Westworld’s A.I. heroine — or perhaps villainess — Dolores Abernathy gets an upgrade in the second season. “This is Dolores 2.0, times one thousand,†Wood told Vulture at premiere of the new season at Hollywood’s CineramaDome, about how radically her character evolves, and — thanks in large part to the show’s notorious built-in story line secrecy (many actors rarely receive more than their immediate scene pages each episode) — how little she had to go on while rethinking her approach to Dolores.
“I found this season to be much harder,†she said. “It was harder to be darker, and it was harder to play all these complicated emotions, but having to be so controlled about it.â€
At the end of season two, Dolores was also revealed to house the persona of the revolutionary host named Wyatt. “I really had limited information to work with, and we all found our way through doing the show,†Wood explained. “But it was very difficult. She’s kind of three different characters this season. She’s still the Dolores we know and love, but she’s also Wyatt, and she’s also this new thing that she’s creating as herself.â€
Wood added that the creative leaps had big payoffs — for her, the creative team and, she hopes, the Westworld faithful. “You really get to act on this show,†she said, “and it’s rare that we get called upon to do these things.â€