Cas Anvar Looks to Science in “The Expanse” {Interview}

The Expanse returns to SyFy on 11 April, but just before the show returns, Cas Anvar (Alex) and some of the creative team are heading to WonderCon in Anaheim today. Discussing the science behind the show, as well as some of Alex and the team’s storylines, Anvar took the time to answer a few questions from

We sat down with you in San Diego and you teased there would be more backstory on Alex in season three. Can you tease us on what we discover about Alex?

Let’s just say we know so little about Alex’s life back on Mars and you are going to learn a lot about where he comes from and why’s back there for him.

Alex and the team in season three are at the heart of the coming conflict but there has also been a huge betrayal by Naomi. How will Alex deal with that internal struggle within the team when there is so much external pressure?

Alex is and always has been the heart and soul of the team. When everyone else is trying to save the world, Alex is trying to save his family, the Roci Team, and keep them together. It’s the most important thing in the world for him now. That won’t be changing anytime soon and there’s a lot that’s happening that has the potential of destroying everything he holds dear.

Alex is the Southern Boy of the group. Are we going to get more great Southern Sayings in season three? Does Wes Chatham who is from Georgia ever help you out with Southern phrases?

Yes and Yes. Wes has given me some sweet little southernism in every season. I’m most grateful to my Georgian brotha! My best friend is also from Texas and many of her sayings have made it into the show. Now I’m getting fans from all over sending me their favorite Texas wittisms. Dangit, you wouldn’t believe the things Texans say, it’s mind blowing.

Is there a specific episode in season three that is your favorite for your character Alex?

Alex goes through a lot. Emotional Rollercoasters at the top of season three as the season progresses, the war threat mounts and the MCRN in Alex starts to take priority. He is after all a twenty year Navy vet so war is kinda what he was trained for. Or was it?

What most intrigues about the science aspect of the show? Are you always intrigued by the science in this particular brand of science fiction?

The science is one of my favorite things on this show after the awesome, diverse and deeply fractured characters that is. I’ve always been a science geek and I’ve never had a chance to enjoy this much science in a role before; it’s euphoric. Most of what we do and talk about in the show is one hundred percent based on real facts. Real science. I’m learning every day I’m on set while being a badass fighter pilot.

What issue in science (climate change, wildlife preservation) most concerns you? Has that concern been at all influenced by the show?

Enviornmental for sure. The whole discussion about the only way we will save our species is by expanding to the stars, to Mars. The whole Elon Musk effort has influenced me a lot over the past three seasons on a personal level. We must stop abusing our planet. We are behaving like a virus destroying our host until it dies. We need to behave like a guest on this planet the way every other species does or suffer the consequences. I’ve started attending all sorts of space exploration and science conferences as the artistic guest absorbing all our advances in the field of science like a sponge.

In fact, I’m attending one the weekend of May 22 as a guest of honor which people should come to. It’s going to be amazing at IDSC! Not to mention our Science of the Expanse panel at WonderCon this Friday March 23rd at 230 in Anaheim.

The Expanse returns in April on Syfy. Anvar is also at WonderCon on Saturday at booth #937.