When one thinks of comic books, they normally think of superheroes and villains battling it out over the fate of the world. With Rick Remender's (Fear Agent) Deadly Class though this is far from the case. In this instance, we watch as would be assassins navigate the treacherous hallways of King's Dominion, a high school designed to teach them the ways of the deadly arts (think Hogwarts for the depraved). It was only a matter of time before this subject matter was adapted into a different media and this month that becomes a reality when Deadly Class premieres on SyFy channel.
María Gabriela de Faría (Yo Soy Franky) plays Maria, a manipulative and disturbed young lady with a troubled past and Michel Duval (Lady of Steel) is her boyfriend, Chico, the head of the Soto Vatos gang. Duval revealed he relates to his character because of Duval's famous mother. " It's hard growing up in the shadows. There are expectations to live up to and Chico has to live up to his father's reputation". This makes Chico a somewhat ruthless character but Duval promises we will see a different side of him as the season progresses. "You will want to root for Chico by the end".
De Faria discussed the complexity of the show and her character. "The show puts a spotlight on mental health issues and whereas Marcus ( Benjamin Wadsworth; Teen Wolf) tries to understand and move past his issues Maria Buries hers and goes to a dark place". She also loves Maria's costumes and Dias de Los Muertos vibe. She seems more confident with the makeup on and it gives her strength.
The diversity of the cast isn't lost on the pair as they disc their roots. Duval is from Mexico and De Faria is Venezuelan. "There is a responsibility to portray them authentically because there aren't many roles out there," says Duval. De Faria explains, " The show isn't diverse because it has to be. It's diverse because that is the world that Rick [Remender] grew up in."
Set in the 1980s the show is also authentic to that time period with the costumes, set design, and music. " The music is its own character. It takes you back and is authentic" Duval explains. Remender, who grew up in the '80s was heavily involved with that aspect and even picked some of the music showcased on the series. For those who grew up in that era, it is sure to be a walk down memory lane.
As for Maria and Chico, they have a love/hate relationship. " They grew up together and Chico only knows how to love Maria", insists Duval. Meanwhile, de Faria explains " Maria doesn't know how to love anyone but Chico is all she knows." These two have a volatile and complicated past and the addition of newcomer Marcus stirs things up a bit. As for Duval and de Faria, they have a playful banter and clearly seem to enjoy each other's company.
" This whole cast is great to work with. We all get along so well" gushed de Faria. That chemistry comes across in the pilot episode even though much of the cast is at one another's throats. The group are all angry with their own issues to deal with. De Faria continued that while there are a lot of shows involving teenagers, Deadly Class is different because " it is human and real".
It will be interesting to see the reception the series gets with the pilot and if it can sustain the storyline throughout the ten-episode season.
Tags: michel duval, interview, deadly class, maria gabriela de faria
