David Marciano Talks HOMELAND’s First Year and His Hopes for Next Season

Can you guys believe we’re so close to HOMELAND wrapping up its first season? Sure, we still have another three episodes to go, but I don’t want it to end.

To try and get some hints about where this season will end up, I chatted with HOMELAND star David Marciano (Virgil) about the show’s success, what’s to come and what he hopes to have happen for his character next season…

It’s been fascinating to watch the rise of HOMELAND because it’s that rare mix of being universally praised by critics and also a genuine ratings hit for Showtime. How has it been to be on your side of things and have your show get this kind of response?
David Marciano: Well, it’s sort of overwhelming. And it makes you very proud to be part of a show that is relevant and also so highly praised.

How far were you in the filming process when the show actually premiered?
DM: We were [on] episode 5.

Oh, wow. Did it change anything for you guys when you saw the kind of reaction the show was getting?
DM: No, we’ve all been doing this — everyone involved in the show has been doing this for a very long time at a very high level. Claire [Danes (Carrie)] is an award-winning actress, who has been doing this for a very long time. Mandy [Patinkin (Saul)], Damian Lewis (Brody), the showrunners…[Executive producer] Alex Gansa ran DAWSON’S CREEK, he worked on 24 with [fellow executive producer] Howard [Gordon].

This is my fourth series. My first series was a Bochco series. My second series was DUE SOUTH, which was created by an Academy Award winner, Paul Haggis, and that was a historic series in that it was the first Canadian produced television show that ever made it to primetime on a US network. And that show garnered more Gemini nominations — which is the Canadian Emmy — than any other show in Canadian history. My third series was THE SHIELD, which was also a game changer. So we’ve all been working at this level…what usually happens is we start to go, “Let’s not drive the bus into the lake.” Once the ball starts rolling — because we’ve all been part of something, one time or another in our careers at this level —  you kind of take it in stride and just go, all we have to do is not drive the bus into the lake and we’re on our way.

Good to know. Aside from this amazing cast and crew, what was it that drew you to this part?
DM: The casting director, was a huge fan of mine. She cast me in my first series, CIVIL WARS, which was the Steven Bochco show, which was in 1991. Judy was the one who read the [HOMELAND] script, she got hired to cast the pilot and when she read Virgil, she knew that I was the guy and she called me up.

Well, that was kind of her. You’ve been popping in and out of the show throughout the season so far — how many episodes will you be in for the first season?
DM: I’m in seven of the 12. [Coming up] I’m in [episode 10] and the season finale.

Given how many episodes you were in, were they forthcoming with information about where the show was going? As an audience, we’ve all collectively been trying to figure what is going on with Brody, etc., but did you guys know these things from the start?
DM: They only send me the scripts that I’m in, because that’s the way they’re doing it, so I don’t really know what’s going on ahead of time, but the series regulars, Damian and Claire, I’m sure they’re briefed.

Since you did get the finale script, were you surprised by the trajectory the main mystery took throughout the first season?
DM: I’m also a writer, I’ve been writing for about 16 years and I’ve been a series regular for Bochco, Haggis and Shawn Ryan, so I’ve read a lot of — the hour drama, I understand the hour drama very well in terms of storytelling. So yes and no. They haven’t done anything — there have been a couple things that have surprised me, but not very much. They’re very smart, talented people and it’s definitely very enjoyable to watch it unfold and to be a part of it.

What can you tease about Virgil’s arc in your last two episodes?
DM: I can just talk on a more general level in terms of what purpose he serves, in terms of storytelling. Virgil is the voice of reason for [Carrie]. He’s the only one who believes in her when no one else does. I don’t know if you’re familiar with “Dante’s Inferno,” but Virgil is the character that helps Dante navigate his way through the labyrinth of Hell. I am the Virgil to her Dante.

Very interesting. When he agreed to help Carrie, he put a lot of himself on the line for her. When he finds out about the relationship she had with Brody, is that going to give him any doubts about her?
DM: He doesn’t know about Brody…yet.

