From show creator Graham Yost (Justified) and based on the bestselling trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, the Apple TV+ series Silo explores the community of 10,000 living within a giant underground silo that protects them from the toxic and deadly outside world. The strict rules they live by are presented as protection, but are really meant to prevent rebellion, with consequences that are sure to lead to the demise of anyone who disobeys.

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Common (who plays Sims, the head of security for Judicial and rule enforcer in the silo) talked about wanting to be a part of this team, how he connected to the world within this story, never judging the characters he plays, finding the balance between establishing authority and being a family man, his character’s physical presence, and his reaction to the finale episode. He also talked about his experience on Hell on Wheels, and whether he’d be interested in making another Western.

Collider: You always play such interesting roles. What was it about this project that made you want to sign on and do this? Was it the story itself? Was it the world-building? Was it this character, who feels very different from characters that you’ve played? Was it a combination of all those things?

COMMON: When I was reading the scripts for this season, I was like, “This is a world I never even thought about or imagined.” It was resonating with me as, “Man, this is something that people can see and think that these things could actually happen, or relate to it because it feels like what we’ve been getting from our government and the powers that be.” I really related to the story. But also, I was like, “This is just really great writing. This is exceptional. This is incredible.” And seeing my character and who he was in the story, I was like, “This is one of the best opportunities I’ve had.” And I knew it was Apple TV+, so I thought it could be something really special. All those elements meant something, but it started with me reading a script that I really loved. I knew it was special writing and that the writers were incredible. And then, I knew all the elements that were around it, like who my character is in this story, and Graham Yost being the showrunner, and Rebecca Ferguson being the lead, and Tim Robbins. All of those things just made it become even greater.

Common as Sims in Silo
Image via Apple TV+

Are you someone who forms an opinion on a character, immediately when you’re going to be playing someone, or do you try to put off forming any opinion of them?

COMMON: I do my best to try to put off an opinion because I can’t judge a person. Whether a person is doing certain things and not looking at themselves like, “Man, I’m a bad person,” or if there’s something that’s driving them to do those things, I could never judge that. I try not to judge people in life, so I don’t wanna judge a character. That’s why you look for the humanity in people and in the characters you play. It’s so that other people can understand, this may be somebody who’s made some bad choices and done some rugged things, but this person still cares about their family, and they still like love and wanna be loved. I don’t judge the characters I play. While I’m reading, I remind myself not to because you can. I’ve read things and been like, “Man, I don’t wanna play this gangster. Wait, hold up, he’s not just a gangster.” You’ve gotta find those places where you can find the humanity. The writers for Silo did an incredible job at giving Sims the story of not just being a heavy, but giving me an opportunity to show the humanity in this person and to show this human being that cares for something more than himself.

What was it like to find that balance? He is a guy who has this sense of authority and he enforces rules, but we also get to see him with his family. What did you most enjoy about having that to play with and to really find that bond with the actors playing your family?

COMMON: Some days after I finished a scene, my hair and makeup artist, who works with me, would be like, “Boy, Sims is nasty.” And then, sometimes she would say, “Oh, wow, that was a really touching scene with you and your son.” What I loved about it was the fact that it allowed people to not just pay off Sims as the bad guy, or any of these characters. That’s what I thought was really brilliant about this writing. None of these characters are all good or all bad. You might like some things about them, or you might not like other things. Some, you might like more, some of you might like less, and some you might relate to more, but ultimately, they are all reflections of people.

Common as Sims in Silo
Image via Apple TV+

There’s something that I found menacing and commanding about your character, from the first time he walks into the show, before you even speak. He’s a guy that seems very deliberate in his actions, even with the way he walks into a room. How did you want to embody that? Did you think about physical choices that you wanted to make in playing him, and the way that you wanted to carry yourself and just walk into a space?

COMMON: Yeah. I’ve really started understanding, more and more, how important the body is to characters. I was aware of that and went through my process of creativity to find what Sims would feel like and walk like. I didn’t make it a big thing with a whole different walk, but there’s something in the body, where you can feel that presence. The ingredients and things you use to create these characters allow a viewer to watch and say, “Man, there’s something about him. I feel his presence. He feels big in that room.” So, I’m glad you felt that.

It was so interesting to see you embody that authority without even having any dialogue.

COMMON: Yeah. Some of my favorite actors, like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marlon Brando, Denzel [Washington], Don Cheadle, Tim Robbins, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and actors of that nature, convey a lot of things without having to say it. We do that, as people, so I don’t mind scenes where there’s not a lot of dialogue. You’re still gonna say something and the viewer will feel what’s going on.

Common as Elam Ferguson in Season 3 of Hell on Wheels
Image via AMC

I love the work you did in Hell on Wheels. I thought that was such a great show and a great character. Would you ever want to return to the Western genre again, whether they were to come to you to do a prequel and you could revisit that character again, or whether it was a completely different Western world?

COMMON: I would love to do another Western, as long as it’s really character driven. I loved being able to do Hell on Wheels. I wouldn’t wanna do pre- Hell on Wheels because then he would be a slave. But a Western, like Buffalo Soldiers or something in that vein, I would love that. We would kill that and light that up.

What did you think, when you read the final script for Silo? Even if you knew where things were going, it’s always different to read it in the script and see it on paper. What was your reaction to learning how everything would end up this season?

COMMON: It’s funny because I read the script, and then we filmed it, and there were some stops and starts in filming. We filmed that last year, and finished somewhere in June. When I watched the episode, I had forgot what happened. This material has a lot to it, so you don’t remember everything that was going on. And some things my character is not even in, so it was very interesting to see what was going on. I couldn’t stop watching. I wanted to keep watching. It was one of those things where you’re like, “Man, what is gonna happen? Wait, I thought this person was this.” I’m a sucker for good thrillers, and that’s what Silo is. Let me be clear, there were times I was watching where it was hard for me to watch it myself, to be honest, but I had to get over that, so I could watch the show because the show is fun. The show is great.

Silo is available to stream at Apple TV+.