Posted in: SYFY, TV | Tagged: alan tudyk, Chris Sheridan, Corey Reynolds, Elizabeth Bowen, exclusive, interview, Resident Alien, syfy

Resident Alien Season 3: Corey Reynolds on Mike/Liv Dynamic & More

Corey Reynolds spoke with us about Resident Alien Season 3, including Sheriff Mike & Deputy Liv's dynamic, the cast's closeness, and more.

The ensemble cast of Resident Alien has carved its legacy as a science fiction series. It also became an unexpected family Corey Reynolds, who plays the gruff Sheriff Mike Thompson, came to embrace since its start on Syfy in 2021. For two seasons, Mike and Deputy Liv Baker (Elizabeth Bowen) are trying to investigate a murder in their small town, and one person of interest is Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk), a person of peculiar characteristics, but in reality, is an alien who assumes his victim's form. Once set to destroy Earth, "Harry" is now out to save it. Reynolds spoke to Bleeding Cool about Mike's journey, his relationship with Liv, how Resident Alien has been unlike any other experience he's had before, and what to expect for season three.

Resident Alien: How Sheriff Mike Is Changing for the Better

Bleeding Cool: Reflecting on your journey as Sheriff Mike, how do you feel about how far he's come along going into season three?

Reynolds: If you're lucky enough to get to a point where you can do your storytelling over, multiple seasons, your goal would be to expand a character's backstory and give the audience a deeper understanding of how they became the character that they're seeing. Mike was given that opportunity in season two as we revisit some of his past in Washington, DC, what are the aspects of his journey that have shaped who he is, and ultimately a lot of what a lot of people might consider to be a somewhat cantankerous nature. All of it was there to hide a guy in many ways who was broken and didn't know how to fix himself, and many times in that instance, if you're fortunate enough, you have a friend who comes along and helps you find your way. Deputy Liv, Elizabeth's character, has been that friend for him. As we move into season three, there are aspects of him that want to try to be that same type of friend for her. That's something that you wouldn't necessarily get to do in one quick season. Being fortunate enough to have an opportunity for multiple seasons of storytelling opens the door to that type of stuff.

In a show of this nature, you get to play a bit into the sci-fi wheelhouse and you've been able to develop a deep relationship that you have with Elizabeth's character. How do you break down the evolution of Mike and Liv as the conspiracy starts to unravel throughout the series and your dynamic now?

That's a good question. In the beginning, a lot of what was fueling Mike's demeanor and interactions with her was a deep-rooted insecurity within him. She was proving herself to be a better investigator in many ways. She had a history in the town. Everyone knows who she is, and everyone likes her. For someone with the fragile ego that he had, it put him in this place where he wanted what she had, which was the respect for and adoration of everyone. He didn't handle that well, to be honest, and then he lost her. Not only did he lose a great investigator, but he also lost someone who was trying to continue to be a good friend to him. That brought him back around, and then they had the karaoke moment, where he apologized after she smashed the burger, which is still one of my favorite scenes of the entire series.

When she smashes the burger and then says, "I'm going to take this home, and I'm going to eat it because it's wrong to waste food." Then that last, "Shut up!" She yelled right as she walked out the door was an epic for me because I went to speak, and she was like, "Shut up!" It was gratifying to see her put him in his place and be like, "Listen, I know you're the sheriff or whatever, but I am going to be respected by you." That show of strength was impressive to him after it finished terrifying him. It forged…there's this old saying, and I don't recommend it to anyone, but "Sometimes what the bully needs is a punch in the mouth." She gave him the figurative punch in the mouth that he needed, and she gained his respect with that. She stood up for herself, and if Mike's anything, he's obsessed with power [laughs], and watching her exhibit some probably was like, "Okay." She's killing it right now, and I can respect that.

When you were cast originally for the series, when did you feel that you started to hit your stride as Sheriff Mike? How did you feel you developed your bond with the cast over the years?

Those are two great questions. To answer your first question, I probably started hitting my stride with Mike in the pilot was such a weird experience, because of our director at the time, David Dobkin. We didn't rehearse any scenes before we filmed them. He was like, "You're over there. You're over there. Let's see what happens." I had never worked like that, and I thought it was fun coming out of something that was so structured with procedurals. It felt a little fun to be a little commando, and chaotic. The pilot was more of a guessing game. "I want to do this. I hope it works." After we started to figure out that, "Hey, what we were doing was working, we started hitting our stride right away coming into the second, third [episode], and through the rest of season one.

To answer your question about the cast quickly, we're extremely close. Except for Liz… all the other series regulars, we're not from Vancouver. When we went up there, especially during the time of Covid, we were all we had. We knew we were safe to be around because we were tested regularly so we could socialize with one another freely, which furthered our bond. I love these people. It's this weird, unique, perfect storm in a good way of loving what you do… loving who you're doing it with. Love the creation that comes from it and feel as though you're being paid as well. All my agents would be like, "No! No! No! But it's true. It's what's exciting about the season three premiere and having this long break in between, it's been two strikes, and it's like, "We're this little show that could, and that's a reflection of the bond that's been forged between us as a cast." We genuinely like some people like, "I love these guys, and they get off camera like, That's Stan Lee's model. You know what I mean? In our case, there is a tremendous amount of love and adoration here. We were all we had during those two years up there with Covid. We were all we had, and you know we're happy about that camaraderie and connection. We feel like comes through on screen.

What's the takeaway that you gain most from being on 'Resident Alien' as an actor?

That's a good question. My biggest takeaway, honestly: Trust my instincts. Chris [Sheridan] has given us a lot of freedom to explore our instincts with this show and with these characters. I'm feeling good about what I've been able to discover through myself, through the process of having that freedom. It's rare. We may never have an opportunity like this again. I've been on a series regular now, and this is my fourth or fifth series regular spot. I've never had a position where I can improvise on this scale and have it be something that is welcomed. No one's yelling at you going, "We just ruined the take. Why did you say that way?!" We don't have that on our set. It's twofold, and we get to do it because we don't abuse it. When people are ad-libbing, and they're improvising, it's in service of the scene, not in service of themselves. As we continue that mentality, we see that reflected in how Chris does things and how Alan [Tudyk] does things. It will remain the harmonious environment that creates this little gem that we feel we have. That's a long way for me to say, "I like my job."

Season three of Resident Alien, which also stars Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Meredith Garretson, Linda Hamilton, and Judah Prehn, premieres February 14 on Syfy and is available to stream on Peacock.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!