{"id":48597,"date":"2024-03-27T18:00:31","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T17:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2014971"},"modified":"2024-03-27T20:53:11","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T19:53:11","slug":"benedict-wong-3-body-problem-felt-almost-unfilmable","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/benedict-wong-3-body-problem-felt-almost-unfilmable\/","title":{"rendered":"Benedict Wong: \u201c3 Body Problem felt almost unfilmable\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Benedict Wong was the first star cast in the new epic from the Game of Thrones creators. <\/p>

By Louise Griffin\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 17:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Netflix\u2019s 3 Body Problem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When David Benioff and DB Weiss cast Game of Thrones<\/a>, they needed two key actors to say yes \u2013 Sean Bean and Peter Dinklage. This time around, for their biggest and most ambitious project since, Netflix\u2019s 3 Body Problem<\/a>, it was Benedict Wong.<\/p>\n

In fact, just one conversation with co-creators Benioff, Weiss and Alexander Woo made it clear just how important Wong was to making the wildly ambitious adaptation of Cixin Liu\u2019s<\/a> weird and wonderful hard sci-fi novels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The series follows a group of tight-knit scientists who have to team up with a counter-terrorist operative (Wong) to stop an unknowable threat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got the call off Dan, David and Alex on Zoom, and it was very suspicious why there were three showrunners for this mystery project. There was no script at the time,\u201d Wong recalls, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I heard their names, Dan, David, Alex, I said, \u2018Is this a good part?\u2019 and they said, \u2018That, we can\u2019t tell you.\u2019 And it was like, \u2018Please tell me,\u2019 and then [in the tone of their voice], \u2018It\u2019s a good part.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThey gave me this character breakdown, the parents from Hong Kong, they moved to Manchester, he\u2019s born there, after 20 years he moved down to London. I said, \u2018Guys, it sounds an awful lot like me.\u2019 And then they just confessed, \u2018Yeah, we copied your Wikipedia page.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Benedict\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Benedict Wong as Da Shi in 3 Body Problem.<\/span><\/figcaption> d Miller\/Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cI remember Dan and David said when they were casting Game of Thrones, it was two key members that they needed to cast \u2013 Sean Bean and Peter Dinklage \u2013 and they said, \u2018For this one, it\u2019s you,’\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started to dive into the first book, and the second, and I just thought, \u2018This is so dense.\u2019 I had to keep going back to the chapters. I was getting really confused with the game. I was like, \u2018How [are they] going to film this? It almost feels unfilmable.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a daunting task, and you just think, \u2018Wow, this is such a heavy gauntlet to pick up,\u2019 and I\u2019m all about the challenge \u2013 and I was on board. And with that, you\u2019ve got this incredible cast, this ensemble that I\u2019m so proud to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Wong\u2019s initial struggle with the novels, his character, Da Shi, is one of the most faithfully adapted.<\/p>\n

While major changes<\/a> have been made to the series (which Cixin Liu actually approved in his first meeting with the creators), Wong\u2019s Da Shi is exactly the no-nonsense, grouchy and steadfast man we meet in the books, albeit with a slight adjustment in backstory.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a couple of passes of the book, and selfishly just really honed in on Da Shi, and he just came across as\u2026 he just tends to just speak his mind. He\u2019s the class disrupter, he\u2019s highly skilled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs [great] as the Oxford Five scientists are in their ability, he\u2019s brilliant at his job as well. You just leave him to his own devices, he\u2019s one of those people where he\u2019s kind of unfireable.<\/p>\n

\"Liam\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Liam Cunningham and Benedict Wong in 3 Body Problem.<\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cAs Cixin had given his blessing to Dan, David and Alex to recalibrate this as a global story, but yet, keeping the Asian spine of these characters, with Da Shi now being from Manchester, it was perfect. It\u2019s that sarcastic sort of swagger that that really lends to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Never one to do things by halves, Wong tracked down an actual counter terrorist operative to learn the ins and outs of the job, and added his own details to the series.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was lucky to find someone and fire as many questions [as I could]. Ultimately, there\u2019s a lot of sacrifice and dedication, a single-minded laser focus that he has. And everything else falls to the wayside.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not James Bond, it\u2019s completely the other end \u2013 terrible diets, really kind of unkempt, washing everywhere, it\u2019s just constantly on the go.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Da Shi is one of Wong\u2019s best roles to date, he\u2019s no stranger to winning over audiences, particularly when it comes to his role as Wong, once a sidekick to Benedict Cumberbatch\u2019s Doctor Strange and now the Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel Cinematic Universe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Recalling how he first landed the role, he explains: \u201cI was doing The Martian at the time with my friend Chiwetel Ejiofor, he was telling me ,\u2019Yeah, I\u2019m doing this Doctor Strange, look on the internet.\u2019 Then [there was] this character, he\u2019s kind of like a little bit on the side, and it said Wong \u2013 and my jaw dropped.<\/p>\n

\"Benedict\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Benedict Wong as Wong.<\/span><\/figcaption> YouTube\/Marvel<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have an agent now, so I didn\u2019t know how to get involved. I tried the petition route by asking Chiwatel to sign it and to get Benedict Cumberbatch to sign it, called \u2018Wong for Wong\u2019, which he wasn\u2019t really interested in doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was filming Marco Polo, and I got this mystery email from Marvel\/Disney, saying we\u2019d like you to audition for Lee, which with Wong is like Smith and Jones \u2013 so they couldn\u2019t kid me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went on tape, I did some tweaks in Slovakia, and then I found out in Malaysia, and it\u2019s kind of just spiralled into a much beloved character \u2013 which I\u2019m all for.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow he\u2019s got the promotion of being the Sorcerer Supreme, we\u2019ll see what lies ahead. You know, I\u2019m a massive Marvel fan, so it\u2019s a win-win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rumours are rife that Wong will be back, but when exactly? Sheepishly pausing, he cautiously answers: \u201cSomewhere in the future, I think he might come back.\u201d<\/p>

As for his big hopes for Wong? \u201cNow that he\u2019s Sorcerer Supreme, there\u2019s so much scope and leadership that he has now, and we\u2019ll see where he goes. Maybe Strange is the sidekick now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plus, with the return of Black Mirror confirmed, Wong, who starred in the season 3 episode Hated in the Nation, is \u201cmanifesting\u201d another role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to [return],\u201d he says. \u201cI love Black Mirror. I bumped into Charlie Brooker on Saturday at My Neighbour Totoro \u2013 you don\u2019t want to over-hijack him, so you just give him a little nod, I don\u2019t know, do some jazz hands in front of him [to let him know] you\u2019re available!<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the series. I\u2019ll manifest it out there!\u201d<\/p>\n

As for 3 Body Problem, the series ends on an uncharacteristically hopeful note thanks to Da Shi, hinting at future seasons.<\/p>\n

The final scenes see him giving a rousing speech to Jin (Jess Hong) and new Wallfacer Saul (Jovan Adepo) about how humanity isn\u2019t done for just yet.<\/p>\n

Da Shi is now assigned to protect Saul at all costs \u2013 a mission proven almost impossible in the show\u2019s final episode.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve assigned him to Jovan Adepo\u2019s character and he\u2019s got to gee up these scientists, and has literally got to get them back on track. They are coming and there\u2019s nothing we can do. There seems to be a bit of a Henry V rousing speech he makes to them, and then it\u2019s like, \u2018Yeah, let\u2019s get back to work.’\u201d<\/p>\n