'Titans' Season 2 actor Drew Van Acker says putting on Aqualad suit brought out 'major kid' in him
When 'Titans' Season 2 arrives, fans will finally get to see Dick Grayson/Robin (Brenton Thwaites) joined by a new version of his 'Young Justice' teammate Aqualad. The young hero from the deep will be played by 'Pretty Little Liars' star Drew Van Acker and in an interview with MEA WorldWide, Acker talked about how he was approached for the role.
"I got a chance to speak with Greg [Berlanti] and the producers," Acker said. "They basically broke down this major storyline and how they were going to introduce Aqualad to the show that already had a huge fanbase( including myself). From there, it was a no-brainer. I was immediately hooked."
After signing on for the project, the 33-year-old star took steps to make sure he was in the physical shape needed to portray Aqualad and also to be able to pull off the stunts believably. "Diet was very important!" Acker emphasized. The actor also revealed that he was more familiar with the 'Teen Titans' animated show than the comics, though he did catch up on the comic books as part of his preparation for the role.
"I didn’t necessarily follow the comics as much as I did the Teen Titans show," Acker explained. "I was very familiar with all the characters and storylines growing up. I remember briefly seeing Aqualad in one of the episodes and knew I had to know more. I took to the comics to familiarize myself with his relationship to the Titans."
"The producers did make it clear they wanted this to be our own version of the character," he added. "Not a direct repeat."
Acker praised his fellow cast members for the chemistry that they share, both on-screen and off it. He also expressed a lot of admiration for the costume department and the work they did on Aqualad's suit.
"I was thrown into a cast that already had such amazing chemistry. They get along on and off the set in a big way. All I had to do was show up!" Acker reminisced. "My favorite memory from being on set is most definitely the first time I put the finished Aqualad suit on. The costume department works tirelessly on these and to see the final product was a testament to their hard work and vision. Plus, it brought out the major kid in me!! A dream I have had for a long time."
Besides 'Titans', Acker has a few projects in the works including one that is being directed by his 'Titans' castmate Alan Ritchson (Hank Hall/Hawk).
"I just had a movie come out called Life Like, which is now on iTunes and everywhere on-demand," Acker revealed. "I also, just produced and starred in a movie called Spy Intervention which has been getting a lot of buzz and we hope to hear some BIG news very soon. I also, have a project that Alan Ritchson (as you know, Hawk) is going to direct early next year that we are both extremely excited about."
'Titans' Season 2 will begin airing on DC Universe on September 6, 2019.
