Jonathan Tucker dishes on NBC sci-fi show ‘Debris’

Jonathan Tucker explained his stint on HBO’s “Westworld” ignited his desire in diving further into a new genre. 

“I like sci-fi, and I haven’t seriously completed it in a meaningful way,” Tucker, 38, instructed The Write-up.

That led him to his new NBC clearly show “Debris,” (Mondays at ten p.m.), a drama from “Fringe” executive producer J.H. Wyman. The story is centered on two agents investigating an alien spacecraft that is landed on earth, scattering debris that will cause peculiar occurrences — which includes levitating bodies — between individuals with which it arrives into contact.

“‘I was only ready to type of participate in in that planet in ‘Westworld,’” Tucker explained, “but it was an interesting chance though I was doing that clearly show recognizing what all the options are.

“‘Contact’ is one of my beloved movies. I beloved all the first ‘Twilight Zones,’ and I like ‘Black Mirror.’ All those have been informative to ‘Debris,’” he explained. “And I went back and viewed ‘The X-Information,’ which seriously does hold up, and the dynamic between all those two figures [Scully and Mulder] is pretty prosperous.”

Just like “The X-Information,” the agents in “Debris” are an odd-couple pair with various sensibilities: there is M16’s Finola Jones (Riann Steele), an idealist who thinks the debris’ otherworldly features might be ready to support humanity, and CIA agent Bryan Beneventi (Tucker), an ex-Maritime vet who fears what the alien tech could do in the completely wrong palms. 

“One of the matters that is entertaining for the audience of this clearly show and entertaining for me and my co-star Riann is we’re responding to matters that are completely wonderful and otherworldly — but in a pretty grounded practical experience in this article on Earth,” explained Tucker. 

“I was interested in the backstory for Bryan, who is a former Maritime exclusive forces out of Afghanistan, and bringing some of that trauma to the character — significantly the place Bryan has to have an understanding of that empathy and vulnerability are property for the crew to thrive in this story.”

Whilst the sci-fi genre might be new to him, a character with an extreme backstory is acquainted territory for Tucker. In addition to “Westworld” (he performed armed forces officer Important Craddock, one of the show’s robotic “hosts” in its futuristic park) and films these as “Hostage,” he’s recognised for playing dwell-wire figures who deliver an unpredictable strength to criminal offense-dramas these as “Justified,” “City on a Hill” and “Kingdom.” 

“I assume most people is a great deal fewer boring than they assume, and all people has a story to inform,” he explained. “And I’m energized about becoming on a community. I’ve been doing all this cable get the job done and it can be occasionally tricky for people to come across and see — so the concept of having to be on a more substantial platform was terrific.”

As “Debris” progresses this year, Tucker explained it will harmony its sci-fi thought with human thoughts. 

“What is meaningful for us in the clearly show is that the alien know-how — though interesting — is also a conduit for us to request even bigger thoughts about humanity and who we are on earth. I had the chance to talk to a NASA astronaut, and the matters we have been chatting about have been, ‘What adjustments when you occur house, what does the look at via that new lens look like?’ You go somewhere, see a thing, or come to be conscious of a thing new and the greatest improve is inside of your coronary heart and how you practical experience the existence you have been residing ahead of that new information and facts was introduced.

“We’re asking the thoughts of, ‘If you know that there is intelligent existence out there, how does that improve your practical experience on earth?’ Do you hold your young ones in a different way, do you connect with your mom extra, do you buy that highly-priced bottle of wine?

“Those are some of the troubles that we’re striving to shake out.”