Actor Sasha Roiz. Photo by/copyright of Marc Cartwright.
As a commanding officer in Portland, Oregon’s police department, Captain Sean Renard took an oath to uphold law and order and protect the public. Unknown to his coworkers, he is also a prince and member of one of the ancient Royal Seven Houses. The captain has an allegiance to his people as well as his own agenda as far as their ongoing power struggle with the other Royal Houses. As of late, his two worlds have been clashing more and more, forcing him to tread carefully. The producers of NBC’s hit police procedural fantasy drama Grimm needed to find just the right actor to walk that tightrope, and they succeeded when casting Sasha Roiz as Renard.
“It was near the end of the casting session when I got the job,” recalls Roiz. “They [the producers] had already cast, I believe, Silas Weir Mitchell [Monroe], Bitsie Tulloch [Juliette Silverton] and David Giuntoli [Detective Nick Burkhardt], followed by Russell Hornsby [Lt. Hank Griffin] and Reggie Lee [Sergeant Wu]. Then I came in.
“At first I wasn’t sure if I was even right for the role. In fact, I think originally they wanted Renard to be played by an older actor and, perhaps, someone more ethnic. However, sometimes with casting it’s a combination of the producers’ initial idea along with the actor coming in and then finding a middle ground because they happen to connect with that actor. They like the energy that the actor is bringing, combined with, of course, their vision for the character. So I’m very glad it worked out the way it did and that I ultimately got the role.
Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) in Grimm. Photo copyright of NBC.
“Shooting the Grimm pilot was a tricky one for me in a sense that they were working on it for a month or so, but I really only came in for a few days here and there because I didn’t have that many scenes in the pilot. It’s always difficult to kind of jump in and feel like you’re part of the production when you’re so minimally involved, but again, what jumped out at me was the fact that from the producers to the crew to the cast, everyone is so sensational, warm and modest. That made it very easy to get on with everyone and that continues to be true this second season. I honestly believe that’s part of the reason for the show’s success, the fact that we genuinely like each other and that there’s not a drop of ego. We’re just all very grateful to be here and able to make a show like this.”
In the Grimm pilot, homicide detectives Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin investigate the brutal murder of a local college co-ed. Their case coincides with the arrival in Portland of Nick’s Aunt Marie, who reveals to Nick that the two of them are descended from a long line of profilers called Grimms. They are responsible for protecting the human race from Wesen, a centuries-old species of supernatural creatures that only Grimms can detect. As the show’s first season unfolds, Renard’s connection to the Wesen world, including that some of these creatures work for the Royal Houses, is slowly revealed to audiences.
“This is someone who has been burdened with a tremendous secret, and at the same time is burdened with tremendous responsibility as well,” explains Roiz. “Renard not only oversees the policing of the city, he also sort of oversees the subterranean underground goings-on of the Wesen world and is trying to get that under control, too. I often describe him as a man who never sleeps. He’s probably consumed with one maneuver or another and trying to maintain his hold on power, which is tenuous at best, especially now. We’re seeing that there’s a power grab coming from his family in the old world because of Nick and the source of power that being a Grimm commands.
(L-R): Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby), Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) and Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz) review the facts of a case in the Grimm pilot. Photo copyright of NBC.
“I particularly like the element that they brought in this season of Renard being a bastard child [he is the bastard son of a royal and a Hexenbiest, a Wesen], which is a classic trope. From Shakespeare to modern day, it’s a fantastic device by which to further inform viewers about a character, and in the case of Renard, in his pain and sense of being a pariah. It lends itself so well to this character, who is incredibly ambitious and determined at any cost, and you can understand why. So that’s really helped me a lot with regard to my performance.
“One thing that has sort of evolved naturally with this role and the dialogue is a stillness, which is really unnatural for me. I’m kind of neurotic,” jokes the actor, “and by that I mean the way that I think and move is very physical. For example, I use my hands a great deal when I speak. That’s just me, and with the character of Renard it’s all about stillness as well as listening, observing and thinking, because, again, he’s always calculating. It’s a constant chess game for him, so having to really control myself and be incredibly specific about the words I speak along with the movements I make and the energy the character exerts is quite a challenge. Renard has nothing to prove, and with that stillness comes, I believe, a great sense of command and authority.”
