'It just felt very fake': 'The Night Agent' star Gabriel Basso reveals why he quit acting when was 18
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Everyone is currently buzzing about 'The Night Agent', and it's hard to believe that the show's star, Gabriel Basso, aka Peter Sutherland, wasn't even pursuing acting at one point. Despite having breakout roles in 'The Big C' and the film 'Super 8' as a teenager, the now 28-year-old took an extended break from acting at the age of 18 and stayed away for "seven or eight years."
But now, the actor is back and making waves with his role in 'The Night Agent,' one of Netflix's most popular shows to date. Within just three weeks of its debut on March 23, the show landed a spot on Netflix's Top 10 list of the most popular English-language TV shows. You won't have to wait long for 'The Night Agent' Season 2 as it has already been confirmed, solidifying the series' success.
READ MORE
Netflix's Egyptian scare! Streaming giant slammed over Cleopatra trailer for blackwashing queen
'Dead Ringers': Tragic story of Marcus brothers who inspired Prime Video show on twin gynecologists
Why did Gabriel Basso quit acting when he was 18?
Basso stated that actors can become too insulated from reality, which is ironic since they have to portray real-life experiences. This feeling of inauthenticity led him to quit acting at a young age, as he didn't want to become depressed. However, now he's back in the game and ready to take on new challenges. "I think actors are really insulated from reality, and I think of all people actors should be the least insulated people because they’ve got to portray real things. And so everything sort of felt like a pseudo-experience to me," Basso said while opening up on why he quit acting.
The actor added, "As a kid where [you're told], oh, you can be the fighter, and not actually hit anybody or know what it's like to get hit, it just felt very fake. So I quit because I didn't want to be depressed… And now I'm back." During his time away from acting, Gabriel kept busy by honing various skills such as archery, drawing, weightlifting, amateur fighting, drumming, the violin, and even welding. Despite being a man of many talents, the actor joked that he didn't have much of a social life.
From a child actor to 'The Night Agent' - Gabriel Basso's transformation
Basso, who portrays Peter Sutherland in Netflix's 'The Night Agent', was a child star before becoming an FBI employee on the show. He appeared in numerous popular projects such as 'iCarly,' where he played fake Freddie, and the 2013 film 'The Kings of Summer,' where he portrayed Patrick Keenan. Recently, the actor opened up about his physical preparation for the role. In an interview with Netflix's Tudum on March 27, he mentioned that he usually stays in shape and has a lot of real-life fighting and training experience.
However, he had to adjust his movements for stunt fighting, which requires bigger movements and wider punches that cross the lens. Interestingly, Basso has been honing his stunt work skills since his days as a child actor. When asked about his martial arts experience, he revealed that he has been practicing since he was young, boxing throughout his life, and doing Taekwondo as a child. He believes that these experiences have helped him with his movement on screen.
'The Night Agent' Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.