Hollywood has always loved its superheroes, but “Wonder Man” is more interested in the people behind the masks and capes.
Through the eyes of Simon Williams, the series pulls back the curtain on the entertainment industry. An aspiring actor played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Williams is trying to break through in a field that feels just out of reach. He is talented, hungry, and restless but stuck in the in-between space familiar to so many performers chasing their moment.
His life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Trevor Slattery, portrayed by Sir Ben Kingsley, a once-celebrated actor whose biggest roles are firmly in the rearview mirror. Their worlds collide when Williams learns that legendary director Von Kovak is rebooting a superhero film called Wonder Man. Suddenly, both men, who are at opposite ends of their careers, find themselves chasing the same life-altering opportunity. What unfolds is a story about relevance, legacy, and the quiet desperation that lives beneath Hollywood’s glossy surface.
REVOLT spoke to the stars of the series and dove into the emotional realities of rejection, resilience, and reinvention, unpacking the lessons behind missed opportunities, quiet perseverance, and the moments that shape an actor’s journey long before the spotlight hits.
Read our exclusive interview with the stars below and if you haven’t tuned into “Wonder Man,” head over to Disney+ now.
Simon Williams’ family doesn’t know he lost his job with “American Horror Story,” but he bounces back. Can you share some encouraging words for fans who may not have been able to land the role of their dreams and are still striving to get there?
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Keep on going. Those are the breaks. You’ll be alright... Just keep on going.
Sir Ben Kingsley: It’s a very hard lesson to learn, but I would offer this: Everything happens for a reason. You were not meant to be there in the greater pattern of things. I know I’m bordering on faith or superstition, but sometimes we may [use] the term “dodge a bullet.” Any opportunities you were denied, you were denied for a reason.
In the series, Williams’ mother shares his pattern of being lonely, but sometimes being alone can help you process and think. In your own life, is there an answer you were searching for that became clearer when still?
Kingsley: There’s moments or pockets where we endure stillness, and there can be possible disappointment in the stillness. However, you learn that everything happens for a reason.
There’s a scene where your character is doing a monologue for an audition. What was your go-to monologue back then when you were auditioning?
Kingsley: My go-to monologue when auditioning was a very strange one from a play called “Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs.” I watched John Heard perform it on stage and ended up impersonating him. When I auditioned, I ended up being part of that very play, and I got the job.
Abdul-Mateen II: Mine was from the Shakespeare play “Julius Caesar," in which Mark Antony delivers the monologue over Caesar’s body, "Thou bleeding piece of earth.” Also, for my graduate school audition, I also recited “The Mighty Gents” and took some influence from actor Isaiah Johnson (laughs).