EXCLUSIVE | 'Bulletproof' Season 2: How the coronavirus lockdown has affected the cast of the show
The coronavirus pandemic has been a trying time for everyone and we've all found our own little ways of coping. The cast of 'Bulletproof' are no different. With 'Bulletproof' Season 2 all set to debut in the US after its successful run in the UK, MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) caught up with 'Bulletproof' cast members David Elliot, Vanessa Vanderpuye and Stavros Zalmas to talk about the lockdown and how they've been dealing with it.
"Lockdown has been an interesting one," says David Elliot, who plays Jonesy on the show. "I also write and I'm starting to direct a little bit as well. So the thing that it's allowed me to do is it's forced me to sit down and finish up all the scripts." He continues, "On the right-hand side of things, work is still being able to carry on. You can still do your meetings on Zoom and meanwhile, everything is shelved so the thing that it's allowed you to do is just take a breath and appreciate the things that we have."
"It's an intense time, obviously," David adds. "The one thing that it's been hard on is people's mental health. So I think exercise has been key for me to make sure every day, you just have lots of exercises and try not to eat too many snacks. That's my only problem."
Exercise is something that's recommended for people staying at home under lockdown and Vanessa Vanderpuye, who plays Arjana Pike in Season 2, has also been taking care of her fitness. "It was really hard the first few weeks but I just had to channel my energy into positive things in terms of sorting out my website, my fitness regime and just checking in on friends and family, because I don't think I've sat still for a long time all year, I've been on the go," she says.
Earlier, we had interviewed Ashley Walters, co-lead on the show, and he had also talked about how a strict work-out regime has been helping keep him occupied. "I have found that sticking to quite a strict regime and routine while in isolation has kept me sane so far," Walters says. "It’s hard when you're used to being active and connecting with people, but I have got so much done that I was putting off. Spending this quality time with my wife and kids has been priceless."
This season, the show is also adding Stavros Zalmas to the cast as the international gangster Alex Markides. In our conversation, Zalmas had a thoughtful message to share for all the people of the world, and specifically frontline workers who are braving the dangers of the virus every day.
"This madness that hit the world called COVID-19 is just a surreal thing to experience. I would never in my life consider that a pandemic would come and just 'freeze' our lives and plans for a while to such an extent," Zalmas says. "I have things and projects in my mind but for the time being, they are postponed until all this COVID-19 is done from our lives, which I hope will be soon. I would like to take the opportunity and wish for all the people around the world to try and stay safe and healthy, and also to thank all the doctors, nurses, medical staff and all the people in the front line that put their lives in danger every day for humanity."
Catch them all in action when 'Bulletproof' Season 2 premieres in the US on June 10 at 9 pm ET on The CW.