When it is, do you think that will drastically change their relationship?
DM: [Pause] I don’t know what the writers have in mind. I would say no if I was writing the show, because I would say, “Okay, I know exactly what she was doing.” She is doing what spies do. Spies bed the people they are spying on. I think the writers are going to write it as — and this hasn’t come up, it doesn’t come up in the first season at all — but I think if that becomes a story point, you got to have the conflict, you have to have the dichotomy, so of course they’d have Virgil all wigged out about it when he does find out. But given that Virgil is in the business, somewhat, I think I would probably argue with the writers that, yeah, he’s a little concerned, but he’s also, “I see what you’re doing, please be careful, don’t die on me here.”

Right, because there absolutely is affection there between the two.
DM: Absolutely. Absolutely. Virgil is a very compassionate person, he’s a very understanding person. What I’ve given myself in that story is Carrie is an outsider in a lot of ways; she does things outside of the box and she’s always been that at the agency. And in order for Virgil to understand her and be compassionate and sort of love her unconditionally, he has to be a harbinger for those who live on the outside of mainstream society. I think that Virgil as a kid was that. He may have had a younger brother who is that and he had to be a protector of that. So because everyone — that’s what we do in the present — we’ve been colored by our upbringing and what has happened in the past. The role that we play. The reason people become nurturers is because as children, they had to be a caretaker, either of the mother or father, who needed help when they were very young. These roles that we play today are laid out in our youth on a subconscious level. So I think Virgil always had to be the one to look out for those who can’t look after themselves.

Interesting. If you had your way, what would you like to see him do in season 2?
DM: I’d like to see him definitely get more involved. Virgil was very involved in the beginning with the surveillance and he’s gone undercover in a very slight way twice. In [episode] 1×01, he plays a business man who spills tea on Brianna Brown’s character…and then in episode either 4 or 5, Virgil goes in as a building inspector to get the address. So I’d like to see more of that. I’d like to see Virgil being used in the sense of undercover, or he’s going in disguise as other things. That would be really cool. Taking a more active role in taking down the terrorists, a bigger role in Carrie’s quest.

He’s putting himself out there, he might as well go all the way. Is there anyone you particularly want to act with on the show that you haven’t gotten the chance to yet? Not that there’s anything wrong with acting against Claire Danes, but most of your scenes have been with her.
DM: I think almost all of my scenes have been with Claire. I’d love to get involved with Saul. There was early talks that — we all got into a room together very early in the process, before shooting the pilot and talked about the character and the relationships to each other and the different dynamics, and one thing we discussed, Alex Gansa, [executive producer] Michael Cuesta and I was that Virgil went to NJIT and when he got out, he did some work in New Jersey, but he always had an interest in going to Washington and working for the CIA. And about ten years after he graduated, 15 years, he had a lot of experience in the surveillance area, he applied for a job at the CIA. And Saul turned him down. It came down to me and another guy, and the guy Saul hired happened to go to MIT. So I’ve always had this little resentment against Saul for hiring the other guy over me. And we talked about that. I don’t know if it stuck, if it’s still in play, but I’d love to see that meeting between me and Saul, somehow, in a room. A “remember me?” kind of thing. Like, “No, I don’t think I do.” And I go, “Well, I didn’t forget you.” Blah, blah, blah. I’d love to see that play out. I don’t think I’ll get involved with Damian Lewis. I just don’t see….although the writers might find a way to do it.

I could get involved with Claire’s sister because we do play a similar role in terms of storytelling. I’m like a big brother, Virgil’s like a big brother to Carrie. He looks after her, he protects her, he makes sure hopefully nothing will happen to her, that sort of stuff.

And if Carrie were to go off on a dangerous path, it would make sense that Virgil would get involved with her sister to try and help her.
DM: I think if Carrie gets off on a dangerous path, Virgil will hopefully go with her. I think in the aftermath, if something should happen to Carrie, then I could see me and her sister getting together to do something about the medication, or me and her sister getting together to visit her at the hospital or whatever. Help her get into treatment for her disorder. I see it more like that.

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HOMELAND airs Sunday nights at 10 PM on Showtime.

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