With Netflix's "The Punisher" ending on a high note, Ben Barnes, the actor of antagonist Billy Russo in the series revisits his role alongside co-star Jon Bernthal, who plays Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher.
The 36-year-old actor, in a one-on-one phone interview with The Collider, has revealed his thoughts about the show, particularly on his role as an unconventional antagonist. According to Barnes, Russo was quite a handful since the character is a complex one and acts more like an antagonist than a straight up villain in a superhero story. Barnes added that in a way, Russo is as broken as Castle, perhaps even more so.
"Frank has obviously been through a lot, but Billy is dealing with a very traumatic childhood, the trauma of war, and the trauma that he suffers in the show, going forward. There are layers to how broken he is. Frank is certainly very damaged, but Billy is broken, even though he might come across as very together, from the get-go," explained Barnes. It can be recalled that what made Castle The Punisher was when his family was murdered in front of him. Russo, on the other hand, began his ordeal since childhood.
In "The Punisher," Russo starts out as Castle's friend, but it is then revealed in a twist that he has actually betrayed the latter, joining forces with a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official in order to dispatch Castle and fast-track his political career. What made their rivalry more complicated is that the two used to be the best of friends, with Castle even considering Russo as his "only true friend."
Russo, as Barnes admitted, is a polar opposite of Castle, being calculated instead of impulsive and savvy instead of rough. Still, Barnes owes a lot of his portrayal of Russo to Bernthal's presence, claiming that Castle's actor was an incredible leader and motivation for a lot of them on the set. Barnes hopes that he did Russo justice on the screen despite his anxiety with the role. Meanwhile, he will be returning for the second season of "Westworld."
"The Punisher" is available for streaming on Netflix.
