TVLine – The event Shadowhunters fans have been waiting for dreading is finally here — but will Alec really swap vows with Lydia on Tuesday’s episode (Freeform, 9/8c), or will Magnus’ presence be enough to cut the ceremony short?
“I think that everyone is speculating too much,” Matthew Daddario tells TVLine of Magnus and Alec’s big will-they-won’t-they episode, which is literally titled “Malec.” Daddario adds, “I think [fans] should be very careful with their hopes and dreams because, very quickly, everything you love and want can shatter. I would not get too many hopes up, but I guarantee that things will be… emotional.”
Below, Daddario previews his character’s dramatic nuptials, discusses the process of bringing “Malec” to life and explains why screaming is actually a great workout.
TVLINE | I’m not crazy, I know you’re acting, but did this kind of feel like a real wedding?
It’s funny that you say that, because there’s a moment when you’re up there saying your “I do”s, and the guy’s asking for X, Y and Z — and you’re thinking to yourself, “Man, this is a little real.” That’s a stressful moment in someone’s life, getting married. Even in mimic, there’s a psychological effect.
TVLINE | Whoa, there’d better not be any “I do”s.
[Laughs] I don’t really remember what happens. It was a long time ago.
TVLINE | I feel like Magnus and Alec have become the fan-favorite ‘ship, even more so than Clary and Jace. What’s been most important for you in your portrayal of this couple?
Whenever you have something that matters to a large number of people, especially when it’s on a very personal level, you have to make sure your interpretation of it matches at least certain parts of theirs. It’s not about you. You have to do something to honor these characters and their relationship. We were very focused on keeping things honest and making it seem real. The struggle is real, their feelings are real. We worked with the writers constantly to make sure everything went smoothly.
TVLINE | I also appreciate that the show can explore their relationship more fully than the books.
Yeah, Alec isn’t really a main character — well, he is, but you don’t get his point of view all that often in the first few books — so the show taking those little moments and turning them into meaningful character development is very much appreciated. I find [those scenes] to be very enjoyable. It gives you a lot of room to play, which is nice. All actors enjoy playing.
TVLINE | At this point, do you think Alec is lying to himself about his feelings for Malec? Or does he genuinely not know what he’s feeling?
That’s an interesting question. What’s the difference, really, between lying to yourself and being confused? I think confusion would require that he feels some sort of sexual attraction to women as well. That hasn’t been made clear; he hasn’t shown any emotional attachment to anyone other than male characters. So I think he’s lying to himself and pushing people away — that’s certainly how I played it. If anyone else tries to force him to experience those emotions, he pushes back very hard.
TVLINE | For what it’s worth, I’m never sure what’s going on in Alec’s head.
[Laughs] I sort of wondered as I was doing it, “Is this too much? It’s TV, so I can’t be hiding everything without the character seeming emotionally dead.” There are times I wonder, “Oh, maybe I should have given a little more there.”
TVLINE | Speaking of giving more, how long did it take you to recover from that screaming scene in the alternate universe episode? I got tired just watching that.
That’s nice of you to say, hopefully there was some effect from that. They had me screaming all different kinds of ways that day. We did it over and over and over, but they only used like two seconds. They had to make a choice: What scream did they want to use? So you’re lying there screaming for 35 minutes, and by the time you’re done, you’ve had your workout; screaming is a great workout, so tell your friends. … I was definitely drained emotionally.
