Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with V Wars’ Adrian Holmes

Award-winning actor Adrian Holmes has built an illustrious career across film and television. With over 100 credits to his name, past projects include Supernatural, Arrow, Elysium, Impastor, and Smallville. This winter, he can be seen starring opposite Ian Somerhalder in the brand new, genre-bending vampire series V Wars. Pop Culturalist caught up with Adrian to chat all things V Wars.

V Wars

PC: Tell us about V Wars, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Adrian: V Wars is about a research scientist named Luther Swann. His best friend, Michael Fayne, is infected by this virus which turns certain people with a particular gene into vampires. This fuels Luther Swann’s mission to find a vaccine/cure.

I loved the character of Michael Fayne. He’s a helicopter pilot and a fun guy who loves to have a good time. He’s very positive and high on life. You can say that he’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

Unfortunately for him, he happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which exposes him to this virus. It turns his world in a 180 direction. He’s trying to fight this disease that he doesn’t want, and he’s put in a position where he has to kill or be killed. Nobody wants that, especially not him. It’s a huge struggle and conflict for him to battle.

I love challenges. I love playing characters who are multilayered and have a lot of depth. V Wars isn’t your typical or traditional vampire movie or series. It’s grounded in reality and talks about environmental issues, global warming, and its effects on this planet; that’s how the virus escapes and gets exposed. The glaciers are melting. This virus has laid dominant for years and years, and now it’s melted and released into the world. It’s a very educational series. The audience gets to learn as well as be entertained. That’s what drew me to this part.

I have a funny story. My friend had an audition for the Luther Swann role, and he asked me to help him prep. I hadn’t heard anything about the show. Two weeks later, I got an audition. I was looking at this and was like, “This sounds so familiar!” Then I was like, “Wait. This is the same audition that I was trying to help my friend with.” Fortunately, one thing led to another and it all worked out.

PC: The series is being adapted from Jonathan Maberry’s graphic novel. How familiar were you with the source material? How faithful would you say this adaptation is?
Adrian: I’m so happy that I was exposed to the source material heading in. It’s absolutely fantastic. There are definite similarities, but it also differentiates from the graphic novels. In the series, Michael is a helicopter pilot. In the book, he’s an actor or something like that. The tone and energy are very similar.

Jonathan Maberry reached out to us expressing how satisfied and thrilled he was with the finished product. That was the greatest reward for us. This is his baby when it comes down to it. If he’s happy, we’re happy.

PC: How did you prepare to tackle your character’s transformation throughout the series?
Adrian: Like any role, it’s really important to find the truth. Who is this character? What is his reality? Once you find that, you can start to play with his energy and mood. Everybody has a certain energy or mood that they’re conveying. I tried to find those things. Once I have those things in place, I can drop right in. I tried to find things that I could connect with as Adrian. I find things that I can use with things that are a part of the character and also things that aren’t that I can strip away.

Ian [Somerhalder] and I had this great dance between us. We had this great chemistry. As you know, he’s a vampire alumni. If I had any questions, he always had great answers. He was very supportive the whole way through. I felt like I was in great hands. It was a really smooth, fun experience. That’s how I prepared.

PC: Like you said earlier, the series tackles a lot of topical issues that we’re facing in today’s climate. Does that add a different weight to this project?
Adrian: I think it gives it a lot more light. It makes it more relevant and appealing. A lot of times, we watch shows that aren’t grounded in reality. Sure, it’s fun to take your brain out of it, but it’s nice when you can watch a show and feel like it’s something that can actually happen. That’s what I love about V Wars. They took the time to make it realistic and grounded while still having that edge. There’s a fine line between making a show that’s over the top and too cheesy and making one that’s grounded in reality. We did a great job at keeping it entertaining yet grounded and real. The audience can connect and relate to the circumstances that we present.

PC: We actually just spoke with Ian and he said the first season really lays the groundwork. What are you most excited for your fans to see?
Adrian: I’m excited for fans to see his growth. He has quite the arc. Like I said earlier, he has an inner conflict that he has to go through to get to where he gets to. It’s quite interesting. I’m most excited for audiences to see that.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Adrian: Oh boy! I started when I was eleven years old in theater in elementary school. I did The Wizard of Oz and I played the Lion. It was my first play. I loved being on stage. I felt it was a beautiful platform and space for me to act silly. I had permission to be silly and play make-believe and get away with things that you normally wouldn’t in everyday life. It was a hobby.

Then I started noticing the industry growing in Vancouver. I grew up right outside of Vancouver. There was so much work coming there that I was able to jump on board and take advantage of it. What started out as a hobby has turned into this beautiful career. I pinch myself every day that I get to do what I love.

PC: You’ve had a ton of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Adrian: Oh yeah, man! These are great questions. First, Gary Oldman is one of my favorites, if not, favorite actors. I’ve been a fan of his since Sid and Nancy to Darkest Hour, which he won his Oscar for. I worked with him on Red Riding Hood. I played his right-hand man. All my scenes were opposite him. We hit it off so well. It was so ironic that I was working with Dracula, not knowing that in 2019 I’d be coming out with a vampire show of my own. It’s funny how life works and happens. That was a very beautiful, memorable moment for me.

I also worked with Matt Damon on Elysium right after that actually. Again, he couldn’t be a better human being. He was available, supportive, and treated us like brothers. There are so many great moments. I’ve been very blessed, and I thank God every day. I hope I have more stories to share in the future.

PC: What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Adrian: [laughs] Just relax—you’re enough! If I could go back and tell myself one thing, it’d be, “You’re enough. You don’t have to push. Believe in yourself. It’s all there. Do the work and have fun. Everything will fall in place the way it’s supposed to.” I definitely would give myself that advice.

To keep up with Adrian, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch V Wars on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Charles Zuckermann