After almost a decade of waiting, the series of Halo is nothing to reach Paramount +. With such an important event about to happen, recently We had the opportunity to talk with Pablo Schreiber, an actor who plays Master Chief in this production.. In the interview we talk about what it means to bring such an important character to life, the work it took to prepare for this role, and much more.
How does it feel to play such an iconic character as Master Chief?
“It’s amazing. It’s a great honor. It’s a big responsibility, but one that I’m very, very excited about. I’ve felt from the very beginning, ever since I got the role, how much excitement and how much passion there is for the role and the franchise from all the Halo fans. It’s a mantle I’m honored to be able to carry, and one I’m excited to show off to fans.”
In the series, Pablo is in charge of interpreting a new version of John-117 for all the fans. Although the bases are known, the production of Paramount + has been in charge of giving a greater background to the man behind the iconic helmet. In this way, the actor has a task that for many may seem titanic.
This will be the first time, or one of the first times, that we see the face of Master Chief, without his armor, what does it feel like to be the person behind the helmet?
“A great honor. You know, for a television series it feels like the necessary step that had to be taken. When you play, it is a first person shooter, and you are at the feet of Master Chief, you want to believe that you are Master Chief. One of the reasons to do a series is to get to know the character, you want to empathize with him, get to know him, and to do that you need to see his face. That was one of the first decisions that had to be made, so the helmet had to go at some point.”
Basically, you are fulfilling the dream for many people, right?
“Yeah, or ruining the experience for a lot of people. Anyway, I feel very lucky to have done this.”
Being a non-canon series, the writers not only had more freedom when creating their story, but they were also given the opportunity to present us with a version of Master Chief that take inspiration from games, books, movies and other entertainment starring John-117.
Is your version of Master Chief more inspired by the work of 343 Industries or Bungie?
“Well, obviously Bungie created the franchise, and ran it for the first few installments of the games. 343 [Industries] he’s had it ever since, and the two of them have done an amazing job with the franchise. This series is in its own timeline, it’s the Silver timeline. Many of the players will feel familiar, but [la serie] You’ll be in a universe that has its own timeline, essentially. They don’t interact with each other, and they don’t go bankrupt.”
In that sense, the series will not be canon, how do you think that will make the show feel unique compared to the games?
“It gives it its own life, you know. In this perspective, basically, personally, I think it adds an extra edge to the experience, rather than taking something away from it. If it’s not canon, or it’s in its own world, it can be a separate experience that you can enjoy, it can enhance the game world, and give you a new perspective, instead of taking something away.”
Pablo Schreiber is primarily recognized for his work in the world of film and television series. Most of these productions are quite serious, with names like The Wire, Law and Order, Orange Is the New Black and many more in his repertoire. Thus, Halo It will be the first foray of this actor in the world of video gamesa path that is not only a surprise for us, but for him as well.
What was the event in your life that made you say “I want to be part of a game”? In this case, a television series.
“I never thought about that before I got the offer for this job. It wasn’t something that I had looked for or thought much about, but when I got the offer for this role I started to research, mainly the Halo mythology and the history that was already established, and also what this world meant to many people, how much passion and how much there is love for the franchise. It felt like an amazing opportunity to be a part of a community that has so much love for their franchise.”
However, getting to this point was not an easy task. As Pablo mentioned it, his knowledge of Halo was not very extensive. Fortunately, 343 Industries went to great lengths to make the actor not only look like Master Chief, but it will bring John-117 to life in a way that has never been seen beforesomething that for him felt like going back to school.
In that sense, what are the bases of your character, just the games, the books or some other medium?
“All of the above. I went to a camp at 343 Studios in Seattle, and it was a massive amount of information that I got in a very short period of time.”
You took an exam?
“Basically, yes I was in a classroom, I had a couple of instructors. kiki [Wolfkill]Bonnie [Ross] and Frank [O’Connor] They gave me a class, taught me as much as I could absorb about Halo for five days, and then sent me off to learn on my own. The biggest piece of this puzzle was the in-game cutscenes, because that’s what most people know about. Sure, some of the material I researched was the books, the animated shorts, also the movies that were made, and some of the graphic novels. I searched as much as I could to find out what the franchise is about.”
Of those, which is your favourite?
“For me it is the Fall of Reach. The story is very moving, I love the story of the conception of the Spartan program, and a lot of that is being handled in our first season.
Bringing Master Chief to life is not so simple. In addition to taking care of the physical section and knowledge, Pablo is also facing the eyes of an entire community about him. This is a unique pressurebut one he’s dealing with in a big way.
How does it feel to have in your hands one of the biggest and most successful properties in video games? Do you feel like you have a burden or that someone sees you?
“Yes, I feel like someone is watching me at all times. Many people are watching me. It feels great. It’s exciting to be a part [de esta serie]. There’s a lot of excitement for the show, and it’s great to be a part of something that a lot of people are excited about. I don’t feel like it’s a burden, I feel like it adds something else to what I’m doing, and it makes it more exciting.”
Before saying goodbye, I asked Pablo about what would be Microsoft’s next foray into the world of film or television, and the answer was not what I expected.
We’re watching Halo on TV, which Xbox or Microsoft franchise would you like to see on TV or in the movies?
“Interesting, I don’t know Xbox properties too well to mention any. I could look into it, but I’m not much of a gamer so I don’t have the knowledge to mention one at the moment. I like God of War, but that’s not a Microsoft property.”
In addition to the interview with Pablo Schreiber, you can also check out our conversation with Kiki Wolfkill, the producer of this series, here. the series of Halo It will arrive at Paramount + on March 24.