As a Grimm, Nick possesses a wealth of knowledge as well as a large arsenal of weapons, potions and ancient keepsakes, including a key. This key is one of seven that once belonged to seven knights and ancestors of the Grimms who worked for the seven Royal families in the 12th century. It is part of a map that leads to a treasure containing an artifact that, if possessed by the seven families, would allow them to rule the world. Not surprisingly, Renard wants the key and needs to keep Nick safe in order to procure it.
Nick (David Giuntoli) and Renard (Sasha Roiz). Photo copyright of NBC.
“From the beginning, people have been speculating about Nick’s and Renard’s relationship,” says Roiz. “However, it’s not really a matter of whether or not my character likes him, but that Nick serves a purpose, and as we discover, he serves a very important purpose. In many ways, Renard is going to build his power with help from Nick. He has been a tremendous bit of luck for Renard. Nick kind of landed in his lap, and with this Grimm, my character is hoping to achieve the ambitions and goals that he’s set out to accomplish.
“Renard desperately needs Nick at this point In time. Nick doesn’t realize, of course, how many times Renard has saved his neck, and will continue to do so as long as he continues to serve this purpose. As we see in season two, though, a lot of people are realizing the potential of having a Grimm at your side, so they’re coming for him and, in turn, my character, so Renard needs to hold onto Nick tightly.”
At the end of Grimm‘s first season, Juliette is poisoned by Adalind Schade (Claire Coffee), a Hexenbiest with a score to settle with Nick, and ends up in a coma. Only a kiss from someone pure of heart will awaken her, and in the season two episode The Kiss, Renard secures a potion that will transform him into such a person. After drinking the potion, to which he has a violent reaction, the captain visits Juliette at the hospital and wakes her. Like his fellow castmates, Roiz could not wait to get back to work and start filming the show’s second season.
(L-R): Adalind (Claire Coffee), Catherine (Jessica Tuck) and Renard (Sasha Roiz) in "Love Sick." Photo copyright of NBC.
“I was very excited,” he enthuses. “As with any show, season two definitely demonstrates a real support and confidence from the network as far as us being renewed. In turn, we’ve received quite a bit of what I consider to be creative freedom and been able to delve into the mythology a little deeper as well as further explore the characters. So for me it was thrilling because whenever we touch upon the mythology, I’m featured somewhat more and get to learn more about Renard together with the audience.
“The season opener [Bad Teeth] and The Kiss were chockfull of mythology and incredibly intense. I really feel we’re doing some of our best work yet this year and the scripts are coming in with such, again, intensity and the stories are quite unrelenting. I loved the first two scripts, especially the reveal involving Renard. I didn’t even know that he was a Wesen until the producers told me during the production break between seasons one and two. It was a complete surprise, but a neat one and, like I said, it helped further inform me about my character.”
What was it like for the actor to film the scene where his character drinks the potion that will allow his character to cure Juliette? “It was great,” says Roiz. “We initially shot the whole scene and then re-shot one segment of it, which was the actual drinking of the potion. Everyone, including the network, felt that we had waited so long for this character to reveal himself, so let’s linger on that moment and really enjoy it. We wanted to make it different from other [Wesen] morphs because Renard chooses to look in the mirror and reveal his true self.
Captain Renard (Sasah Roiz) in season two's "The Kiss." Photo copyright of NBC.
“That is such a wonderful moment and I wanted to play it as someone who really despises that part of himself. It’s a shameful side, so it rarely comes to light, and as the audience is clearly aware of, Renard isn’t someone who loses control or reveals that side of himself – it’s so rare even for him – so when he does, I think he just wanted to examine himself. I loved that moment. I wanted to touch the scars and look at myself in the mirror before Renard shakes it off and regains control. Of course, he does everything but that. In fact, he goes totally out of control and they allowed me go wild. We had our stunt coordinator on-set, but he pretty much let me do what I wanted. We made sure not to hurt anyone, including myself. It worked out really well and was a lot of fun to do.”
Born in Tel Aviv, Israel and raised in Montreal, Canada, Roiz studied at England’s prestigious Guildford Conservatoire. Upon returning to Montreal, he began to hone his craft onstage, eventually earning a nomination for his performance at the “Masques Awards” (Quebec’s Theatre Award). The actor spent a number of years in Toronto working in feature films and TV before venturing to Los Angeles to pursue more work in front of the camera.
