Of is set in a mysterious city that may seem safe during the day, but is overrun by murderous creatures every night. Strangers were trapped there, apparently with no real escape. Jade (David Alpay) arrived on the same day as Matthews, the first time two vehicles entered the city on the same day.
A problem solver by nature, Jade spends her time collecting clues and trying to solve the town’s mystery, hoping to find a way home. David Alpay has been part of the series since the first episode and has also appeared in other popular series such as Proven innocent and Suits. Of Season 3 releases new episodes Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on MGM+.
SRant screen interviewed David Alpay to discuss the events of Of season 3. He talks about what it’s like to be in the city from the actor’s point of view, as well as whether he thinks Jade will ever put the pieces of the puzzle together and help the townspeople escape. Alpay also confesses how he himself would deal with being stuck in the city and shares a fun story from the set.
The use of practical effects 7 prosthetics is essential for filming in
“I love that they use practical effects. It’s silicone or latex or whatever they use, and it gives a lot more texture, I think, to the scenes and the monsters. of the scene.”
Screen Rant: What’s it like being part of this series?
David Alpay: For me, as an actor, it was the closest I’ve felt to doing theater in front of a camera in the 24 years I’ve been doing this work. It’s so good. It’s an incredible cast. Writing is alive. Sometimes we get script revisions right before we shoot something, and it keeps showing up. It’s very exciting.
Screen Rant: Is it scary being around the creatures on set?
David Alpay: In my first season on the show, I got a scar on the side of my face because Jade tripped, fell and hit her face on a rock. So for the entire first season, let’s say everyone’s call time would be 5am, mine would be four. I had to get there an hour before everyone else so we could make that little prosthetic. It’s a tiny little thing, but it would take a while. So I spent a lot of time with Patrick Baxter, who does a lot of our creature effects. I love his work. He is so talented.
We became friends. Occasionally he would say, come check out the monster in the trailer. Come see what we’re working on. It’s simply incredible. I love that they use practical effects. It’s real. It’s silicone or latex or whatever they use, and it gives a lot more texture, I think, to the scenes and the monsters. It’s very important. This keeps you in the reality of the scene.
Screen Rant: What do you think is so scary about these monsters?
David Alpay: Well, the threat continues to evolve. It’s no longer just a physical threat that you’ll go out at night and they’ll catch you and eat you. Now it’s psychological. Now they are tormenting us during the day. This is different, you know? Before, they only operated at night. Now, in a way, because they get into your head there, it’s 24 hours a day. This is different. It’s scary.
Is Jade the key to solving the city’s mystery?
“I think Jade is doing what any sensible person who hasn’t given up would do, which is look for clues and analyze them.”
Screen Rant: Jade is always looking for clues. He could be the key to figuring it all out.
David Alpay: I have no idea. It’s possible he’s the key. It is possible that he is the keyhole. We will never know. Listen, I think Jade is doing what any sensible person who hasn’t given up would do, which is look for clues and analyze them. There’s that moment when he finds out about this other tree. We have to go to the tree. We have to look at these numbers, which numbers? Are there numbers on the bottles? How come no one said anything about this? This is really important information.
He is constantly trying to solve problems. It’s a window into the world he came from. The story writers, the creators of the series, were really adamant from the beginning that we would not have flashbacks in the series, unless it was a flashback to the time when they were in the city or approaching the city. This is the flashback window.
So in my head I’m always creating a backstory for Jade and who he was before he got here and what kind of person he was. Was he a problem solver? Was he a showman? Was he both? So these explorations for him are iterations of that. I had to delve a little deeper into who he was, who he is, and who he could be at the end of all this.
Screen Rant: Do you think you identify with Jade?
David Alpay: No way. No. I’m kidding. Of course. The beauty of television is because it’s such a long format that, over time, that difference will probably come together. You might be far from a character at first and then slowly but surely things about you come out, things about the character come out and there’s a harmony between the two over time. I think by the end of season three, we’re really starting to get there. I feel very protective of Jade and want to see what happens next and also curious, optimistic and curious, to see what happens to me.
David Alpay admits that being stuck in the city wouldn’t be the worst thing
“There’s a diner. Coffee. The taps work. And there’s a mysterious electricity.”
Screen Rant: How do you think you would personally handle being stuck in Of city?
David Alpay: I wouldn’t feed the animals at night. We were filming a scene with cows at the beginning of the season. Do you remember that where we were out there? It was a cold night. It was around 2:30 in the morning. The cows wanted to sleep. It’s not their normal time to be running around. My bitch, I later found out, was pregnant and didn’t really want to be there. And my job was to get this cow, whose name was Ginger, to walk down the street. The only thing I could think to say was, “Hey, Ginger, come walk with me.”
But there was no way Jade would know Ginger’s name. There’s no way Jade would have found out the cow’s name. It wouldn’t occur to Jade to even care about a cow’s name. So I said that and at the time I thought, well, they’re going to stop this, but they didn’t. So if it were me, David, I would know the animals. I’d say, “Hey, what’s up?” But that’s me. I probably wouldn’t want to eat them.
What else? I mean, problem solving is very important. Let’s try to get out of here. But at the same time, without the monster attacks, it’s not the worst place in the world. There is a snack bar. Coffee. The taps work. And there is mysterious electricity.
Read more about the third season
Unravel the mystery of a nightmarish city that traps all who enter. As the reluctant residents struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive threats from the surrounding forest – including the terrifying creatures that emerge when the sun sets. After Season 2’s epic cliffhanger, escape will become a tantalizing and very real possibility as the true nature of the city comes into focus and the townspeople attack the myriad horrors that surround them.
Check out our previous Of season 3 interviews here: