From executive producer Robert Zemeckis, the 10-episode History Channel drama series Project Blue Book is based on the real-life top-secret investigations into UFOs and other unexplained phenomena that were conducted by the U.S. Air Force between 1952 and 1969. Throughout the season, Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen), a college professor recruited to lead an operation that researched thousands of cases that blend UFO theories with real historical events, and his investigative partner Captain Michael Quinn (Michael Malarkey) will uncover mysteries that merge science and the exploration of the unknown.
During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actor Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) talked about his fascination with the subject matter of Project Blue Book, how quickly he knows whether or not he wants to play a character, getting to meet Hynek’s sons, what he most appreciates about the real Hynek, the Quinn-Hynek partnership, whether he’s ever been curious about the possibility of other life in the universe, what most surprised him about these real-life cases, and his hope that he’ll get to keep exploring this character’s life and work.
Collider: This series explores such interesting subject matter. When Project Blue Book came your way, were you immediately intrigued, or did you feel like you needed to dive a bit deeper into what this could be and how the material would be handled?
AIDAN GILLEN: Look, I’m familiar enough with the subject and the era, and I thought it was quite fascinating. I did want to have a conversation with the showrunners to see what their vision for it was and to see if it was a script that was gonna be shot. It was worth having those conversations, since things have changed. Generally, my feeling on things are quite instinctive. One read of something, if it’s read out loud, can give you a fair idea of whether you’ve gotta work on it, or whether you’re the right person for it or not. It was certainly the type of thing that I was looking to do, playing a warm positive character, as opposed to a cool, cynical, conniving character.
You probably have much more pleasant nights, once you go home from work, when you’re playing a guy who’s not trying to manipulate everybody and who’s not responsible for the death of people.
GILLEN: I know. It depends on how much you have to say the next day, though. There were nights that were overloaded with learning stuff for tomorrow, which is great. The density of the workload on this was actually a lot more than I’ve had on other shows, so you’re in that headspace, almost all the time. You’re right, it makes your job easier, when you’re not having nightmares every night.
Having come off of a show that you’ve spent a few years on, like you did with Game of Thrones, before you sign on or even consider doing another TV series, do you take time to think about telling this story and playing this character for what could be a few years?
GILLEN: It’s not a conscious decision to take a break, it’s just whenever the right thing shows up, or what seems like the right thing. If it’s immediately, or if it’s two months away, if it’s the right thing, then you do it. If it’s not the right thing, then you don’t do it. The workload on Game of Thrones wasn’t that intense for me. I was in and out. Of course, day to day and finding those little moments is an intense thing, but I had a lot of time off. I tended to pack my year, outside of Game of Thrones, with as many other projects as I could, instead of being there, all the time. I just found that easier and more conducive to good work, and that’s just the way that it worked out. I suppose when I started out and I wasn’t inundated with offers, I would literally waste a long time between jobs, until the right thing came along. I have a bit more choice now.
You’ve described this series as a sci-fact series, instead of a sci-fi series, which I think is really interesting, and this show is presented very seriously and very real, and not campy, at all. Was that something that you got from reading the first script? Was that how the show was presented to you, that it would take this subject matter seriously?
GILLEN: Yes, but I didn’t think it was overly serious. Initially, I was fascinated because it’s based on real investigations and people that really existed. And the fact that Robert Zemeckis’ company is behind getting it made also gave me a little boost. I was confident, knowing what his record is with this genre and his skills as a storyteller. I knew it was going to be a fun bit of pop entertainment, along with having the more serious side of it. We just wanted to get that mix that will give it a flavor. So, I think a lot of the right people are around, in terms of production design, art direction, cinematography, costumes and everything. We were really well looked after, which was fun. It’s something that I, personally, am quite fond of – 1950s sci-fi, or sci-fact – as a lot of people are. It’s got this enduring quality, so we’ve got that on our side, too.
The production design of this is really quite beautiful to look at, with the wardrobe and the whole look and feel of it.
GILLEN: Yeah, and that just makes your job easier. The sets for his house, his office, and the Blue Book headquarters were perfectly realized. It was literally like stepping into a time capsule, and that does a lot for you.
You’ve previously said that you spoke to Hynek’s sons. What was that like, and did you learn anything from them that directly influenced how you approached this?
