Wynonna Earp‘s Shamier Anderson spoke to us about Agent Dolls’ mysterious past, the importance of representation and what to expect from season 2.
The news is out: Wynonna Earp is coming back for season 2! The announcement was met with thunderous applause at the San Diego Comic-Con panel, as hundreds of passionate fans got to their feet and cheered for what is quickly becoming a fandom phenomenon.
Lead actor Shamier Anderson, who plays Agent Xavier Dolls, spoke to Hypable about his desire to learn more about Dolls’ past, his very astute unicorn theory, and his thoughts on Wynonna Earp‘s groundbreaking representation:
“In season 2, I wanna explore who he was before the agent, if he was married, if he had kids. I think we’ve explored so many of these characters from Wynonna’s background, from Dolls’ background, we haven’t really explored who this person is; why he’s here, and why he’s reacting the way he is,” he says.
Anderson is excited to see what might happen to Dolls once he’s thrown in prison with all the bad guys he helped put away there. “That’s like a whole season in itself: Dolls’ locked up. Prison Break: Dolls Edition!”
When we asked him if he knows what Dolls is, his answer was even better than we could have imagined. “Honestly, I want him to become a unicorn,” says Anderson. “I think Dolls being a unicorn would be the coolest thing on TV.” And on a show like Wynonna Earp, something like that could totally happen!
Moving on to talk about Dolls/Wynonna, Anderson confirms that there are definitely a lot of feelings involved; “When we get to season 2 we’ll be able to tap into his brain,” he says, as well as “understanding how they’re gonna work together with that connection, how they’re gonna do business with that intimate spark. That’s gonna be real messy!”
Of course there’s another contender for Wynonna’s heart in Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon) — but Doc and Dolls might be too friendly now to let that come between them.
“Tim and I talk about a cool thing that we want to do, a spinoff called ‘The Doc and Dolls Show.’ Or ‘Riding in Cars With Doc and Dolls,’ how crazy would that be? Just Dolls teaching Doc how a car works!” Anderson says.
Speaking about the amazing Wynonna Earp fandom, Anderson says, “It’s insane — in a good way!”
On what he thinks attracts fans to the series, Anderson says, “What really works in our favor is the camaraderie we all have, the family we have, and the love for each other. I think that really shows. And it’s not an act, I’m not trying to be funny and cool. We genuinely have such a cool time, we joke around, we love each other, and I think the fans really relate to that.”
No damsels in distress: The importance of ‘Wynonna Earp’s’ diversity
Another key factor in Wynonna Earp‘s success is its diversity, of which Shamier Anderson is very aware.
“Everything about the relationships with Dominique [Provost-Chalkley] and Kat [Barrell] and WayHaught, and myself; it’s just such an eclectic show, and I think it really reaches a lot of people,” says Anderson. “I think that’s really key, in today’s society and with what’s going on, and in the television world. I think that’s a huge plus for us.”
He goes on to talk about the importance of having well-written female lead characters, as well as more women working behind the camera. “Having a female lead, come on! And a female cast!” Anderson enthuses. “Mel [Scrofano] kills it, and I think that’s super cool to see: A woman in a role that’s not just a damsel in distress. Real quality, real flaws, and I think that’s awesome. For a guy watching I’m like yes, finally, something different.”
And yes, he loves the ‘funny feeling’ of watching women kick ass. “I love that feeling! Kick my ass, any day!” he says. “I think it’s dope, we need more of that. And not just in front of the camera, but behind the camera. Thank god for our amazing writer Emily Andres, but we need more of that! That’s what the industry needs and I think that’ll make it so much better.”