On the Netflix series Marvel’s Iron Fist, billionaire Danny Rand (Finn Jones) has returned to New York City after having been missing for years, and his desire to reconnect with his past and his family legacy puts everything his father’s former business partner, Harold Meachum (David Wenham), has built at Rand Enterprises at risk. Now that Meachum’s children, Ward (Tom Pelphrey) and Joy (Jessica Stroup), are in charge of the company, Danny must find common ground with them, while also using the kung fu skills he learned while he was gone to fight against the criminal element that's corrupting the city.
During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actor Tom Pelphrey talked about why he was excited about joining Iron Fist, the draw in being a part of the Netflix/Marvel partnership, how he views Ward Meachum, what Ward fears most, what he enjoys about the father-son dynamic, and the challenge of being involved with a project that’s so secretive. Be aware that there are some spoilers discussed.
Collider: First off, I have to say that I was a huge fan of Banshee and thought you were so terrific on that show! It’s one of my all-time favorite shows, and Job will go down as one of the best characters invented for television, but Bunker was another character that was right up there because he was so compelling and interesting to watch.
TOM PELPHREY: Thanks so much! We had a blast on Banshee. I love that show! It was a great format to do those kinds of characters. Banshee was almost like a graphic novel world, where you could create these larger than life characters. It’s so funny that you said that about Job because I was just talking to Hoon Lee this morning.
Coming off of Banshee and playing such a memorable character as Bunker, did you want to jump right back into another TV show, or would you have preferred to have taken some time off, if this hadn’t come along?
PELPHREY: I was really excited to jump into Iron Fist. Playing Ward is so different from playing Bunker, even physically. I started working out completely different. My body changed, and he dresses different. It’s a whole different character, and that, to me, is exciting. I felt like there was a lot of explore with Ward, in terms of interesting dynamics and being a character that’s pulled in a lot of different directions that, on a deeper level, aren’t dissimilar from the dynamics that were going on with Bunker.
Was it weird to get used to seeing yourself with all of the tattoos that Bunker had, and then get used to seeing yourself without all of the tattoos again?
PELPHREY: Yeah. I’ve gotta tell you, seeing yourself covered in tattoos, especially the tattoos that I had in Banshee because there were swastikas and a tattoos of Hitler, you don’t really ever get used to that. It’s actually pretty jarring sometimes, when you look at yourself in the mirror and remember. At one point, we were filming in North Carolina and there was an ice cream store, down at the corner. I walked down there to get an ice cream, not even thinking. I was standing there, in my cop uniform, and I started getting looks from people, but I didn’t understand what was going on. But then, in about 30 seconds, it dawned on me that I had the tattoos on. It’s pretty awful, actually, having to see people take in tattoos like that because they’re disgusting. It was a bad mistake, on my part, and I never made that one again.
That must have given you a new appreciation for the character!
PELPHREY: It really did! You know it’s just make-up, so that’s that. But for somebody who doesn’t know, you understand how much power symbols can have, in terms of making people feel afraid. There’s so much hatred behind some of that imagery. It’s just so ugly, and you can see the reaction. It does give you a deeper appreciation for the kind of human being that would put that stuff on their skin, permanently.
What was the appeal of Iron Fist for you? Did you have a secret desire to be a part of the Marvel universe, was it specifically this script and character, or was it something else entirely?
PELPHREY: There were a few draws. Obviously, in the last few years, Netflix is doing amazing show after amazing show. Of course, they’ve got a great partnership with Marvel, which is something I wasn’t as fully aware of, before I took the job, as I was, after the fact. Two great companies like that, anybody would be happy to work for, but the main thing that excited me was getting to read the first two scripts, before I fully auditioned. I got to read what Scott Buck was doing, and I got to have a little talk with Jeph Loeb, who explained the idea of the world to me and told me about some of the things they were looking to explore. Without getting into too much detail, he helped me understand where my character might fit into that. It was really exciting! Jeph Loeb is a fantastic storyteller. Sit down with that guy and have him pitch you an idea, and you’ll see what I mean. It’s magical and wonderful, how much he loves what he does, and how good he is at communicating it. It’s a gift. When you have a boss like that, who’s running the ship, you’re in really good hands. Clearly, he’s someone who loves what he does, and who’s very passionate about all of the characters and shows that he’s a producer of. Those are the kind of people you want to work with ‘cause so much of it is ultimately out of your control.
