‘Westworld’ star Ed Harris talks about William’s tribulations in Season 4 and how much he enjoyed the golf scene.

[This story contains spoilers for Westworld season 4 episode “Well Enough Alone.”]

Ed Harris doesn’t know when it will end for William, aka The Man in Black. western world It ends with the fifth and final season, but it has some thoughts.

The Oscar-nominated actor has played the sadistic park owner and regular guest since the premiere episode of the HBO series in 2016. In his youth, William (played by Jimmy Simpson) seems like a nice guy. But in the end he is corrupt. western world where he visits robots to perform his evil deeds. That is, before the revolt, at the end of the season, before the hosts’ self-awareness. Driving his wife to suicide and killing their daughter (even though she thought he was a host) left William with nothing. And when viewers find him in Season 4, it’s revealed that he survived after William’s throat was slit by the host clone at the end of Season 3. Presumably the real William is now being held in a massive cryogenic chamber by the host. A copy of Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) as the host version of William.

in conversation the hollywood reporter Ahead of the premiere of “Well Alone” on Sunday, the stage, screen and television veteran touched on a range of topics, including what she was told and when, and whether she is considering redeeming William.

In the chat below, Harris also talks about the golf scene from this week’s episode and how much pain the LeMat pistol has caused him over the seasons.

How well did you know the arc, i.e. were you ready to play the pro-AI version of William before this season’s scripts arrived?

At the end of last season, at the beginning of this season, I didn’t know anything that I was going to end up being an AI, I spent most of this season in my white jumpsuit, which I was very happy to take off. And then [co-creator] Lisa Joy gave me the overall arc of Season 4, with the understanding that I was primarily a collaborator of Tessa’s character.

Did you have to rethink how the character interacted as a presenter?

I don’t know if there is much difference between the two, but yes. He really follows orders. He’s programmed her to the point where she’s actually doing it at her behest, but hopefully over the course of the season, like the other presenters, she starts to grow on the inside, becomes a little more self-aware. her essence. Horizons a little. Things change a little later in the season.

Is William redeemable and do you want him to be rescued?

This is a very good question. You know, I wouldn’t mind if he, the real William, got out of the cryo machine and fixed the situations he’s responsible for. I don’t know if that will happen. Of course they didn’t tell me, but I’m not sure he has much of a chance of surviving. I don’t know if she’s going back to that man. [played by Jimmi Simpson]. I hope some aspect of who he was when he was younger comes back, but I really don’t know if he will. I have no idea what they are planning. We have another season that will start filming in April and May. I have no idea where this will end up.

Is Westworld your favorite park in the series? And the director and the cast. Appalachians [2008] Does that make this project more appealing to you than when it was originally signed?

The idea of ​​being in this western, you know, riding a horse and being in this western outfit, being the man in black, is very appealing to me. (laughs.) I really like my Western Man Black clothes and who he is when he wears them. Wearing all the black layers when I’m sweating, especially when it’s 100 degrees, keeps me fresh so I don’t mind. But when I take off my black hat, sweat runs down my face.

I loved the golf scene in this week’s episode. Was this shoot fun? Playing?

(laughs.) I’ve played in the past, but I gave up because the last time I played, I threw my species into the bushes. I haven’t played for a few years, so a pro came and helped me out a bit. It’s not a very good balance, it’s a little confusing, but it’s better than it was. And I actually hit that green a couple of times. It was fun, yes.

I’m not a big fan of guns, but I went down the rabbit hole because I was so fascinated by William Lemat. From what I read, these rifles, in addition to being rare, were quite sophisticated. What is your experience with the pistol?

I really had a hard time with this one. In fact, they got another replica that was a little better, but it’s very difficult to hold with one hand. I gave it to several people and told them, “Just try to break this.” And especially if he had to shoot fast, it was very painful. But you know, thanks to the magic of cinematography and editing, it worked. But yeah, it was a little boring.

Finally, I’d love to hear your thoughts on technology evolving at lightning speed, even since the show started in 2016. From self-driving cars to robot dogs and more. At a show where technology goes terribly wrong.

I must say that I think it is our responsibility as human beings to treat technology constructively. Just as the internet makes people more connected, it also increases people’s ability to do really bad things, whether that’s intimidating or sending death threats to senators. Personally, I’m far behind even in understanding current technologies and I don’t care. Most days I immediately throw my phone into the ocean. This is terrible for me. My daughter is 29 and I am 71. I can’t imagine what the world will be like when she’s my age, I can’t Up until To imagine

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

western world HBO airs new episodes every Sunday.