Gabriel Basso Couldn’t Say No to ‘The Night Agent’ for 1 Important Reason
The Netflix book adaptation and political thriller The Night Agent has had fans in a craze since its premiere—gradually becoming a cultural phenomenon. And the main star, Gabriel Basso, has fans swooning over him for his incredible portrayal of Peter Sutherland.
Like a judgment call, taking on a role in a movie or TV show can either make or break an actor’s career. And sometimes, even legendary actors make the wrong call and turn down incredible roles. That was not the case for Basso. From the moment he was considered for the role, he knew he couldn’t say no for one particular reason.
Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland
Basso’s big break in acting came in The Night Agent, where he plays Peter Sutherland, a low-ranking FBI agent who does nothing more than man a phone in the White House Basement. Like most young men who look up to their fathers, Peter followed in his father’s footsteps—becoming an FBI agent. However, his father’s reputation was stained when he was accused of treason and tragically died in a car crash before proving his innocence.
A distress call from tech CEO Rose Larkin sets Peter on a mission to uncover dark secrets rooted in government conspiracies, terrorist attacks, murders and cover-ups. On his quest to get to the root of the conspiracies, he also attempts to find out the truth about his dad, in hopes of clearing his name. But what he soon finds out is a truth he is not ready for—his dad was guilty of treason.
What drew Basso to the Peter Sutherland role?
Actors often speak of feeling a connection or a pull to a particular role, which often helps them deliver an outstanding performance.
For Basso, he felt particularly connected to Peter Sutherland’s story and especially the director’s vision for the show and his role. Speaking to Collider, Basso confessed that it was Shawn Ryan’s vision for the show and his plans for Peter that made him sign on to the show.
He said, “It was Shawn Ryan’s vision for the show, which was as grounded as he could get it, for Peter and what he’s going through. He wanted to never have him be untouchable. He gets hurt in fights. He’s at the end of his rope, by the end of the season. So, Shawn’s vision for the show is what made me wanna do it.”
Basso also spoke of how easy it was for him to prepare for the role. Turns out he’s a fighter in real life and trains almost daily. Preparing for his role as Peter didn’t require much for him physically, and he even ended up doing all the stunts and fight scenes on his own. Sounds like the role was just meant for him.
‘The Night Agent’ has been renewed for a second season
Just six days after the premiere of The Night Agent, Netflix picked up the show for a second season, according to Netflix Tudum. Viewership for this latest Netflix political thriller has been outstanding, far beyond what the creator and production company could have anticipated.
And as creator Shawn Ryan discussed in an interview with Collider, his vision for the show is to tell a new story each season. Now that Peter is an official member of Night Action, he’s likely to set on a new mission in a new city. We can expect to see him grow from the lowly agent to a distinguished agent on a serious mission.
Speaking to Collider about his expectations for Peter in the second season, Basso said, “I think if there was a Season 2, his [Peter] MO would almost shift completely because he’d now be a Night Agent. I’m sure it all depends on the context of where you’d see him next, but I’m sure his training would shift from, “I’m an FBI agent,” to killing people. Whatever he’s being asked to do, I’m sure the emphasis would shift and the goal would shift, significantly.”
If viewership and fan reaction is anything to go by, suffice it to say The Night Agent is a phenomenal creation with impeccable delivery from its cast. And Basso could very well be on his way to becoming a household name.
