Exclusive: Andy Mientus Talks The FlashPosted by Wilson Morales
January 27, 2015
Beginning tonight Smash alum and Chasing Life actor Andy Mientus ,makes his first appearance as Hartley Rathaway, AKA Pied Piper on the hot new series The Flash, airing on The CW.
In the new series, Rathaway is a former S.T.A.R. Labs employee who left the company after a falling-out with his mentor, Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanagh). When the same particle accelerator that gave Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) his powers robs Rathaway of his hearing, he creates a series of sonic weapons and sets his sights on destroying his former mentor’s new protégé, the Flash.
It will be the first time that an openly gay DC villain has been introduced in any of the DC series that The CW airs. For Mientus, who is bisexual and engaged to actor Michael Arden, he gets to be on the series in which he initially auditioned for the lead role before Gustin won the role.
At the same time Mientus is on TV, he’s also starring in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables as Marius.
What’s fascination about playing Pied Piper?
Andy Mientus: I play Hartley Rathaway, AKA Pied Piper, and he’s a character from way back in the Flash comics. What I find interesting about him in the comics and in the show is that he’s one of the only “out” gay superheroes or supervillains in the universe. What’s also cool about him is that he has a relationship with the other characters in the show in a way from what we have seen previously with other villains on the show. He has a history with some of other characters and that plays into his motivations to some of the things that he’s doing. He’s got a personal stakes to what’s going on.
How did this particular role come about? I had read that you initially went out The Flash.
AM: I went in when they were looking for Barry for the pilot. It went well but producer Greg Berlanti and his team thought that I wasn’t quite fit for Barry but they would keep me in mind for something else. Then this role came up and they called me up and wanted me to read for it. Because they were already familiar with me, it only took one audition. I went in that one time and was cast the next day.
Because the character is gay, was this a role anyone else could have played?
AM: I think he could have been played by anybody. I can’t speak for the casting team or the producers on finding “out” actors to play gay characters, but I don’t think it’s a necessity. It’s a nice coincidence that it happened. I think gay actors can play straight and straight actors can play gay or whatever pretty convincingly no matter what. I’m just glad to be here.
How much did you know about The Flash prior to going out the role of Barry for its pilot episode?
AM: I, myself, had not read any of the comics. I was really nerdy kid but never a comic book kid. I was a video game kid, but I’m psyche to be part of this because it sells to a certain generation of kids and a few generation of people because the comic has been around for quite some time. It just seems that these characters has always been around. They’re like Greek mythological heroes or sometimes where these stories have been told for as long as I can remember. Even though I never read a Flash comic, I just knew that red suit, that lightning bolt, what he could do, and I’m excited to be a part of this. It’s like a childhood fantasy come true.
Now that you are part of the series, do you feel that you have to brush on all facets of the characters to please avid fans of the comic book?
AM: Absolutely. These characters are sacred to a lot of people and rightly so. You want them to feel that they are in good hands with people that care about them. The producers were great in providing me a crash course in The Flash universe and Pied Piper specifically. They sent me a lot of comics to read about him and showed me specifically what areas to read to get up to speed. I do feel that pressure intensely because I know it’s really important to people. As I was doing my homework the way an actor does, I really got into it. I would read the books way beyond my involvement with the show.
The fact that Pied Piper is being presented as the first gay villain says a lot about the network, the series and yourself as far as taking chances. It’s a step that could lead others to do the same in other comic book series.
AM: I think that’s bound to happen. I think we can go even further to where it won’t be that big a deal like we don’t about a Black superhero or a female superhero or anything like that. I get why it is because it is a new thing but I’m hoping that doesn’t become the defining characteristic of this character. I talk about because I think it’s really interesting. I think it’s great that it’s happening because it hasn’t happened before but at the same it’s not the most interesting thing about him and not the focus of the character as constructed on the show, at least not yet. It’s a part about him but now the whole thing.
What was the feeling when you started wearing the costume?
AM: I’m really excited that the costume was cool and not too thorn-fitting. I didn’t know how far they would go in the direction of spandex because only one episode had aired when I was cast. When you look at the picture in the comics, you wonder if you’re going to look ok, but I felt that they did a great job with balancing the original look and making it for a live-action real world.
How thrilling is it go from doing theater on Broadway in Les Miserables to being on television on a hot series?
AM: It’s excellent. When I was shooting, I had left straight from the show and went to Vancouver, shot for a month, then came back and did a matinee show. It’s been great for me personally as an actor to flex my muscle for those two different mediums back-to-back. Most people don’t get to play in those arenas at the same time. I’m hoping that fans of Les Miz will become Flash fans and vice-versa.
When you’re not on stage or on TV, what keeps you grounded?
AM: I think being actor is great but it’s also important you do everything else in your life that makes you happy. No matter where you’re going or how well you’re doing, it will never be enough, because there’s always new frontiers and new milestones. That’s the way the business works. Your eyes are always looking ahead to what more you can do and there are so many disappointments than successes, no matter who you are. It’s really important to have some semblance of a normal life even while you’re doing this crazy thing and traveling all the time and signing autographs. I’m really lucky that I’m planning a wedding this year and about to finish my run on Les Miz, and move back into my house.
Do you know how many episode you will be in?
AM: I shot two so far and that’s all I can say for now.
“The Flash” airs Tuesdays at 8 P.M. EST.
