On the set of Westworld

MANILA, Philippines — Hector speaks!

In October last year, this writer was invited to the set of HBO’s hit drama Westworld, a genre-busting mix of sci-fi and western based on a 1973 film written and directed by the late best-selling author Michael Crichton. The set is located in a secluded studio about two hours drive outside of Los Angeles.

On the day of our visit, the cast and crew were busy filming a pivotal scene in the film. They had been hard at work on season two of the series since July. A huge wildfire that broke out in the mountains adjacent to the set a couple of weeks before our visit almost caused a delay in production.

We toured Sweetwater, the iconic fictional town in the series where nearly all the mayhem of the first season took place. Our cameras and phones were not permitted to the set but we were able to get inside the brothel where Maeve entertains her clients; we saw the railroad tracks where the guests first meet the hosts; and we stood on the same dirt where the bandit Hector Escaton and his gang reappeared to wreak havoc on the townspeople.

We were supposed to have an interview with Thandie Newton and Rodrigo Santoro, who play Maeve and Hector, respectively, in the series but Thandie’s scenes took longer to film so Rodrigo was left to hold court.

The critically-acclaimed Westworld is about a theme park that offers its guests the chance to experience the Wild West in a town called Sweetwater, which is inhabited by humanoid robots called “hosts.” The hosts follow pre-defined roles set to the satisfaction of park-goers who are called “guests.”

 Hector is one of the hosts.

“Things are different,” revealed Rodrigo when asked to give us a preview of what season two has in store for the hosts, specifically his character Hector. “The hosts are in a different state of mind and they’re out on a mission. It’s about what they’re after.”

He added that season two is going to be a continuation of the story set in season one. “But, of course, it has openings to many other things that you haven’t seen in the first season,” he teased.

At the end of season one, Hector, together with Maeve and other hosts, launched a bloody and violent revolution in a quest to gain freedom from their creators. The finale ended on a cliffhanger with the fate of the hosts and their trapped guests in question.

“There is an evolution, I think, for all the hosts. They’re starting to figure out more things, more aware of things. And Hector definitely goes through that same process.”

In season two, the actor hinted that the connection between him and Maeve “will get stronger.”

In the course of our interview, Rodrigo indicated that the evolution of his character resonated with him personally as an actor.

“I am, for the first time, doing a long commitment, like a series and you have a chance to really go on a journey with the character and then it starts to evolve and take turns and you’re on that ride so it’s a chance to develop that,” he said.

“It’s a real feast for an actor to play that kind of character. Being a host that is an artificial intelligence — but also there’s humanity to it. It’s been a great journey. I am learning. I’ve been learning a lot.”

Westworld has been particularly acclaimed in its depiction of highly-advanced robots who may be lacking souls but have a moral center that would put to shame, well, shameless humans. Some have called the show a critique of our modern society and its growing dependence on smart technology.

And that observation is not lost on Rodrigo. “One of the reasons that this show really caught my attention and excited me was the subject matter. I think it’s happening, it’s what we are going through right now,” he said. “I think it’s about human beings; it’s a constant exploration of that.”

Rodrigo’s own journey as Hector started not surprisingly through smart technology. “So we met virtually, over Skype, and from there, they just asked me to read some stuff and then put on tape and that was the process,” he recalled.

But the actor’s Hollywood journey started a decade ago and this writer was fortunate to have met him during the junket for Zack Snyder’s 300, his breakthrough film in Hollywood after a successful career as a model and an actor in his native country Brazil. I reminded him about it and he was pleasantly surprised.

“We’re not that old, buddy, come on, 10 years ago?” he reacted in amusement.

Like Hector, who as a host is constantly reset every day to accommodate a new timeline, a new storyline to fit the whims of a particular guest, the actor had his career reset 10 years ago and, according to him, he has been on a fun ride ever since.

“It feels like it’s been a long time ago. It’s been a lot of fun. I’m very, very happy with everything. I am very grateful to everything,” he said. “That was sort of like a beginning of a new cycle for me, I would say, because that movie was a big hit and it opened more opportunities and changed things.”

Today, Rodrigo proudly shared that he is a father to a daughter now, a husband and “a part of this show that I am loving to be a part of, yeah, all is good!”

Indeed.

Westworld airs every Monday at 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on HBO and streams on HBO GO.