Coy Stewart spills the beans on the shocking surprises of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 5×10, and teases Flint’s possible return.
Stewart’s character Flint took center stage in “Past Life,” acting as the final piece of the puzzle in the team’s journey home. (Or… wherever it is they wind up.)
We spoke to Stewart about his experiences joining Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and what fans can expect when the show returns from its Olympic hiatus.
Interview with Coy Stewart
First of all, what was it like to join the cast for this wild arc?
I was a fan of the show before I joined the cast, and obviously going in it can be a little bit intimidating. But you know, luckily my first episode was an episode that Clark Gregg directed. So he really led us in that episode, which really helped because he showed me the ropes of how they operate, and he even introduced me to everybody for the first time. So it was great way to enter in early on in the season. And everybody’s so nice, you know? So it’s difficult not to fit in. Everyone’s more focused on having fun than anything else. So it’s been a great experience.
Awesome! And you’ve had to go to some pretty dramatic places with Flint in these episodes. What was that like for you to explore?
Definitely! I think that’s why I had such a pleasure playing Flint, is because there’s so many cool levels [to him]. We get to kill blue guys, and we get to reach these emotional depths that are pretty interesting. Flint’s an interesting young man, he has a rather sad upbringing. But I think his inspiring thing is his light that he brings into these scenes. And maybe it’s his youth, maybe it’s his blissful ignorance, but he definitely has a sort of brightness that he brings into every scene which I think is a breath of fresh air for sure.
Can you talk about Flint’s relationships on the show? There’s the established relationship with Tess that comes back unexpectedly, and obviously there’s that like instant bond with Mack and Elena.
Yeah! I think Tess was the first relationship that we saw Flint have, and interestingly enough, he got to lose and rebuild that within a span of four or five episodes. [That’s] a really interesting arc in its own.
But also the relationship between Mack and Yo-Yo, I think that naturally grew as my relationship with Natalia [Cordova-Buckley] and Henry [Simmons] grew. I’m not sure if the writers has planned it or if they picked up on it, but the three of us have become really close — like a small little family. And as the episodes continued, that began to reflect in the script and on screen. So now months later watching it, it’s really cool to see that that kind of interesting family dynamic.
Obviously, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. packs plenty of surprises from week to week. What shocked you the most over your time on the show?
I think in this episode specifically, [it] was [finding out] who the Seer was. I remember in the previous episode, after having read the script, I was super curious as to who it was going to be. And before I got the script, Natalia gave me a little hint-hint because she’d heard from the producers, and I just flipped because I thought that was so cool.
I just think it’s great writing, and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writers do such an incredible job of keeping things hush-hush even from the actors, so that when we get these scripts it is a huge surprise. Because there are things that we don’t know and it’s better if we find out a week before we do it, rather than months ahead. So it’s been really interesting.
I just about flipped out when I saw it!
Absolutely. Absolutely.
And what was it like to play such an important role, and have Flint’s powers be so integral to the conclusion of the Agents in Space arc?
Yeah, it was interesting because when I signed on — again, Mavel is so hush-hush — when I signed on, I didn’t know much about the entirety of my character. Even throughout my audition process, I didn’t know that he was Inhuman until I signed aboard. Finding that out was probably the the most exciting part, and learning how much he was involved in helping the team during this arc. So it’s been an absolute honor to join so quickly and take on such a big role in helping this team out. And also, like you said, having powers!
The thing I love and respect Flint is that he is super fearless. I mean he gained his powers in one episode, and later in that episode he’s already used them pretty well, I would say. So it’s been a very interesting dynamic. And also to learn how to dial it back — he learns that sometimes, killing blue guys isn’t the only thing that’s going to solve the problem. So it’s been really, really fun.
Did you get any tips from Natalia or Chloe [Bennet] on how to handle the Inhuman acting thing?
Yes, absolutely! It’s really funny, because Chloe and I kind of have a similar power — at least while we’re shooting it, you can’t really see the effect of what we’re doing, and we’re kind of using our hands and our minds. I remember the first day that I had to use my powers, [Chloe] came up to me and she was like, “Don’t worry, it gets easier every single day.” And I was like, thank goodness! Because I’m staring at the air right now, and I have no idea what I’m doing! The team really helped me understand how to build that, so that it works well on-screen and it reflects well, and I’m really happy with the result.
What have you learned from your experiences as Flint on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
I think my confidence as an actor has actually grown tremendously. I got the pleasure of reading the interview that Henry and Natalia did,and they had quite a lot of amazing things to say about me. And having watched them for so long and then joined their team, and hear them give me those props has been extremely incredible for me. They have truly become my extended family. So if anything, I have them.
But not only that — I think the character of Flint has taught me that it’s okay to be fearless sometimes, if it’s through ignorance. Because his goal has always been the same, which has been to protect and help people, and I think we can be inspired by that, [especially] for someone so young. Yeah, definitely these are two things that I’ve learned from the show, and in real life as well.
“Past Life” obviously ends on a cliffhanger for the rest of the team. What’s your theory? Do you think they all got back to past?
You know, I think Marvel and the writers of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are doing amazing job of giving us what we want — but not everything we want, you know? So I can’t say specifically what ends up happening, but I think we know through history of these writers and through Marvel that, you know, this is not a perfect world, and things happen! So we’ll have to watch, we’ll have to see. And that’s all I can say on that
My brain is going in so many directions! And finally, is there any chance we’re going to see you again in the show’s future?
[Laughs] That’s my favorite question! You know, working for Marvel, if I answer this question you’ll never hear from me again! I can’t answer that for you. But you know, if there’s one thing I’ve learned being a fan of Marvel and of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is that patience is a virtue. So just keep watching and I promise, all your questions will be answered.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will return in early March.