American Gods is currently on its third season on STARZ. If you know anything about me, I’m a huge fan. Adapted from the book written by Neil Gaiman, American Gods follows Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon as he navigates a war between gods. We have Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday, the leader of the Old Gods, and Crispin Glover, Dominique Jackson, and Danny Trejo as Mr./Ms./Mr. World – leader of the New Gods. While seasons one and two felt like more of a road trip adventure, season three feels more sedentary in the fact that most of the season takes place in a wintery town called Lakeside.
The chief of police in Lakeside is Chad Mulligan, played by Eric Johnson. The Canadian actor has been known for roles on Flash Gordon, Smallville, Supernatural, Vikings, and in movies such as Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. I was so incredibly happy when I got the chance to interview Johnson and let me share that interview with you. Thank you, Eric, for taking the moment to answer my questions!
Tia: Before being cast in American Gods season three as Chad Mulligan, had you read the Neil Gaiman book?
Eric Johnson: I had definitely heard of the book but had yet to read it. That said Neil Gaiman is a favorite in our house and the whole family loved The Graveyard Book.
What was the audition process for the role of Chad Mulligan? And how do you get in character?
Being cast as Chad came around pretty quickly. I was just coming off another series and had three projects up in the air on what I was going to do next and I was thrilled when it was American Gods that ended up working out.
What is it like working with Ricky Whittle?
Ricky is the worst. No fun. Mean. And seriously it’s called American GODS maybe work out a little? Seriously though I loved working with Ricky. He’s a great guy, caring, compassionate, funny, and wonderfully talented. He’s the whole package wrapped up in a body that would make the old gods blush.
Lakeside is this winter wonderland of sorts, where it seems nothing really goes on. Do you feel Chad became a police officer in Lakeside due to how low maintenance it is?
Chad became a police officer to serve his community. He definitely takes pride in the job. I think when Mike comes to town it kind of invigorated Chad into doing more and maybe a few more pushups.
Julia Sweeney is absolutely adorable as Ann-Marie Hinzelmann. We see Hinzelmann take charge in situations such as the disappearance of the young woman in Lakeside. How do you think Chad feels about the townspeople seemingly listening to Hinzelmann more than Chad?
Can I just say how much I love Julia Sweeney?! I’ve been a long-time fan of her work and was thrilled when I saw who was playing Hinzelmann. That said Ann-Marie Hinzelmann is definitely a lot to handle sometimes for Chad but she’s a tough one to argue with and you definitely want her on your side.
So, I noticed that when Chad brought Shadow/Mike to Mabel’s that he did not get a famous pasty. What’s Chad’s go-to meal at Mabel’s?
Well, the go-to meal for Chad was OF COURSE the famous pasty but Chad learned early that those had to be a sometimes treat or he’d need to add another notch to his belt. So Mabel keeps it simple for him and healthy with some soup and salad and maybe on a Friday a chocolate chip cookie.
What can the audience expect from Chad in the rest of the season?
Chad is pushed into the deep end as the season goes on, and really struggles to keep the trust of the good people of Lakeside as pressure to find Allison ramps up.
I noticed that you were in an episode of Supernatural and you’re in the last season of Vikings. You’ve been a demon, a Viking, and a hero. What kind of role would you like to play next?
I’ve been fortunate to have some fun roles but I’d love to do anything that requires me to be on horseback and if that’s not in the cards then playing an astronaut would be next on the list! Or a firefighter…. or race car driver…. or rock star… basically what any 12 year old would want to do for a career 😂
You can check out Johnson in the third season of American Gods and the final season of Vikings. For the Top 10 American Gods moments [so far], click here. Check out my review for the latest American Gods episode here.
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A girl with too many fandoms to count.
