An Interview with Corey Reynolds from ‘Resident Alien’

RESIDENT ALIEN -- "Lone Wolf" Episode 301 -- Pictured: Corey Reynolds as Sheriff Mike Thompson -- (Photo by: James Dittiger/SYFY)

Corey Reynolds is a highly accomplished actor that has made his mark on both the silver and small screen. Currently he stars as Sheriff Mike Thompson in the hit SYFY series, Resident Alien, and we here at NTG were able to sit down with Corey to discuss all things Resident Alien ahead of the show’s season three premiere!
 
John Betancorut: I have to know what it means to you to be here for third season.
 
Corey Reynolds: Oh, man, it's great. You know, I mean, you know, there's the typical answer as an actor. “Well, it's good to be working and you know, be blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Yeah, but you know, I think that there's some rich storytelling in season three. There's a lot of “holy shit” moments, with the biggest one coming at the end. This season covers a lot of ground, and it's going to, nothing's going to be the same. I haven't said that. You know, actually, I haven't really spoken too much about what, how, where things will land by the end of the season. But ultimately, you know, it's a great way to start to broaden out the storytelling, you can start to bring in more characters in this part of the storytelling, you can start to go into characters backstories, a little bit more. So, you can further invest your audience in what it is we're trying to do. And I'm proud to say, I think I've seen 301 to 304, the first four of the season, and they're fantastic. And we're really proud of what we've done and where things are headed. We're like that little show that could, man.
 
John Betancourt: I'm curious to hear your thoughts on why you think this series resonates so well with audiences?
 
Corey Reynolds: You know what, I really think we're really good at doing two things at once. You can watch our show, and you can cry from laughing or you can cry from what you're feeling. There's a really… there's a genuineness to the sincerity of the show, even in the backdrop of science fiction, and some over the top comedy, there is a sincerity to what the characters are experiencing that I think people find it easy to identify with. I think that you know, if you watch the show, there's someone you feel is reflective of maybe yourself, or how you would be or part of yourself. And it makes it easy. I think for people to connect in that way. I also will add really quick, I think one thing in the structure of the show has allowed, is for the viewer to feel like they are they know something that we don't know. And that thing is they know Harry is an alien from the very beginning.
 
So, everything he does has two meanings, the meaning to the audience that knows he's an alien and the meaning to the characters who don't know he's an alien. And I think it kind of puts the audience in a position of being an insider, a little bit. And I feel like that inside-ness and this creates a little intimacy between the audience and Harry, and you are along for the ride with him. And even when he's trying to kill a kid, you're still rooting for him, because he's doing it in a hilarious way. (Laughter) You know, and then watching that dynamic between he and Max, and just realizing that he kind of is a kid too, if you think about how long he's been a human. And it just created these interesting parallels that people could connect with. So, I think that's part of what makes it work.
 
John Betancourt:  What is it that you enjoy the most about working on this show?
 
Corey Reynolds: Whoo, that's tough. Only because it's kind of like this marriage of all the things like as an actor you are kind of searching for, for me personally, you know, I love the people I'm working with. I love the people I'm working for. I love the character, I'm getting to play, I love the storytelling. You know, we're not doing any harm to the world in what we're putting out there, which is the type of thing you want in the wake of your journey as a talent and as an actor. I… it's just got a lot of things to it, that work, and I think we all have this collective sense of wanting to be beholden to the storytelling more than anything, more than the egos, of… how many scenes do I have? I want more lines, none of that. We don't have any of that stuff, man. It starts at the top with Chris. And with Alan. And they set a standard there that you know, we all look to continue to, you know, emulate. We all make it work, everybody, everybody shows up for this. Nobody dials it in.
 
John Betancourt: So, each season kind of has this little bit of subtext. What do you hope audiences take away from season three?
 
Corey Reynolds. Oh, wow, there's so much to choose from there. What I hope they get from it primarily is that everyone is still kind of discovering who they are. You know, some of what we've come to expect from some of these characters slowly begins to change, like, like life. As you progress through it, as you learn new things, it slowly starts to shape who you are, and also make you challenge who you are. I think that's one of the things that happens for Mike and his relationship component with Detective Torres, who he is, doesn't work for what he wants. So, you then have to make a choice between, do you want to stay where you are, where it's safe, or put yourself in a place of vulnerable, where the reward could outweigh that risk? And everybody's kind of doing that in different ways, you know, trying to figure out what's the most important aspect of what it is that they're seeking. And for him, his way… he gets in his way, he gets in his own way, which a lot of people do.
 
John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on this show?
 
Corey Reynolds Oh, honestly, I'm kind of most proud of the fact that I feel like I'm playing a black character like no other character I've seen on television, I've never seen a black character like Mike, maybe the closest thing is maybe Cleavon Little in Blazing Saddles. A little bit. There's a uniqueness to what I'm allowed to do with him that I haven't been able to do in any previous opportunity. So, I would say that I'm proud of, of doing something different.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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