The first season of HBO’s Westworld contained at least two massive plot twists, but arguably the biggest was one that many viewers figured out relatively early on. As soon as it became apparent that the Man in Black character (Ed Harris) and the much younger, far more kind-hearted William (Jimmi Simpson) weren’t going to be sharing any scenes together, fan-theories that they were actually playing the same person exploded all over the internet. Of course, this turned out to be on the money – but even if the twist seemed obvious to viewers, it didn’t to one of the actors involved.
During a recent interview, Ed Harris revealed that he wasn’t informed of the plot developments surrounding the villainous Man in Black until he’d already been shooting for some time. Though the veteran actor jokes that it would have been a “tad helpful” to know that the two narratives were connected, he also admits that this information probably would have “altered something” in his portrayal of the ruthless older incarnation of William.
Indeed, as effectively as their stories eventually synced up, some did find it a little hard to believe that William’s personality could degenerate to such an extent that he’d quite happily rape and (repeatedly) kill his once beloved Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood). Still, it’s hard to deny that it was a great twist and just one of the many surprises Westworld had in store for us last year.
Tell us, did you figure out this particular twist before the season finale? And did you buy that Harris and Simpson were both supposed to be playing the same character in Westworld? Sound off in the comments section down below with your thoughts!
