In the Apple TV+ series 鈥淢urderbot,鈥� plays the title character, a robot-human hybrid Security Unit who鈥檚 assigned to guard a group of scientists. The show is based on the .
Murderbot has a bit of snark as well as a bit of neurotic insecurity. Is it fun to do a robot with a funny bone like this?
鈥淢ost definitely. When I first got the scripts, I was not familiar with the 鈥楳urderbot Diaries,鈥� the series of novellas that Martha Wells wrote. So, when I first heard the title and that it was going to be a sci-fi action adventure, I think I expected a character who would be a bit more badass, a bit more of an archetypal action hero.
鈥淚t was so lovely and refreshing when I was introduced to this socially awkward android who would rather watch a space soap opera than to interact with the humans it鈥檚 been assigned to protect. It just felt really refreshing and a character that I definitely hadn鈥檛 read or seen before, so that got me quite excited about it.鈥�
Murderbot is mostly machine metal but also has human tissue. It鈥檚 a security-guard robot, but early in episode one, you as Murderbot figure out how to override the programming that made you. What happens next?
鈥淲ell, it has all these grand plans of going on an epic adventure, and it takes the name Murderbot because it thinks it sounds cool, but then it realizes that if it just takes off, the company that owns it will know that it鈥檚 gone rogue and they would just hunt it down and scrap it for metal basically.
鈥淪o, it has to find the right moment to take off, and meanwhile, it鈥檚 been assigned to protect a group of scientists. These guys are space hippies, humans that are very different from the humans that Murderbot is used to protecting. They鈥檙e very tactile and want to hug Murderbot, they invite it into the communal area of the space station. This is all very disturbing to Murderbot鈥� It鈥檚 kind of stuck in this place with these humans 鈥� initially it鈥檚 very, very awkward, but then slowly it reluctantly starts to form an attachment to these space hippies.鈥�
At a certain point, your character Murderbot takes off its metallic shell, and we see you, the human or the apparent human kind of skin that looks like a human underneath. Why is that important?
鈥淭he reason the security units have organic components is to make them more relatable to the humans that they are made to protect. And also, if someone goes rogue, they have unique features so they can be easily hunted down and found.
鈥淢urderbot is incredibly uncomfortable taking off its helmet or taking off its armor because humans don鈥檛 ask a security unit to show its face. But it also can鈥檛 say no when Mensa, for example, the leader of the expedition, she keeps asking Murderbot to lower the helmet, to show its face, but it鈥檚 something Murderbot is definitely not comfortable doing.
And it鈥檚 funny watching you play Murderbot when the helmet is off, and we can see your face and you hate eye contact. And here鈥檚 the thing, Alexander Skarsg氓rd, you have played hunks on TV shows before. In 鈥淭rue Blood,鈥� you鈥檙e this seductive vampire. In 鈥淏ig Little Lies,鈥� you鈥檙e a successful, but also abusive husband. You kind of had to dial down the masculine appeal for this show. Did you enjoy doing it?
鈥淚 loved the character from when I started reading the scripts and then I read 鈥楢ll Systems Red,鈥� the novella this first season is based on.
鈥淚 was coming off a couple of darker characters, darker projects like 鈥楾he Northman鈥� and 鈥業nfinity Pool,鈥� so I think I was just ready for a palate cleanser, a project that was tonally different and a character that wasn鈥檛 as testosterone filled as the Viking berserker in 鈥楾he Northman.鈥� It was very, very exciting to play someone who was incredibly socially awkward and wasn鈥檛 filled with testosterone and adrenaline.鈥�
Unlike the 鈥淢urderbot鈥� books, the miracle of TV lets us see your character binge-watching its favorite show. What is the point of that, do you think?
鈥淲hen Murderbot gained autonomy, free will, it was also able to tap into the company鈥檚 entertainment channels, basically the satellites. So, it suddenly realized that it could tap into thousands and thousands of hours of entertainment.
鈥淲hich it definitely did and started to plan its great adventures but started procrastinating and it got addicted to these space soap operas, and one in particular called 鈥楾he Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon鈥� which is very, very over the top and very melodramatic, but, but juicy and delicious, and Murderbot loves it.
鈥淎nd I think in a way, the show [鈥楾he Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon鈥橾 serves two purposes for Murderbot. One is as pure entertainment. It鈥檚 a great way to pass the time when you鈥檙e [doing] a really boring job like Murderbot does that it鈥檚 not very excited about. But it鈥檚 also a way for Murderbot to learn about itself and about humanity, but from a safe distance because again, it鈥檚 very uncomfortable dealing with humans in real life, but this is a way to watch heightened human relationships, emotions and learn and study anthropologically, but then just turn [the show] off when it gets too sappy or fast forward if it鈥檚 a love scene because anything physical is uncomfortable to Murderbot.
鈥淏ut I do think, probably more subconsciously鈥� I think it is a way for Murderbot to learn about the humanity within itself by watching this heightened soap opera.鈥�
Murderbot is part comedy, part sci-fi thriller. Does it have you asking yourself questions about artificial intelligence, our digital age and where it鈥檚 going?
鈥淵eah, and I find myself kind of oscillating between moments where I am inspired by the potential of AI and artificial super intelligence and the possibilities of it, but also quite terrified of what the future might hold if we don鈥檛 successfully regulate it cause if sometimes it feels a little bit that like there鈥檚 an arms race now to kind of develop it.
鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 not sure it鈥檚 going to be as pleasant as in the case of Murderbot when this Android gains autonomy, free will, and it鈥檚 just very passive and watches the space soap opera and doesn鈥檛 really cause any trouble. I don鈥檛 think we should really bet on that outcome.鈥�
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produced and edited this interview for broadcast with . Tamagawa also adapted it for the web.
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