The eight-episode second season of the Disney+ original series The Mysterious Benedict Society sees Mr. Benedict (Tony Hale) and his right-hand Number Two (Kristen Schaal) kidnapped as part of a nefarious plan devised by his twin brother Dr. L.D. Curtain (also Hale). While Benedict works to foil Curtain’s scheme of spreading fake “happiness” around the globe, gifted young recruits Reynie (Mystic Inscho), Sticky (Seth Carr), Kate (Emmy DeOliveira) and Constance (Marta Kessler) take it upon themselves to save the world by working together and utilizing what makes each of them unique.

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Hale talked about how much fun he had also playing two characters in Hocus Pocus 2, what he’s most excited about with Season 2 of The Mysterious Benedict Society, what he most enjoys about getting to be a part of this unique world, really giving these twins distinct personas, the key to playing someone who’s not just a straight-up villain, the dynamic between Benedict and Number Two, and how Benedict and Curtain will both make self-discoveries this season.

Collider: You’re currently making the Disney rounds, with this series and Hocus Pocus 2. How much fun was that to work on and get to be a part of? What’s it like to be the focus of the Sanderson sisters?

TONY HALE: The whole thing was very surreal. I loved getting to be a part of the backstory, with the kids and the reverend and all that stuff, and then coming back and playing the complete contrast. You’re thinking, “Does he have the evil thread?” And he doesn’t, this mayor. Just playing that dark and light is always fun.

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Image via Disney+

With Disney, is it part of your contract now that you have to do two characters in all the projects that you do?

HALE: I think that’s an okay request to make.

Season 2 of The Mysterious Benedict Society is still strange, the kids are still brilliant, and Number Two still has the most amazing wardrobe. What are you most excited about with Season 2, and how much does it raise the stakes or change the game this season?

HALE: I’m really excited about the turn of how, who you thought was the evil brother, has now reinvented himself as a self-help guru selling happiness. What excites me about that is the parallel of how the evil brother is selling an idea of happiness, whereas Benedict represents authentic happiness and the full range of emotions. To see the way Curtain intoxicates people with his salesmen quality, I just can’t ignore how that’s relatable to our world of Instagram. We get intoxicated with these ideas of happiness, compared to how happiness has highs and lows, and you have to go through stuff to get to these places. That kind of tension is a message I really believe in, and it’s fun to do it in this way.

What have you most enjoyed about getting to be a part of this world? How do you feel this world best suits you?

HALE: I love how you said to be a part of it because I think that’s the key. I’m just a part of the artistry of this show. You mentioned Number Two’s costumes, but it’s the hair, makeup, wardrobe, production design, lighting, and everything. It’s such a beautiful piece of art that this whole team has made, at the top of their game. I do feel like I’m a part of it, and I’m incredibly honored to be a part of it.

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Image via Disney+

You’ve spent two seasons now playing these two characters. Do you enjoy playing one more than the other? Is it especially fun to have characters that you can switch back and forth between?

HALE: It is fun. It’s a little tricky, at times, when you’re doing both characters on the same day. But I love playing Benedict because after what we’ve been through, to play someone who sees the best in people and wears a really warm coat, he’s like a lovable professor with really bad posture. I love playing him. He’s got crazy hair that I would love to have. He’s really fun to play.

Was it interesting to find the levels of someone like Curtain? You don’t play him like a straight-up villain. There’s a lot more going on there, and sometimes you’re not quite sure if maybe he is being genuine. What was it like to find that and not have him be just an obvious bad guy?

HALE: I think that’s the key. You have to show, somewhat, the trauma, or at least you have to show somebody trying to hide the trauma. That’s where the vulnerability and the humanity has to come in. But there are little things that I would do. One being when Curtain is with somebody else talking to them, it’s like the person doesn’t exist. He’s purely talking at them, whereas Benedict is really engaged and empathetic and listening. Those are little tricks that I did. Obviously, there’s the posture and stuff. With Curtain, I always have to remember that he comes from a place of rejection. He felt rejected, as a kid, when his brother left him in the orphanage. You always have to remember that pain, or you’re just gonna come off like a cardboard cutout villain.

I love how we get to see Benedict and Number Two together a lot this season. It’s unfortunate that it’s because they’re kidnapped together, but it’s still fun to get to see them together. What can you say about what we can expect from them? Are they capable of getting themselves out of the trouble they get themselves into?

HALE: They are. They’re like a married couple, where they fight, and they get frustrated with each other. Number Two is just so fed up with Benedict. But what I love, like anything in this show and like anything in life, what they’re each good at, they bring to the table, and they work together. It’s like that with these kids. These kids have their own uniqueness, and they lean into it. They bring that to the table, and then that helps them solve the puzzles. Number Two and Benedict are very different, but they each highlight what they have, and then hopefully work it out.

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Image via Disney+

What have you most enjoyed about developing that relationship with Kristen Schaal? You guys are both funny people, which is good since you get paid to do it for a living, but you have very different styles that are unique and specific to you. What’s it like to play off of somebody like that and to figure out how that comedy can work together?

HALE: We’ve really worked out a rhythm, but it’s not always easy. You have to give and take, and find out somebody else’s rhythm. I think a huge plus is when you’re friends and you get along. I’ve had moments where it’s been tricky when I’ve worked with some people because maybe their personality is a little difficult and it makes for a little bit of an eggshell environment. Whereas with someone like Kristen, we laugh together, we’re good friends, and we hang out. Then, there’s a little more synergy there.

I love how self-sufficient these kids are. They’re off on their own, and they’re doing dangerous things in dangerous situations, but I always feel like they’ll figure it out, they’ll save the day, and everything will be fine. How important is it for young people to realize and understand how far they can get, if they’re just smart about things and they have empathy for others?

HALE: Yeah. Gosh, that sounds great. Also, to add to that is to not try to be like everybody else. That’s another challenge of social media. Everybody is just comparing themselves to everybody else. These kids really stand on their unique gifts. Each kid out there is so unique, so it’s about celebrating that strength. I think that’s where the money is, honestly.

It seems like this season, Benedict wants to try to have a relationship with his twin. Will he have any success in that area? Can they ever find some common ground?

HALE: Yeah, I think they do. There are a lot of self-revelations, on both sides. That’s what I love. Benedict is not just the good guy, while Curtain is just the bad guy. Both are broken and both come from needy places, so there are self-discoveries on each side.

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Image via Disney+

Have they always felt very separate for you? Have there ever been times when you’ve been in the middle of playing one character and thought that maybe you were too much like the other character?

HALE: There are a lot of scenes that we have together, and there have been a couple times the director had to come up to me and say, “Your posture is a little too good. You have to get back to Benedict.” Or I’d be doing Curtain and think, “All right, we need to stand up straight, dude.” Curtain’s diction is so good. He’s a little more clipped. And Benedict is a little more lovable. I always had to remember that vocal range a little bit.

Is there anything that you would love to get to see these two brothers do, that we haven’t gotten to see them do yet and that would somehow fit into this world?

HALE: Yeah. It’s such a great example of people that are in opposition in life. If they really drop their egos and bring their gifts to the table, can you imagine what could happen? Any opportunity that Benedict and Curtain have to really drop their egos and engage with each other and use their unique gifts, it’s amazing what can happen. Anytime that can happen is great.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is available to stream at Disney+.