Sam Littlefield joined the cast of CW’s “Batwoman” and plays the dynamic character of Mouse. Get to know this actor, writer, and producer who was inspired by watching “Twin Peaks” with his grandmother, and wrote and produced a play when he was only in third grade! This talent has some very cool films in the works.
Colleen Bement: “Batwoman” is such an exciting new show. It’s fresh, it’s different, and fans are enjoying it so far. What can you tell us about your character of Mouse.
Sam Littlefield: He’s a really dynamic guy. The writers came up with such a rich history regarding his and Alice’s upbringing, and it really lends itself to not only the creation of him but giving us some parameters and guidelines on how we’re able to play within this world and with each other. In a lot of ways our characters are so violent, but in the show, it’s almost like we’re playing a game as we did in the basement when we were kids. It allows for so much freedom. Mouse has got incredible art going on this entire season, and I’ve been so surprised by the process of hearing where he goes and I hope audiences will too.
CB: Do you think Mouse is kind of conflicted between good and evil?
SL: I think Mouse is discovering who he is. He was locked up as a child with his father and Alice, and the immediately was locked in in Arkham. This is his first foray out into the world, and in a lot of ways, this is a coming of age story. Facing your inner demons and becoming the person that you’re meant to be.
CB: Tell us a little about life on the set of a brand new show.
SL: We film mostly nights so there are a lot of really tired people. We also do so many stunts. It’s such a close-knit cast and crew. Rachel and I have really bonded through this process. She, as I’m sure you know, started out in the show before I did and she really took me under her wing when I entered the series. We’ve developed a true bond that I think also lends itself to the way in which we perform the scenes together.
CB: Do you have any projects in the works that you’re allowed to share?
SL: I do. I’ve been developing this film “MoyaMoya” which is sort of a musical. People have compared it to kind of “Little Shop of Horrors” meets “Momento.” I think it’s “Little Shop of Horrors” meets “Momento” meets “Chinatown. MoyaMoya is this disease in Japanese it’s called a puff of smoke. It’s a story of this man who gets multiple strokes and seizures from this disease MoyaMoya and it wipes his memory clean. It’s about his relationship with this stripper who lies to him about who he is in order to get money out of him. It’s sort of a pseudo-noir mystory very strange piece of work.
CB: That sounds dark and wonderful!
SL: It’s very dark, and I think it’s wonderful, yes.
CB: I see that you’ve been at the helm as a writer, producer. Is that what you’ll be on this?
SL: With “MoyaMoya,” right now I wrote it and I’m acting in it. I really am just curious to see who I can bring on board, and that will sort of determine what other hats I wear in the ring. I’m really interested and intrigued in working with people who have a really serious point of view and perspective and artistic eye. I don’t have an ego where I need to be one thing or the other. I want to get it done and have it be as good as it possibly can be.
There’s also “Mother’s Little Helpers” I co-wrote and co-produced this last year. It went to South by Southwest. We have this really amazing director, Kestrin Pantera. She’s kind of a penultimate collaborator. She called everyone the week before we started production. She’s so fantastic that she brought the best team. Every single person that I was working with was top-notched. We shot the film in eight days, no script to begin with, and it went to South by Southwest, and it’s a film that I’m very proud of. It’s a little indie gem.
CB: Is there one role that you like better than the other, or do they all have their facets?
SL: There’s kind of freedom in writing that you don’t really get with acting. In acting, you’re trying to lend yourself to someone else’s vision. But when you’re the writer, the sky is the limit–you can go anywhere with anything. It’s hard for me to say. It’s more project to project. It just depends on the mix of people and the circumstances.
CB: How did you get into acting?
SL: When I was in third grade I wrote and produced this play called How Magic Came to Be and my teacher recommended me for a local production of “Nine the Musical” and I was nine at the time. But really it was my grandma. She had a debilitating stammer but was an incredible opera singer and she taught me all about music and poetry and art in all forms. I’d go to her house and she’d play me Mozart or Phantom of the Opera. I would go to her house every week and we’d watch “Twin Peaks” together of all things!
CB: You watched that with your grandma?
SL: Yes, and she really opened the door to art in general. I just kind of go down that path as much as I can in my life.
Be sure to catch up on “Batwoman” on The CW.
https://youtu.be/rr89qsuZgzw
Written by Colleen Bement
