Finn Wittrock details the casting process for DC's Green Lantern HBO Max show. Years after Ryan Reynolds' failed Green Lantern movie, WarnerMedia, DC, and HBO Max are taking another shot at bringing the Green Lanterns to the screen. This will come with a live-action TV show spanning decades that will feature several different Green Lanterns, except for the intergalactic group's two biggest members: Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The series, created by Greg Berlanti, Seth Grahame-Smith, and Marc Guggenheim, is in the midst of finding actors to play the multiple Green Lanterns.
It has already been confirmed that Green Lantern will feature characters like Alan Scott, Guy Gardner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Kilowog, and Sinestro. The series will span several decades that explores the history of the Green Lantern Corps and should feature a big and diverse cast. So far, DC has only cast one actor for the ten-episode first season, with American Horror Story's Finn Wittrock set to play Guy Gardner. Now that Wittrock's involvement is publicly known, he's free to speak about how he got the coveted role.
During an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Finn Wittrock was asked about his interest in becoming a superhero and how he got the part. The actor revealed that this potentially career-changing role came after doing an old-fashioned screen test. Wittrock broke down the Green Lantern casting process in full detail, which led to him officially getting the part only a week later.
I did an old-fashioned screen test if everyone knows what that is. Usually on an audition, you go to a casting office or here, I've done lots of auditions here in front of a screen. But the old school way of doing it was you go to a studio and they put lights and a camera like a real film and you do a proper scene, so that's what I did. It was kind of daunting and way bigger than I thought it would be. Vickie Thomas, who's this casting director who I was always a little, not scared of, but an impressive woman, she sat on this dolly as they pushed into my face on this little stool and read with me. She has a special place in my heart. Then like a week later I found out I got it, so it was very cool. I was very thankful.
Wittrock doesn't detail how long the Green Lantern audition process took or how many meetings he had with DC prior to the role-clinching screen test. Still, this provides some details about what he went through to get the part, and what other actors are likely set to experience as they try to become his co-stars. Based on Wittrock's comments, it sounds like he is already impressed with the scale of Green Lantern from the screen test alone. Once the actual filming begins later this year, Wittrock will presumably experience even bigger sets, especially when it comes time for the action scenes.
Now that Wittrock is already cast and familiar with Green Lantern's screen testing auditions, it will be fascinating to see if he is involved in any other auditions. It is not uncommon for one actor to participate in auditions for their co-stars so producers can see who has the best chemistry. It is unknown how much Wittrock's Guy Gardner will interact with Green Lantern's other main characters, but it is confirmed that his story begins in 1984 with a half-alien Lantern named Bree Jarta. No actress has been cast in that role yet, so Wittrock could take part in additional screen tests so Green Lantern can find the right screen partner for him.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes