The Night Agent, which debuted on Netflix on March 23, was met with an impressive debut week, placing at the top of the Netflix TV charts, and has continued to dominate the streaming platform's list of recently released titles. The spy thriller's success so far has been justified by the talented creatives behind the show, including the lead actor, Gabriel Basso, who did almost all the stunts in the well-received espionage series. Following Basso's recent exclusive interview with Collider, in which he revealed his preparations for the role, the actor also shared in a clip uploaded on the streamer's Twitter page that he basically did all the fighting and running, except for car hits and falling scenes.
The Night Agent's success ultimately led to the show's renewal for a second season, less than a week after its release. Playing FBI Agent Peter Sutherland in the series requires physical strength, as the espionage show is filled with mostly fighting and physically demanding scenes; but thanks to Basso's experience, everything worked according to plan. A trained fighter in real life with experience in martial arts, the 28-year-old actor revealed that he did all the fighting, even though he has no specialized training of any kind. And given his Muay Thai, boxing, and kickboxing experiences, he managed to do almost all the fight scenes without the help of a stuntman:
"I think what excited me was Shawn [Ryan]'s vision for the show, which was very grounded. I did all the fighting, I did all of the running and stuff, and the only stuff I didn't do and Matt had to sub in was like a fall or a car hit. I didn't do any specialized training, but I fight in real life and I compete in real life. I box a lot. I do Muay Thai and kickboxing. Grappling is fairly new to me but before that I've been in martial arts since I was a kid. Wrestiling, jiu jitsu, and mixed martial arts, I think sums it up. But my background I think would suit me is striking. So when it was written, when you read it off the page, they had their idea of a fight scene, but it didn't spell it out. So we had a lot of creative freedom in the choreography side of it."
The actor also shared the fight scene he was most excited about: "And I think something I was really excited about was when I sort of lift up one of the stuntmen who plays Briggs. I think it is. I pick him up and I slam him. He has me in a triangle choke with his legs, and I pick him up and slam him on the ground—and I was psyched about that because we didn't think it would work because there's no way of him helping me," Basso continued. "But it worked, and it's sick on the show."
What Viewers Can Expect From Season 2?
The series follows Peter Sutherland, who finds himself entangled in a deadly scheme after answering a call. As the series progresses, the FBI agent soon forms a romantic bond with Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), with whom he attempts to uncover the dark truth inside the White House. The first season highlights Peter's responsibility to operate phone calls, but considering anything that has happened in Season 1—with truths uncovered, including the masterminds behind the metro bombing—audiences can expect the character's FBI status to be taken to new heights. And with increased responsibility comes increased threat, putting the character in an even more dangerous situation.
Alongside Basso and Buchanan, the spy series also stars Hong Chau as Diane Farr, Fola Evans-Akingbola as Chelsea Arrington, Sarah Desjardins as Maddie Redfield, Eve Harlow as Elle, Phoenix Raei as Dale, Enrique Murciano as Ben Almora, and D. B. Woodside as Erik Monks.
The Night Agent is now streaming on Netflix. You can watch the clip below.