“I discovered this [acting] very late,” notes Roiz. “I ended up in theatre school at the age of 25, so I didn’t start working until 10 years ago as an actor once I finished theatre school. Growing up, though, I was always into the arts, everything from painting to drawing to music. I played in a band for years before I was an actor, so anything creative always drew me. I don’t know if it was acting that I fell in love with, but it was certainly movies and great performances. When I was in my teens I used to watch all the great films and became curious about how these talented actors like Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman transformed themselves onscreen.
Sasha Roiz as Sam Adama in Caprica. Photo copyright of Syfy.
“So that was the trigger when I started thinking about acting, but I didn’t really have the courage or motivation to do it until I was older. I also grew up in a very classically immigrant family where you didn’t have that many options as far as a career. You had to fulfill your parents’ wishes, but that had to come to a head at some point, and I’m glad it did and so were my parents. It took me a little while, but I feel coming at it from a slightly more mature place has really worked wonders for me. I don’t think I had the maturity or maybe the inner strength to pursue this type of work any sooner in the way that it needs to be pursued.”
The Day After Tomorrow, Land of the Dead and Man of the Year are among Roiz’s film credits. On TV, he has appeared in a variety of made-for-TV movies as well as guest-starred or had recurring roles on numerous shows including Mutant X, Show Me Yours, NCIS, CSI: Miami, The Mentalist and Castle. Prior to Grimm, the actor played Sam Adama in the Sci-Fi series Caprica and Marcus Diamond in several episodes of Warehouse 13.
“Sam was very special for me on Caprica,” says the actor. “That was my first TV show after having come down to the States, so it was quite exciting for me and I got to work with a tremendous pedigree of people, from Ron Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson as executive producers, to the cast, which was stellar, and the crew, who were amazing. It was a phenomenal experience, and in addition to that, Sam Adama was a groundbreaking role, certainly in the Sci-Fi realm if not just in television in general, where you had a gay, married, monogamous mobster, hitman uncle.
Warehouse 13's Marcus Diamond (Sasha Roiz). Photo copyright of Syfy.
“He was such a layered character and I was very pleased with the work that we did. I was also very disappointed when the series didn’t get renewed because I thought it was really finding its legs in the second half of season one. I think we left an impression, though, certainly out there in the genre world, and I still meet and hear from fans of the show.
“Warehouse 13 was another great experience where I had this fantastic opportunity land in my lap and they offered me the role. It gave me the chance to go back to Toronto and connect with this tremendous group of people. It often reminds me of the Grimm set, because everyone on Warehouse 13 adores one another and enjoys their time working with each other. [Executive producer] Jack Kenny is in charge of an amazing cast and crew, so I had an easy time of it. In fact, I was so sad to leave, and had it not been for Grimm I think I probably would have carried on with that show a little longer just because we were all having such a good time together.”
Earlier this year, the actor attended the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas for the premiere of the upcoming independent Sci-Fi thriller Extracted. “It’s my first leading role in a film and we were lucky enough to get it featured at the South by Southwest Film Festival,” he says. “After I finished shooting that, I worked with Jane Espenson again and made a little cameo appearance in her web series Husbands. It’s getting a lot of buzz and I was happy to support some friends of mine on that project.”
Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) in Grimm. Photo copyright of NBC.
With season two of Grimm just getting started, Roiz promises that fans have much more to look forward to. “As I was talking about before, now that we’re in our second season, we have a lot more freedom, and part of that allows us to delve into the mythology and really let the characters breathe. As you’ve seen, we’ve been pretty relentless so far. From episodes one to two to three, to Hank learning about Nick’s role as a Grimm, we’re letting it all fly, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
“There’s greater involvement for me now, too, because we’re finding new ways to interweave the characters so that we don’t paint ourselves into a corner and have them just repeating their functions. So you’ll see a lot of changing dynamics as we move forward and I’m very excited about that.”
Steve Eramo
As noted above, all Grimm photos copyright of NBC and Caprica/Warehouse 13 photos copyright of Syfy, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
You can tell they shot the potion-drinking-scene twice, because his sleeves change from buttoned to rolled up.
Posted by: Helena | 09/21/2012 at 02:35 PM
hola! creo que el personaje de sasha,en esta serie es realmente intrigante, me encanta no se si es bueno o malo o ambas, lo cierto es que a veces lo odio a veces lo amo, pero la verdad creo que mas bien lo amo.
Posted by: ana patricia gamboa | 01/21/2013 at 10:09 PM