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By season 3 of Netflix Night agentGabriel Basso is used to shooting on location. The production traveled from Washington, D.C. to Vancouver, New York and Bangkok. For the final season, which premiered on the streaming platform on February 19, Basu and his crew went to Istanbul to film the first episode. “I’ve always been on the go my whole life, so it’s easy for me to move around, and I love history and experiencing different places and cultures, so that part is really cool for me,” Basu says. “Honestly, the most frustrating thing is the gym: losing your gym routine, and having to build a new routine. Hotel gyms are very frustrating.”
Basu needs the gym partly because of his hard work on the series about an undercover officer who uncovers a government conspiracy. The 31-year-old actor is proud to be involved in Night agents Fighting scenes, and in this season the production raised the ante with a car chase through the Turkish capital, an intense underwater brawl, and many explosions. And here he says THR How it all went down.
Can you talk about how filming in Istanbul, on location, influenced this season?
We shot a real football match [for the first episode]. We scored the first two goals on camera. There’s a scene where Genesis is walking next to me and I’m supposed to blend in with the crowd, and when I stood up to do that they scored and everyone got out of their seats cheering. I was celebrating in the crowd too. He was very sick. They’re known for having a really passionate fan base, so feeling that energy on the field was great.
Is this the moment where you can really feel Netflix’s budget in action?
Well, we were honestly just sneaking shots. It’s because of how passionate they are – we were worried that if we had a big footprint, and they lost the game, they would blame us. So we shot all handheld cameras, there were no lights, and it was very low.
What’s the most different thing about Season 3 compared to the first two years?
The first season was very chaotic. No one really knew what the show was. We didn’t have a proof of concept, really. Season 2 was our first time in New York, and we were obviously under pressure from Season 1. This time we finally discovered the offer. Even in Season 2, when Peter was finally allowed to be a Night Agent, he was still searching for permission to do what he was hired to do. Now, he’s hit his stride as a character.
How involved were you in the pre-production of the show?
I’m in the writers room early. They’ll show me the overall idea for the season, and I’ll give them some ideas.
Are you promoting story arcs, or things that are more action-focused?
Anything I think is cool. I did a 180 during the car chase scene in Türkiye. I got out under the guise of getting some time at the wheel in the parking lot, and asked Josiah, the stunt double, to hold the camera on the rear right pillar. I was like, “This shot is going to be sick,” and I looked behind the lens and then I threw this shot back 180 degrees. I walked up the stairs and they said no several times, but I kept flying at them.
When they say no to it, is it because of the liability issue of doing the trick?
Yes. And I say this every time, but I think it should be like what you’re talking about with the NFL – you’re getting millions of dollars for taking these hits. It’s part of the risk. Of course, I’m not going to do anything stupid, I’m going to train and there has to be some level of insurance and liability and everything. Even if something doesn’t work out, it’s like, “Well, he died pursuing greatness.”
What does your family think about this kind of thinking?
I don’t ask. I’m sure they wouldn’t like getting a call saying I was permanently injured, but for me, how did that happen? If I drive 101 or 405 being an idiot, they’ll hate it. But if so, he tried to make cinematic history by doing so – that would be sick.
Whose idea was it to do the underwater adventure at the end of the season?
There’s been a lot of controversy about that. We did a lot of underwater exercises and breathing work. Austin Brewer is the stuntman’s name, we were in the tank for nine or 10 hours just to call it off. It was kind of stressful. He was wearing a jacket, and we were there so long that it changed color.
Did they tell you about that trick beforehand, or did you read it when the script arrived?
I think it was originally written that we were going to fight in the car while it was on land, and then I drove it into the water and swam out of it. We eventually moved the fight underwater after our fight choreographer came up with some really cool stuff and someone brought up the idea of fighting while the truck was filled with water.
How did you create the explosion that comes after you’re on the dock?
We had a bunch of water hoses that exploded after I crawled out.
Have you ever felt afraid at this moment?
No, I think if I was afraid I wouldn’t do it. Getting your adrenaline pumping isn’t the same as fear. The moment you doubt yourself – they call it target fixation in skydiving, where you look at a tree or a telephone pole and think, “Don’t hit that,” and you start drifting there because you’re looking at it. So, if you start thinking about bad scenarios, you’re setting yourself up for a disadvantage.
