One look at David Lyons as Vince Faraday (AKA The Cape) and you know this man was born to fight bad guys. One conversation with him and you know he truly believes in everything his character stands for, namely the importance of family. I had a chance to chat with David and he spoke in depth about his character’s complexities, how Vince differs from Batman and why he’s rooting for the bad guys.
What do you do physically to prepare for playing Vince Faraday/The Cape?
David: There was a lot of fight training prior to the pilot and in the off time that we had between pilot and pick up. We were down at a fight choreography place doing a lot of mixed martial arts and so on.
How much of the stunt work do you do?
David: I do the majority of the stunt work. The fight scenes it’s usually all me, but there are certain things the creators won’t let me do, which is mainly the wild work and some of the falls. I enjoy the physicality of the role, so it’s fun getting to do as much as I can.
What drew you to the role of Vince in the first place?
David: The concept of family was the biggest draw point, having such a passionate pursuit of an objective. The center of Vince’s world is his family and I found that to be an interesting character point to play because with a lot of vigilante, superhero types, the family’s no longer in the picture. In this story the family is very much alive and there’s this push and pull emotional journey of Vince. I thought that would be an interesting thing to be a part of.
We’re only a few episodes into “The Cape;” where do you see the show going from here?
David: The world becomes a lot more expansive, there are more characters involved. At the moment it’s centered around Vince’s family and Orwell and Max, and it starts to bleed out into the back stories of other character’s lives. Other notable characters are coming in and are going to create some waves. I think what the viewers look forward to seeing is a much richer world in which all these things play out.
What is it about Vince Faraday that’s likely to connect with viewers?
David: Vince Faraday is essentially the every man. That’s what I really appreciated about the role. I think in the current times, in where we are in the world right now, to see someone that’s been wronged fighting back against this faceless, multi-national overlord, he’s symbolical to a lot of things that are going on. And a big piece of that is the love for family. The heart of it sits with the family and the concept of the family unit and the love that these guys have for each other. It resonates through all the wrongs and in all the characters. Hopefully that’s what viewers will connect with.
To which comic book/action-heroes would you compare Vince Faraday/The Cape?
David: It’s an interesting question because Vince Faraday, the character, is changing as we go along. There’s been references to Batman and so on, but Vince is coming from a different emotional place than Batman. There are elements in the story and in the world which have the kind of cheekiness of a Spiderman scenario. I’m reluctant to pinpoint any sort of differences and similarities, because I’m still feeling out the character. There’s no history to this story in terms of comic books or in terms of mythology. It’s all coming from Tom Wheeler, the creator, so we’re still finding out exactly who this character is and where he sits in the realm of superhero icons.
And from our Facebook Ultimate Fan Page, Pam Annala wants to know: Who is your favorite superhero?
David: Is it wrong to have a villain as my favorite?
No, although it probably says something about your personality!
David: (Laughs) It probably does. I always say the nature of the superhero comes in the antithesis, which is the villain. Heath Ledger as the Joker; that was truly inspirational. Gene Hackman in Superman (as Lex Luthor), amazing roles. I didn’t really grow up in the world of comic books. Since starting this job I’ve delved into it, but I haven’t landed on a favorite superhero yet.
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
