The second season of DC Universe's Doom Patrol has been every bit as bizarre and unpredictable as the first, and one of the main reasons for that stems from the addition of Dorothy Spinner.
Niles Caulder's daughter was actually introduced in the Season 1 finale, but actress Abigail Shapiro took over as the character for Season 2, and she's already had a major impact on the rest of the team - and served as a conduit for terrifying new villain, The Candlemaker.
We recently had the opportunity to chat with Shapiro about her role on the show, and she spoke to us about playing Dorothy, the challenges of working with the prosthetics needed to give her an ape-like appearance, the possibility of a third season, and more.
Doom Patrol is far from your typical superhero series... were you already a fan of the first season when you got the part of Dorothy Spinner, and was the show's unique, eccentric tone something that drew you to the role?
I did not know much about the show when I initially auditioned. After I got the callback, I started watching the first season and immediately fell in love with it. It is so unique not only for a superhero show, but also for any TV show. It has all of those very weird, WEIRD, hilarious moments that the show is known for, but it also explores the darker side of our humanity and really digs deep into these characters as imperfect humans.
It is a show anyone can relate to because of that. I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of this crazy, but also beautiful show. I finished the first season after I got the role and was thrilled that I would be playing Dorothy!
How did you find working with the prosthetics needed to transform into Dorothy?
"It was so cool working with the prosthetics. I got to see myself completely transform. The makeup artists who did the prosthetic makeup every day, Derek and Eric Garcia (who are the most iconic twin-duo ever), were so talented, and I honestly felt honored that my face could serve as sort of a canvas for their art. I learned so much about prosthetic makeup throughout the process, and I have a whole new appreciation for it.
There were definitely some challenges though. Wearing the makeup after a while almost every day caused a lot of skin problems and was not the most comfortable. I built up a lot of stamina throughout filming, and it became less and less difficult as time went by. I’m so grateful for everyone on the makeup team who helped me take care of my skin. By the end of filming, my skin was nowhere near as bad as it was when I first started filming because we found the right skin products and routine.
Another challenge was that I also wore huge fake teeth so it was a bit difficult at first learning to speak with those and on top of that doing a British accent! I eventually got the hang of it. But it was such an amazing and unique experience getting to work with the prosthetics. I’m so grateful for it."
Dorothy is clearly an innocent, kind hearted child, but she also has the potential to be a very destructive force. Without giving too much away, is that something that's going to be touched upon later in the season?
"Yes, it will definitely be touched on later this season! Not all of her imaginary friends are good, and because she does not have a lot of control over them, she has the potential to bring an end to the world. Their job, ultimately, is to protect her, but sometimes they don’t always do it in the best way. You all will be seeing more of the Candlemaker, that’s for sure."
Some may not realize this, but you also played the young Niles Caulder in the Red Jack episode. It's only a brief scene, but how did you find playing the father of your character when he was around Dorothy's age?
"That was so much fun! Everyone actually got to see my face, so that was cool! Now Tim needs to play Dorothy, haha."
Honestly, with this show I'd say that's a distinct possibility! We're only a few episodes into Season 2, but have you heard anything about the possibility of a third season yet?
"I don’t know anything about another season right now, but I really hope there’s a season 3! That would be amazing!"
Many thanks to Abigail for taking the time to speak to us. We look forward to seeing Dorothy's intriguing arc play out as Season 2 of Doom Patrol continues.