GILLEN: Yeah, I met two of his sons, Paul and Joel, and that was really helpful. One of the things that I thought, when I first investigated doing this and read the script, was that this is a guy who you’d really like to have as your father. I pinned a lot of hope on the fact that would be confirmed by anyone who knew whether he actually really was a good dad, and that bore truth. They were able to give us a few little things, showing us family photographs and stuff that people don’t have access to, and they made a huge difference. I didn’t inundate with a barrage of questions like, “What kind of toast did your father like?” We had a few casual, very meaningful conversations, and I know some of the other actors had a similar experience. So, it was helpful, but I didn’t overdo it.
Over the course of the season, what did you grow to find most interesting about Hynek, and what did you come to appreciate most about him?
GILLEN: His thoughtfulness, determination and consistency. I can take him seriously, as a scientist investigating a phenomenon that a lot of people think is crackers because he’s rigorous, logic-based and open-minded. The thing that always struck me with him was his thoughtfulness, determination, warmth and empathy for the people making his reports.
What is it like for him to be the only civilian working on these cases when he really is on a mission to uncover the truth, but the people he’s working for would rather he just close cases, however that happens?
GILLEN: For the real Hynek, that was frustrating and ultimately lead to him ending his time there, but he stayed in within the system, so that he would have access to the material, to the files and to the research. It was probably the best place for him to be, but it was ultimately frustrating, having your most interesting cases and investigations be the ones that your superiors wanted you to bury. That made him become more and more interested in the cases and finding reliable witnesses. There were quite a lot of cases that couldn’t be explained.
It’s so interesting to watch a partnership between two people who didn’t ask to be partnered together and likely would never have been friends under other circumstances, but find themselves on these cases together. How much did you enjoy playing and exploring that, and how much will that evolve, over the season?
GILLEN: That will continue to evolve. These guys do have a dogged respect for each other, and they grow to respect each other They can’t really do the work that they want to do without the other’s help. It’s a classic pairing, that kind of partnership. That’s one of the reasons it’s happening. It’s a trope, but those things work for a reason. And Michael [Malarkey] is a really hard-working actor. I think he’s great in his performance of Quinn, so it was nice to have him there and to be there with him. Hopefully, I did something similar for him. I admire his work ethic. I work hard, as well, but he did a lot of the heavy lifting.
Have you ever been curious about the possibility of other life in the universe, prior to doing this, or have you jumped down that rabbit hole, as a result of doing this show?
GILLEN: It’s something that I’ve thought about it a lot because it’s an obvious thing to think about. To me, it seems obvious, in an infinite universe, that it’s unlikely that we’re the only life forms. That seems pretty unlikely. Like Hynek and Carl Sagan, I’m also aware of the distances between stars and the finite speed of light, etc. I don’t know about the prospect of having visitors, but communication is probably just a matter of time.
Because these stories are based on real events, and the twists and turns on the show really show how truth is stranger than fiction, what most surprised you about these cases?
GILLEN: What’s so remarkable is people’s rigorous sticking to their stories, no matter how fantastical it seems, or how ridiculous it would make them seem. A lot of these are from people who didn’t want the attention. Of course, some of them can be a hoax, set up by somebody looking for attention. There were commercial pilots, military pilots and air traffic controllers reporting the same thing, with a good degree of reluctance. So, when you put yourself on the line like that, and you stick to your story for the rest of your life, there must be something happening there. I don’t know what it is, but it’s fascinating.
Project Blue Book went on for a number of years, and you’ve only started to scratch the surface of these cases with the first season. Is this a character that you’re hoping to get to continue to play for a bit? Do you feel like there’s still much more to him to explore?
GILLEN: I’d like to think so. That was certainly the plan, at the outset. I always like trying to find some space in there for those moments where it’s not all about the action or the plot, or moving the story along. I know that it’s an episodic drama that has a story pretty much every week. Some of them are split over two weeks. But there are over-arching sides to it, and I’m always interested in knowing what people are doing when they’re not pushing the story. I think there’s a way to go with Hynek and what you can do with him, and the sides of him that you can show. So, that’s part of the plan, yeah.
Project Blue Book airs on Tuesday nights on History.
