Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien reveals his favorite season of the popular MTV series. As he’s receiving widespread praise for his turn as Joel Lawson in Love & Monsters, fans are looking back to his breakout role of Stiles Stilinski in Teen Wolf and pointing to the character as an early sign of O’Brien’s abilities. Loosely based on the 1985 movie of the same name, the show centered on a young werewolf who defends his California town from dangerous forces.
O’Brien has been comfortable speaking at length, and quite thoughtfully, about his portrayal of the sarcastic best friend to Scott McCall (Tyler Posey). When the cast of Teen Wolf reunited for a virtual event earlier this year, the actor even gave the perfect pitch for what a reboot of the show might consist of. Recently responding to which of the drama’s six seasons he liked best, O’Brien’s response is equally illuminating.
As part of a recent wide-ranging conversation with The Berkeley Forum, O’Brien answered a few fan questions. One question focused on which season of Teen Wolf was O’Brien’s favorite and, despite the fact that he was nudged to choose season 3, in which Stiles has a major arc, the actor offered a more measured response. His quote has been transcribed below.
“I think I have to, if I’m picking my most fun season of Teen Wolf, it’s hard for me not to say [season] one though… just for the sake of, y’know, no one knew what the show was gonna be. We were making this little show, this little show that could, this little weird wolf show, y’know, and we were just having the time of our lives. It was all so exciting to us. Obviously, we were all, y’know, different degrees of experience. I think Tyler Hoechlin, obviously, had been acting since he was a kid, as was [Tyler Posey]. Then, for me, it was my complete first. Fresh out of high school, just completely no idea what the hell was going on, just winging it kind of deal. But we were all just so fresh and young, and game, and loved it, and believed in what we were doing. Those are always just the greatest moments in something.”
It’s likely that season 3 was mentioned because of the growth and change that Stiles experiences. He becomes possessed by the Nogitsune, which uses the character as something of a vessel to create chaos and turmoil. The arc allowed for Stiles to move beyond the role of a quippy sidekick, displaying a darkness and proving to be a tricky foe for the villains to square off against. Though he’d already been viewed as a strong asset for Teen Wolf, the storyline allowed O’Brien to highlight other elements of his performance. Stiles, while possessed by the spirit, is at once intimidating and extremely vulnerable. For many actors, being at the center of such a complex narrative is a dream come true.
O’Brien ultimately acknowledges the importance of Teen Wolf’s third installment, noting that it was a turning point for his career, but he seems to favor the show’s first outing for different reasons. It’s clear that the MTV series is viewed by the actor as more than a job where he built up his skills. He also fondly remembers the excitement of working on something new and uncertain, with other cast members that were hungry for success. Teen Wolf could have flopped, limping to a finish after a short run, but instead it’s regarded as a popular supernatural drama that’s primed for an update. Even as he moves on to other characters on the big screen, Stiles will likely always carry a special significance for O’Brien.
Source: The Berkeley Forum