This is a very interesting character because he’s an antagonist to Danny Rand, but he’s not really an outright villain. He also isn’t in a position to be the hero of his own story because his father is making him do his bidding. How do you view Ward Meachum?
PELPHREY: Everything you just said is really valid. It’s exactly right. I don’t know if it makes sense or not, but that was the thing that made the character so interesting to me. The idea that we were going to really explore a multi-dimensional human being, who’s pulled in a lot of directions and does have to deal with some literally larger than life circumstances that no one else would be able to understand, what is that like? One of the things that became really important, in getting a script, was to look at what Ward says and does, and then go through and understand the difference between what he’s saying and doing versus what he really feels and would really want to do. There’s times he’s lying on purpose, for a certain reason. There’s other times he’s lying to someone else, for a different reason. I felt like the important thing to do, so that we never lost sight of the fact that this is a human being that’s trying his best, and who’s not a complete villain or psychopath, was to always understand how he really felt and what he really wanted, regardless of whether he was lying to someone or being mischievous or being dangerous. Whatever way he was maneuvering, it became really important to me to go through the script and figure out what Ward really felt and why he was doing what he was doing, and how much of the time he was being controlled versus how much he was controlling.
What does Ward fear more, Danny’s return and all of the implications that come with that, or the wrath of his father?
PELPHREY: That’s a good question! I’m not sure which of those two I would say is more meaningful to him. I think that the one thing that could, in my opinion, be Ward’s true North is his love for his sister, Joy. I think that’s true and real and good. I think he makes a lot of his decisions based on what he believes is the best thing to do for her. Therefore, depending on the situation, even if he might not be telling her the truth, I believe that the writers did a very good job in having a character who might be doing questionable things, but you could also understand how he’s doing what he feels is best for the person he loves the most.
When you get to see everybody doing cool fight sequences and big action scenes, do you ever get disappointed that you don’t have them?
PELPHREY: Of course! You know I do! I’m sitting there remembering fighting Chris Coy, the last season of Banshee, and all I wanted to do was roll up my sleeves and start fighting some more. I love that part of the job. Iron Fist has a fantastic stunt team, with very talented and hard working men and women. So, I felt very envious of everybody else, getting to fight all around me while I’m stomping around in my nice suits. That was interesting, in a different way.
What’s it been like to be a part of the Marvel family? Obviously, you never want to give away the twists and turns in anything you do, but it’s on a whole different level when you’re working for Marvel, so do you find that challenging, or is it fun to be in on the secrets?
PELPHREY: Man, it is definitely the most secretive thing that I’ve ever been involved with, by far. It’s so funny that you ask that because, basically, once I got an idea of how secretive everything was, I had to put it out of my head. It became easier to not talk about it, at all, so that I never had to worry about slipping up or saying anything. I told everyone around me that I wasn’t willing to talk about it, so they all dropped it. And as for the people at the company that I’ve been able to interact with, they’re fantastic. Jeph Loeb is a really good guy. He’s been a really supportive boss, and not just to me, personally, but I’ve heard different stories from different people, in different aspects of the production, behind the scenes and in front of the camera. The one thing that you’ll always hear is about what a good dude Jeph Loeb is, how supportive he is, and how interested and passionate he is. Like most things, a lot of the tone comes from the top down. People like him, and some of the other people at Marvel, have set a really great atmosphere, where we all feel taken care of, supported, looked after, and checked in on. That part of it has been a great experience. Going into the headquarters in New York City, you feel like a kid again, getting a tour and seeing some of the statues, posters and old artwork. They definitely make you feel like you are now a part of their family.
