It's hard to keep the details of Westworld season 2 a secret, but bless their heart, HBO is really trying. Perhaps even to the detriment of their casting director John Papsidera. He told the Huffington Post that the struggle is real when it comes secretly casting the new season of Westworld.
“In any kind of fanboy world," Papsidera said, "you take extra care when people want to get that information out on the internet.” He's gone as far to give actors trying out for roles fake scenes to read. He also doesn't share any kind of characters arcs, concerned these details will make their way online.
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"We don’t really talk about where [the role] goes and what they do because there’s so many intricacies in Westworld, and stories, and secrets,” Papsidera said. “You got to be very careful to navigate those waters correctly so it doesn’t get ruined for anyone.”
Thanks to social media and cellphones, spoilers are definitely a huge problem and hints of what's to come can certainly be revealed through casting. Back in March, Deadline reported that actor Louis Herthum, who plays Dolores' (Evan Rachel Wood) father, Peter Abernathy, on the show, is joining season two as a series regular. It clearly reveals that Peter is at the very least more vital this season than he was last and you know fans are happy to create theories to explain why that could be.
Sometimes, though, networks get ahead of the rumours by revealing clues that will get fans excited. For instance, HBO revealed that Talulah Riley, who played the alluring and quite dangerous host Angela, was promoted to a regular telling Entertainment Weekly “a host whose beatific face welcomed guests to Westworld for decades … Angela will prove to be one of the last faces many guests will ever see." Hmm.
What isn't a secret is that we'll get to see other theme park "worlds" this season. The finale revealed a sho-gun themed world, but it's unclear what role that will play when Westworld returns in 2018, which puts another hitch in casting season 2.
“If somebody’s aware you’re looking for Japanese actors that could play a period piece, you don’t [want fans to] figure out or discuss how that world is now fitting into Westworld,” Papsidera told the Huffington Post.
Ultimately, though, Papsidera loves his job, even if it may cause him stress. “That’s a unique thing, and to me, that’s the reward,” Papsidera said of the high-stakes nature of this project. “You know, to have those relationships and ultimately have people trust you.”
We trust that next season of Westworld will have as many twists as its first, if not more.