Arjun Gupta – The Magicians

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) My podcast, American Desis, that explores what it means to be South Asian in this country today through interviews and conversations is still ongoing weekly. But my theatre company is actually opening its next play on February 18^th in LA and have been hard at work producing that. I continue to audition for the next project and we have just gotten the word we get to come back for a season two of “The Magicians!”

Q) How was your character, Penny, on “The Magicians” originally described to you?

A) It was described as a punk rock guy with a Clockwork Orange edge and, I will be honest, I didn’t really understand what that meant. But I responded to the material and then Mike Cahill, who directed the pilot, gave me an image of a glacier to work with and the character started its evolution to what it is now.

Q) What was it about the show or role that made you want to be a part of it?

A) It is taking a risk. There are a lot of shows on TV today that are following a successful formula and that is wonderful. But what excited me about this was that it is different. This is a show that, like its source material, attempts to take tropes of its genre and turn them on their head. Regarding the role, it was just the stretch and challenge that it presented to me as an artist and actor.

Q) How familiar were you with the books that the show is based off of before taking on the character?

A) I wasn’t familiar at all with the books until I read the audition. I did not end up reading them until after I got the part, at which time I devoured them.

Q) Was there anything you added to the role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I like to think that I brought a lot to the character in that I brought myself and my understanding. This has been a wonderfully collaborative experience. So, even during the audition process there were conversation about the backstory and who this guy was and I brought to the table the version that would be most interesting for me to play and it lined up with what they were looking for.

Q) What kind of research or preparation did you do for the role?

A) A lot of emotional prep work was done to understand someone who came from circumstances that are quite different from my own. I am fortunate that with my theatre company we volunteer once a week at My Friends Place, a daytime shelter for homeless teens. And my work with these clients allowed me to learn so much that I could apply to Penny.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from filming “The Magicians?”

A) [laughs] There are too many to list! Every day was memorable because of the people I get to work with. We talked about the cast in an earlier question, but I LOVE the crew I got to work with in Vancouver. They were true collaborators and we had so much fun. There was a lot of laughter on set.

Q) Was there anyone you didn’t get to have many scenes with that you’d like to work with more or maybe that you didn’t get to work with at all that you would like to?

A) I would love to work more with Hale Appleman who plays Eliot. He is a brilliant actor and our characters’ energies together is so much fun.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you enjoying the instant fan feedback you are receiving during the episodes?

A) I have been enjoying it! It is really amazing to hear right away how people are responding to what we do. It bridges the gap just slightly between the theatre and TV.

Q) What have you taken away from your time working on the show?

A) Oh man, this has been a huge experience for me! I have grown so much, personally and artistically, through this experience. But I think the biggest thing I am taking away is gratitude – for the collaborative spirit and the magic it can create!