The Oscar-nominated actor has played the role of the sadistic park owner and routine guest since the premiere episode of the HBO series in 2016. In his younger days, William (played by Jimmie Simpson) seems like a good guy. But he is ultimately corrupted by West world where he visits to enact his wicked deeds on the robots. That is, until the uprising at the end of season one after the hosts become self-aware. Driving his wife to commit suicide and killing his daughter (although he thought she was a host) left William with nothing. And when viewers catch up with him in Season 4, it is learned that he somehow survived after a host copy of himself slit William’s throat at the end of season 3. The presumably real William is now being kept in a huge CRO, chamber by a host copy of Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) as the host version of William does her bidding.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter prior to the Sunday premiere of “Well Enough Alone,” the stage, screen and TV veteran touched on a number of topics, including how much of the overall story he is told and when, as well as whether he thinks William could be redeemed.
In the below chat, Harris also talks about the golf scene from this week’s episode and how much grief that Le Mat pistol has given him over the seasons.
At the end of last season, I did not know at the beginning of this season at all that I would end up being an A.I. I spent most of that season in my white jumpsuit, which I was really glad to get out of. And then [co-creator] Lisa Joy gave me an overall arc of Season 4, understanding that I was basically a henchman for Tessa’s character.
I don’t know if there’s much difference between the two of them, but yeah. He’s really following orders. She’s programmed him to the extent that he’s really doing it in her bidding, but hopefully in the course of the season, as the other hosts have done, he’ll start growing within, getting a little more consciousness of his own being and expanding his horizons a little, but things start changing a bit later in the season.
That’s a really good question. You know, I wouldn’t mind if he, the actual human William, got out of the CRO machine and corrected some situations that he’s responsible for. I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I certainly have not been told, but I’m not sure if he’s got much chance of surviving. I don’t know if he’s ever going to get back to being that man [played by Jimmie Simpson]. I’m hoping that some aspect of who he was when he was younger comes back, but I really don’t know if it will. I have no idea what they’re planning. We have one more season, which will start filming next April and May. I have no idea where that’s going to end up.
I really enjoy my Man in Black western outfit and who he is when he’s wearing it. Wearing all those layers of black, when I sweat — especially when it’s 100 degrees out — it keeps me cool, so I don’t mind it. But when I take that black hat off, sweat just pours down my face.
I’ve had a really hard time with that thing. They actually got another replica that’s a little better, but it’s really hard to cock with one hand. I gave it to different people and said, “Just try to cock this thing.” And especially if I’m supposed to shoot fast, it was really a pain. But you know, through the magic of cinema and editing, it worked out. But yeah, it was a little annoying.
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