Actor Nonso Anozie’ will be seen as the moral compass and muscle in Zoo, a promising new TV series, says Ramya Palisetty
With intense physical presence, actor Nonso Alozie defied cultural barriers to embark on a journey to Hollywood. Celebrated for his roles in global hits like Game of Thrones, Rocknrolla, Cindrella, The Grey and Conan the Barbarian, the British actor of Nigerian Descent is excited about the release of Zoo premiering on AXN on February 8. Based on a best seller by author James Patterson, the show chronicles a wave of violent animal attacks against humans. The narrative revolves around an apocalyptic event in which a gene called defiant pupil in animals has kicked in, causing them to attack the human population. The burden falls on zoologist Jackson Oz (James Wolk), journalist Jamie Campbell (Kristen Conolly), safari guide Abraham Kenyatta (Nonso Alozie), intelligence agent Chloe Tousignant (Nora Arnezeder) and pathologist Mitch Morgan (Billy Burke) to develop a cure.
Anozie was born in Camden, london. In the summer of 2002, he played the lead role in William Shakespeare’s King lear and won the Ian Charleson award in 2004 for his performance in Othello. With the production company, Shadow Arts, the actor plans to eventually write and direct, both for the stage and film. He wants to produce Nigerian cinema to share stories of people to understand and comprehend the difficulties and struggles of ethnic minority.
Portraying the role of Abraham Kenyatta (Abe) in the show was a great experience for the actor. “I enjoyed playing the character on various levels. Every week on the show, there is a unique storyline and a different animal that is causing problems all over the world and we have to tackle the situation,” he said. The actor feels that the writers have done a great job in picking the cast and the audience would be truly intrigued and entertained by every single episode. “The creative brains, Josh Applebaum, Jeff Pinkner, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg have achieved great things in their own right,” he adds. The character sketch has been developed in a way that the excitement and suspense come alive in every episode. In the show, Abe is Jackson’s best friend and partner when giving tours around the bush in Botswana. They share an interesting chemistry off screen as well, talking and hanging out after work. “We worked together on the first day and clicked instantly.”
There are a lot of extraordinary scenes in the series like the spoon man massacre, the Antarctic bat attack and the wolf pack jail bust, to name a few. But the most memorable scene for the actor was when the secret of his past is revealed. “I can never forget the moment as it gave me the opportunity to tap into the emotions and history of the character,” he said.
As an actor, you come across various challenges like self doubt and uncertainty from your peers. There are times when you have no money and no work but you have to pay rent. In order to sustain, you have to slog on various kinds of projects. Said Abe, “The pros far outweigh the cons. In life, we need to have challenges to create some of our best work”. Recognising inequalities that still exist for his particular skin colour, he believes that there are more opportunities available today. “In 2010, there were far less opportunities for actors from minority backgrounds to feature in mainstream movies but after six years, here we are and things have changed a lot,” he said.
The series is a blend of fantasy, sci-fi and drama where individuals from all walks of life can experience and enjoy the intricacies. While most dramas are about family, relationships and situations, this series offers you something rare. The selection of talent coupled with Patterson’s writing suggests that Zoo will impact the viewers with an unsettling anticipation and tension.