Meet Henrick, ‘Orphan Black’s modern day cowboy (Interview  01/02)

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Peter Outerbridge reveals new details on cult-like Prolethian leader | by Amber Dowling, April 14, 2014 | TV GUIDE.CA

TV Guide Canada caught up with the prolific Canadian actor at his Orphan Black trailer late last year to find out just how dangerous he and his cult-like followers will be to our Clone Club, why he should be just as feared as Rachel (Maslany) and Dr. Leekie (Matt Frewer), and what kind of impact he’ll have on Season 2.

 

TV Guide Canada: Henrick is definitely not your typical North American name, is that some insight into Johanssen’s background?
Peter Outerbridge: Johanssen is probably Dutch or Norse, he’s American though. He’s born in the U, S of A. What he is is a religious pastor, in a religious sect or cult. We know these people from last season, there was … last season there was a group of people called the Prolethians that we were introduced to who were very anti science. Heinrick and his flock are Prolethians in American. We are modern day Prolethains and we are trying to embrace science and sort of say that science is not necessarily against God since we are of God. Therefore any science that we do is of god.

 

TVGC: So they’re not necessarily against clones, per se.
PO: That’s about all I can say, the are Prolethian. They are trying to embrace science, they are trying to break away from the old school so they use things like agricultural sciences to grow crops, they use medicines for their cattle. And they are very much tied into the clones but we don’t know why.

 

TVGC: Does he see himself as a bit of a protagonist, perhaps?
PO: I would see him as an antagonist, but he would see himself as a protagonist I’m sure. He’s not like a psycho bad guy or anything like that. I think he genuinely believes that what he’s doing in the name of science and God is appropriate behaviour.

 

TVGC: A lot of religious leaders on television aren’t necessarily true believers, they’re more of the power seeker types. What is Hank’s mindset?
PO: When the producers told me what his deal was I sort of approached it from the view of, OK. He’s a believe of God. He’s not pretending. He’s not like one of these sham artists down in the States who pretends to speak about God but not really believes in God. He really is a religious man. He has faith. And he’s also a scientist and so he’s trying to combine the two philosophies and find some sort of middle ground between the two of them.

 

TVGC: What kind of scientist is he?
PO: I can’t say.

 

TVGC: Production on Season 2 has been absolutely shrouded in secrecy, have you ever experienced anything like this before?
PO: It’s really the first time that I’ve been involved in something where there’s such a huge fan base and the fans are so sort of zealous about it that you know keeping a secret is as much for them as it is for the writers. They don’t want to give anything away, but also the fans don’t want anything given away. So everyone is sort of trying to protect it so that when they see the first season everything is a surprise. It is neat to be a part of that, and it is exciting to be a part of that. It’s also a testament to the writing that they keep it pretty close to the chest. They don’t tell us a lot. As you’re getting the script you’re like, ‘OH, that’s why I was doing those things. OK! It all becomes clear now.’

 

TVGC: One of the brilliant things this show does is make good guys seem like bad guys and vice versa. Has that been a fun ride to play?
PO: Everything is up for grabs. Sarah could turn out to be a villain, you know what I mean? We just don’t know what everybody’s motives are. And yes, I think the cool thing about this season is that you’re going to see some flips, and you’re going to see some people that you thought were good people turn out to be bad people and whatever good and bad means. And ultimately we keep pushing towards the resolution of trying to find out why were these clones created in the first place, like what is the point? Somebody created these clones, why did they do that? And I think that becomes the journey, and everybody else is sort of on that ride, pushing towards it. Am I involved somehow? I don’t know.

 

TVGC: Can we expect any comedic, proud-to-have-a-hidden-tail type moments from Hank?
PO: He’s more serious. He certainly always has a smile on his face because he’s full of the light of God. But I think the humour that comes from Johanssen is more black humour. Most of the humour in this show is pretty dark. But yeah. I certainly have had a few zingers that have come on the tail end of some action that has been pretty brutal. But I m certainly not the slap happy clown guy. I’m a pretty dark, serious kind of guy at heart.

 

TVGC: What kind of body language does he have?
PO: Well I’m a cowboy, so swagger. Nothing but swagger. Oh yeah. I also wear a Stetson. He’s a southern preacher, but he’s a cowboy. He has a farm, he’s raising a family.

 

TVGC: We also know he also has a minion in the form of Mark (Ari Millen). Does he get down and dirty himself though?
PO: Yes I have a minion. What a great word. They are … he’s pretty hands on. There are certainly times that I will ask Mark to do things because I am unable to do them, but it’s not that I wouldn’t do them. There’s a line early on in the script where I say that he’s like a son to me. So he’s like a son that I’m grooming, the same way that a father might groom his eldest to take over the family business. I sort of work with him that way. So I get him to do things sometimes just to sort of teach him. But it’s never because I don’t want to get my hands dirty. It’s more of a mentor sort of relationship that I have with him. He’s like my right-hand man but I look at him like he’s a son.

 

TVGC: So he’s a lead by example kind of guy.
PO: Oh very much so. He practices what he preaches, at least so far. I can honestly say that he has not done anything hypocritical. He practices what he preaches and he expects other people to practice what he preaches.

 

TVGC: Sounds like his ego could be a dangerous tool, especially for his own future and survival.
PO: Not that I know of. Not yet anyway. Well as all good religious fanatics go there’s a certain amount of ego involved, so his righteousness I’m sure approaches self righteousness. And his ego is probably going to be his downfall as is the case with a lot of people like this who feel that God is on their side. They sometimes feel that they’re pretty indestructible. And that could … that’s the fastest way to destruction.