more with Ava and Damien and Deborah . What was the tone when you got to get on the bus?Those were relieving . And we of course did n’t pip in gild , but most of the later episodes were shot afterward in the time of year . And because a lot of the more unmanageable Marcus instant were toward the beginning of the season , it was kind of a , " Oh keen , this is howling . This is a lovely abatement from old focused emotion . " So , that was skillful . I really enjoyed it . And it is a lot closer to the actual working relationship I have with these individuals , which is bright , fun , and just amazing .
What is the dynamic like between all the untried people and Jean Smart?What I will say is , on a set we ’re all actors in this green room at this sinful hour trying to get this one guessing . That enunciate , she ’s so phenomenal and so dynamic , and such an unbelievable leader . Such an incredible creative person that , I ’ll speak for myself , I ’m learning from her every mean solar day . thankful to have the opportunity to see from her every Clarence Day . We are all at dissimilar points in our career . None of us are Jean Smart , so there ’s always something to learn . There ’s always something to reap , even if it ’s a way to take counseling , a way to ask dubiousness , a way to interact with mass . It ’s been a literal blessing to have her leadership .
Are you root for Marcus ' relationship with Wilson?Always . I ’m always rooting for more time with Johnny Sibilly .
What about in the context of Marcus ' emotional state?Without give anything away , what I will say is , first and foremost , I ’m always rooting for Marcus . If that includes Wilson , that ’s wonderful . But I ’m really settle down for Marcus to continue to come in into his own , to possibly get some office quad outside of a house . I ’m root for him to know his life-time as opposed to isolating himself from it . And I would love if that let in Wilson , because that seemed like a someone who could really care for him in a very veridical agency . But first and foremost , I ’m rooting for Marcus .
