Guillermo Diaz Says He & Character Huck Are Both Socially Awkward Loners

April 29, 2013 by thejasminebrand in Latest News with 1 Comment

If you’re like me, there are moments that you too get lost when watching TV. At times, when a show or movie is REALLY good, I’ll forget that it’s actually TV and not real life. Case in point–when I see Kerry Washington, I see Olivia ‘Liv’ Pope. In fact, in my mind, Huck is Huck. He’s not actor Gillermo Diaz. That’s partially how I determine the success of a show–if it’s character(s) are convincing. That may explain why Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal has such a cult following. In an interview with Vulture, Guillermo opens up about the most recent episode, how art really imitates life (Gillermo and Huck share similar traits) and how the cast is when the cameras are off.

Peep a few excerpts below.

How did you prepare for last night’s episode?

Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare. I sat down for the table read, which I believe was a Wednesday, and then that Thursday we started shooting. We don’t get our scripts until the table read, so we have no idea what’s coming. For last night’s episode, we did all the stuff where Huck is in the corner, first. I had to jump into it and not think too much. Sometimes when I think about stuff too much I get into my head. Sometimes you don’t take as many risks and you’re a little careful with your acting if you know ahead of time.

Why do you feel fans continue to root for Huck despite the bad he’s done and still does?

He’s broken. He’s emotionally crippled, but at the same time he’s trying to change. We see him torture and kill people, yet we see him struggling with that. He cries over it and wants to be a different man, and I think that’s what people love about him.

What characteristics of Huck do you relate to in real life?

I’m a loner. I like to be alone. I’m socially awkward. I feel like I can relate to Huck in that way. I also love horror movies. I’m really into horror art, so I feel like a dark side in that way. When the attention is on me, off-camera, I get uncomfortable — sort of shy and at a loss for words, as you can probably tell?

It’s intense when the cameras are on. How is everyone when the cameras aren’t rolling?

Josh Malina [who plays David Rosen] has left me messages that he’s a police detective and that he wants to question me. It’d scare the hell out of me. He did the same thing to Katie, saying he was a tabloid reporter and wanted scoop on the actors of Scandal. He’s so bad. He’ll take our phones and tweet things like “I’m horny” on Twitter and retweet it real fast. He’s a little shit. Me or Darby [Stanchfield, who plays Abby] are the more serious ones. For me, it’s because of my character. I try to stay low-key, in that Huck headspace. Columbus [Short, who plays Harrison] is the dancer. On Fridays after we wrap, he loves to give a little strip dance. He starts taking off his suspenders in front of everybody. Kerry [Washington, a.k.a. Olivia Pope] loves to sing; she’s a beautiful singer.

Read the full interview here.