News

Randall Park talks surprising role as supervillain in ‘Watson’

Published

2 days ago

January 29, 2025

StackGiant

Randall Park talks surprising role as supervillain in 'Watson'

Warning: Spoilers forward from the premiere episode of CBS drama “Watson.”

Even the legendarily sensible detective Sherlock Holmes would by no means have seen this Professor Moriarty coming.

“Watson” revealed the shock archvillain on the finish of CBS’ Sunday premiere of the medical thriller within the Sherlock Holmes universe, as advised by means of Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut). The sequence’ Moriarty is performed by Randall Park, and he is sporting a polyester polo shirt.

The casting of the notorious prison mastermind in informal work apparel was startling even for Park, 50, the comedic actor finest often called the mild-mannered dad in six seasons of ABC comedy “Contemporary Off the Boat.” He additionally performed a cheerfully underachieving video retailer supervisor in Netflix’s “Blockbuster,” requiring a distinct polyester polo shirt).

“I am recognized for enjoying amiable, good guys. So it was a shock to get the decision. A welcome shock,” Park solely advised USA TODAY of his evil flip. “The concept of enjoying a villain is thrilling to me.”

Want a break? Play the USA TODAY Every day Crossword Puzzle.

Park has performed baddies earlier than: He was North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un within the notorious 2014 comedy “The Interview.” However that was for darkish laughs. Even Park’s Marvel sequence “WandaVision” character, by-the-book FBI Agent Jimmy Woo, is performed with comedic deadpan. However Moriarty is straight-up severe.

“They wished somebody who can come off as form of an everyday on a regular basis man,” Park stated. “However is that this common man actually a harmful, psychotic supervillain?”

How is Randall Park’s Moriarty unveiled in ‘Watson’?

Moriarty and Holmes have been each alleged to be lifeless in “Watson” after a violent, series-opening grapple that ended with a gunshot and a double plunge into an icy Swiss waterfall. Watson dove in to save lots of his closest good friend however suffered a debilitating blow to the pinnacle from a rock. After recovering, Watson started main Pittsburgh’s Holmes Clinic, specializing in curing uncommon problems, because of his former companion’s beneficiant will.

However Moriarty is alive, coming into focus unobtrusively within the sequence premiere’s ultimate moments whereas sitting on Pittsburgh’s famed Duquesne Incline cable automotive. Watson’s right-hand man, Shinwell Johnson (Ritchie Coster), is even stunned to seek out the simply ignored villain within the white polo with the mysterious emblem “All the time & All over the place.”

“I used to be anticipating somebody… completely different,” Shinwell stated, handing over a case of clinic DNA samples. Moriarty monologues about “a germ (that) may even write its title in historical past” in Pittsburgh earlier than exiting with a depraved smile.

“That affability disguises one thing far more sinister,” stated “Watson” govt producer and author Craig Sweeny. “He is the man who may repair your washer or your disc drive. Nice performers have been on this half. However Randall was completely completely different; that was enticing.”

Who’s Moriarty within the Sherlock Holmes universe?

Professor James Moriarty is Holmes’ formidable enemy within the famed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective novels, described as strolling “in a curiously reptilian style.” Sir Laurence Olivier performed him within the 1976 film “The Seven-Per-Cent Answer.” Andrew Scott earned raves as nattily dressed Jim Moriarty within the Benedict Cumberbatch-led 2010-17 BBC sequence “Sherlock.”

Sweeny stored the character underneath wraps, referring to him solely as “Pittsburgh Dad” when writing the script and even on the signal adorning Park’s trailer on the Vancouver set.

“It wasn’t like Marvel-series secrecy the place we needed to signal NDAs,” Park stated. However retaining the key helped him discover the character every day. “Each time I regarded on the name sheet and noticed ‘Pittsburgh Dad,’ it was like, ‘OK, project understood.'”