Exclusive: The Expanse Season 5 Interviews: Steven Strait & more!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

One of the most satisfying elements of great science fiction is how easily it examines real-world horrors. The Expanse, on Amazon Prime, is a perfect example of creating intriguing storylines with characters you can easily connect with and it feels remarkably relevant. The popular show is now in its fifth season, and frankly, it was a thrill to see the continued quality in the series. Along with smart scripts, the series offers up plenty of talent with a cast that includes Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cara Gee, Nadine Nicole, Keon Alexander, and many more talented folks. And if you’ve never treated yourself to this terrific series, I highly recommend you start. It’s a great way to escape into another world. It’s a beautiful excursion.

We had the amazing opportunity to finish the year 2020 off by speaking on Zoom with this wonderful group of actors. In addition to that, we spoke with those who make it all happen. First up on the agenda we spent some quality time with Steven Strait, who leads the crew as Jim Holden. The actor is not only one of the kindest folks around, but he’s a damn impressive actor as well. He opened up about playing this character for five seasons, and some of the challenges he’s faced keeping it interesting for the viewers. I really can’t say enough nice things about Mr. Strait. And I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to grow not only as Jim Holden, but outside of The Expanse as well.

Next up we spent some time with the ridiculously talented Shohreh Aghdashloo – with whom I had the pleasure of meeting a few years back – and Cara Gee. The two discussed their progress in this world, as well as some of the posters on my wall before the conversation went into other worldly adventures. Shohreh is simply sublime in the series and continues to bring grace and class to everything she's involved in. As for Cara Gee, the actress gets to take on something unique and special in this kind of series and the relationship that her character explores, and it only adds to the already high stakes involved in the terrific show.

Years back, I had the opportunity to get the chance to spend a bit of quality time with one of the coolest fellas around, Wes Chatham, back when he did a terrific independent feature called The Philly Kid. Here, he and his amazing co-star, Nadine Nicole, really shine with one of the most exciting storylines in the series. The two actors discussed working together and finding that incredible chemistry which is certainly clear not only on The Expanse but in an interview setting like this. And yes, it was especially great to have a bit of a reunion with Mr. Chatham, who once again excels as Amos Burton.

There is one aspect of this sci-fi event this year that went above and beyond for this viewer, and that would be the relationship between both Dominique Tipper and Keon Alexander. Let me just say right here that Ms. Tipper is put through the wringer here and she is absolute perfection. The actress brings everything she can to the role, and it’s thrilling to watch. Her performance is made all the more impressive thanks to the amazing on-screen pairing of her and Keon. Mr. Alexander is also quite fantastic, and I was hooked to this emotional storyline. This is good stuff. The two opened up about this complex situation they find themselves in, and my what an exceptional bit of television drama it is.

Finally, we sat down with Daniel Abraham (EP/co-writer), Ty Franck (EP/co-writer), and Naren Shankar (EP/showrunner). The three fine gentlemen discussed the direction the series went for the fifth season and finding the right balance of keeping things exciting for the audiences at home. They also opened up about how they work with the source material and the challenge of keeping it all fresh. If you haven’t had the opportunity, make sure you check out The Expense, season 5, which is currently available on Amazon Prime.