Shaun Sipos is living proof 鈥� it pays to go to the dentist. Back when he was just a scruffy, hockey-loving 18-year-old growing up in Victoria, the receptionist at his dentist鈥檚 office asked if he鈥檇 ever considered acting. He hadn鈥檛. The receptionist had a connection to an agent, who sent Sipos on an audition 鈥� he got the part, which led to gigs as a series regular on shows such as ABC鈥檚 Complete Savages and CW鈥檚 Melrose Place.
Now, the 36-year-old former Peninsula Panthers hockey product and British up-and-comer Cameron Cuffe are at the helm of SyFy鈥檚 new series Krypton, a dramatic prequel to the Superman saga that debuts Wednesday on Space in sa国际传媒. Sipos plays DC Comics hero Adam Strange, a human who time-travels to the planet Krypton and winds up as mentor to the Man of Steel鈥檚 grandfather, Seg-El (Cuffe).
Q: Are you a comic-book reader or is this world new to you?
Sipos: I read comics as a kid. Not as much as Cameron Cuffe. But I was a big Superman fan, mainly from the movies. I think he鈥檚 the greatest superhero ever constructed.
Q: Who鈥檚 your favourite Superman?
A: Ohhh, Christopher Reeve. His version 鈥� that鈥檚 what everybody looks to. Even now the comics seem modelled after his take on it. He had such a special quality, a vulnerability, wanting to fit in even though there鈥檚 no possible way he can. There鈥檚 that lesson 鈥� he鈥檚 different, and that鈥檚 OK. It鈥檚 OK to stand out.
Q: I guess that鈥檚 a bit like your character, Adam Strange, a human who lands on planet Krypton.
A: Yeah, and he鈥檚 confused. Adam knew Superman. When Adam meets Seg for the first time, Seg is hustling guys for money. Adam goes, this can鈥檛 be Superman鈥檚 grandfather. This isn鈥檛 in line with Superman at all.
Q: How鈥檇 you research your role?
A: DC Comics sent a big box of Adam Strange comics, which was fantastic. He was quite a big character. And he鈥檚 similar to Superman. He can fly, not because of super strength but because of a rocket pack. He has a fantastic device, a zeta beam, which teleports him light years in an instant. And he has a similar un-corruptible morality and goodness to him.
Q: Ever been to Comic-Con or Wonder-Con?
A: I haven鈥檛.
Q: You鈥檙e headed to Wonder-Con later this month. Do you worry about all those fans who may have very specific expectations about your character?
A: Nooo. I can鈥檛 say I really thought of it. I just tried to find the depth of his wounds and joys, what he wants. If you get down to people鈥檚 base natures, we鈥檙e all essentially the same. That鈥檚 what makes comics so powerful. We鈥檙e meeting Adam at the beginning 鈥� he鈥檚 not a superhero yet. He鈥檚 stumbled into this position. He鈥檚 an archaeologist looking for something, and then he鈥檚 beamed away. Many of us stumble into things 鈥� into careers we didn鈥檛 expect. We wonder, can we be a master at this and do something with it? There鈥檚 a voice saying you can鈥檛. And another urging you forward. Adam is grappling with those voices.
Q: Are you grappling with them, too? That description of stumbling into a career sounds like you.
A: I did stumble into this. And I struggled with that. Am I gonna be good? Am I gonna suck? So, yeah 鈥� I feel like Adam, and Adam feels like me. It鈥檚 a bit of therapy session.
Q: Hey 鈥� one last thing 鈥� you worked on the series Insomnia. That looks intriguing.
A: Starz picked it up. I鈥檓 not sure when they plan to air it. We shot it in Moscow. It鈥檚 like Hunger Games meets Death Race. I play a young man who 鈥� how can I say without giving anything away 鈥� who鈥檚 killed someone, but accidentally. They take these criminals, people with no options left, and force them into this game 鈥� they inject them with a serum that will cause their heart to stop beating if they fall asleep. They鈥檙e set loose in Moscow and the rules are they can kill each other but they can鈥檛 get caught, and they can鈥檛 go to sleep or they鈥檒l die. The last man standing wins 10 million euro in Bitcoin and a million cash to start a new life. All the contestants are fitted with watches that track them, and a contact lens that allows each to observe what鈥檚 going on, like a camera, and these oligarchs lay bets on who鈥檒l survive. It鈥檚 intense.
Q: Yeah 鈥� I think I might do OK in that scenario. At least the staying up part. You know how people often imagine themselves in movie plots? Could I survive? I thought: 鈥淚 can go without sleep, no problem.鈥� What about you?
A: When I was younger I could. Now I need my eight hours. I get pretty zonked.
