Mark Hildreth interview: The Looming Tower and hopeful impact on debate

Mark Hildreth is known for a variety of shows and movies, but his most recent is Hulu’s The Looming Tower, based on the book of the same name.

There are many book-to-screen adaptations at the moment. Hulu’s latest is The Looming Tower, based on the book of the same name by Lawrence Wright. Wright won a Pulitzer prize for the novel, focusing on the tensions between three organizations and authorities during the lead-up to the devastating 9/11 attacks.

Mark Hildreth is known for playing a variety of roles, which is a part of acting that he loves. You’ll have seen him in the final season of The Tudors, as a guest star in Supernatural, and even in feature films including Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and American Pastoral. There isn’t a role he hasn’t done! In Looming Tower, he steps into the role of Gordon Wright, opposite Jeff Daniels and Alex Baldwin.

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During an exclusive interview with Hidden Remote, Hildreth shared a look into the series and his character, when he knew the role was for him and the role that he would most like to do due to his training as an actor.

Hidden Remote: What can you tell us about The Looming Tower and your character Gordon Wright?

Mark Hildreth: The Looming Tower is a new event series from Hulu starring Jeff Daniels, Peter Saarsgard and Alex Baldwin. It follows the CIA and the FBI during the lead up to the 9/11 attacks. I play Gordon Wright, a former top gun pilot who is a member of Jeff Daniels’ FBI team, along with an incredible cast that also includes Tahar Rahim, Bill Camp, Michael Stuhlbarg and Wrenn Schmidt.

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The Looming Tower explores the human side of one of the most horrible tragedies in history – the 9/11 attacks. It shines a light on the human cost to the people involved—those on the ground and those working hard to prevent this tragedy. Hopefully, people will watch The Looming Tower and consider what it might have been like during those terrible days, how we dealt with the situation and whether we did the right thing.

HR: What was the interview process like for the role?

MH: The Looming Tower was cast by Avy Kaufman. Avy brought me in to read for the role of Gordon Wright and I jumped at the chance to work on this important series. Jeff Daniels is one of the nicest, most professional and gracious actors I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.

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Hidden Remote: At what point did you know this was a role for you?

MH: When Oscar and Emmy winning writer/producers like Dan Futterman and Alex Gibney invited me to be part of their new series! The Looming Tower is one of those shows that you would do anything to be a part of because, like the ABC series Resurrection, which I did a few years ago, it’s being made by some of the best people in the business. I hope that the show will spur meaningful debate about the issues it raises.

HR: Had you read the novel by Lawrence Wright before going into the audition or after you got the part?

MH: The Looming Tower is based on New York Times best-selling author Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer prize-winning book of the same name. It chronicles the tensions between the CIA, FBI and US Government during the lead up to 9/11.

I had never read it but once this project came across my desk I devoured it.

HR: You have such a varied resume. Is there a particular genre that you prefer or do you like to keep it varied for excitement?

MH: I love the variety of being an actor! I’ve had a wonderful career so far. I’ve been lucky to work on over 100 movies and TV shows in various genres with some of the best in the business, including Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connolly, Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Daniels, Henry Cavill, Frances Fisher, Steven Spielberg and Katharine Hepburn.

HR: If you could do any role, past, present or not even created yet, what would it be?

MH: The role I most want to play that I haven’t is Hamlet. I was trained as an actor in the classics and Hamlet is, to my mind, the greatest English play ever written.

Thank you, Hidden Remote!!!

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Hulu’s The Looming Tower premieres on Feb. 28. This is certainly not a show to miss.

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