Canadian actor Mark O’Brien chatted about starring in the new espionage series “The Copenhagen Test’ on Peacock, where he plays Cobb opposite Simu Liu.
The synopsis is: This espionage thriller series follows first-generation Chinese-American intelligence analyst Alexander Hale (Simu Liu) who realizes his brain has been hacked, giving the perpetrators access to everything he sees and hears.
Caught between his shadowy agency and the unknown hackers, he must maintain a performance 24/7 to flush out who is responsible and prove where his allegiance lies.
Playing Cobb in ‘The Copenhagen Test’
On playing Cobb, O’Brien shared, “Cobb is a very nuanced character. Cobb is character with a million different emotions happening underneath the surface.”
“When you get to play that level of subtlety, restraint and curiosity, it’s very fun because you might do very little, but there are so many thoughts going through your mind, and each take that you do, can be wildly different than the next,” he elaborated.
“So, I love those kinds of things,” he admitted. “I love that because the wheels are turning constantly, and the audience doesn’t know what they’re going to do with it. So, that’s my favorite part of the character, for sure.”
“To be honest, Cobb is quite condescending,” he noted. “His filter is not very couth, I would say, but he’s fun to play and he’s real, and these are real things.”
“Cobb is right about a lot of things, but he just can’t stop that thing, and you can’t play ability. You know what I mean? You’ve got to play real people, and I love that. I love riding that line of condescension, but also ethics,” he explained.
Working with Simu Liu
On working with lead actor and executive producer Simu Liu, O’Brien remarked, “It was awesome. Simu and I met years 12 or 13 years ago because he is from Toronto, and I lived in Toronto for years before I moved to the United States.”
“So, it was really cool to see his ascent, but then also get to work with him in ‘The Copenhagen Test’,” he noted.
“It was so weird to reunite with him after all these years,” he admitted. “I just loved working with Simu because he is so on point. Simu is very professional, but he makes it fun too. It was kind of ideal.”
“Shooting with him was great and he is such a good actor. Sometimes, he and I would have ideas, and we would agree on a lot of things. So, Simu is a very supportive actor to work with,” O’Brien added.
Lessons learned from ‘The Copenhagen Test’ screenplay
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, O’Brien reflected, “It taught me that you just don’t really know what is going to happen next in life. You can’t expect anything.”
“You’ve just got to roll with it and do the best you can from moment to moment, which is what everybody is doing on this show,” O’Brien noted.
“Every character is like, ‘Whoa, this is a new scenario. Okay, cool, I’ll just do this.’ That’s kind of the way life is to a certain degree,” he added.
O’Brien on Kathleen Chalfant
O’Brien had great words about acclaimed Kathleen Chalfant, who plays St. George in the series. “Kathleen is amazing! While I didn’t have any scenes with her, we did the camera tests, and I met her there. Then, I didn’t see her again until the premiere,” he said.
“She was just so good in ‘The Copenhagen Test.’ The whole cast was constantly raving about her, and then, when you watch the show, you’re like ‘Oh, my God’,” he added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent, O’Brien said, “I think it’s a natural progression of things that you learn to embrace. When you are younger, these things happen so fast and you’re so on point with everything.”
“As you get older, there is this temptation for nostalgia and traditionalism, and going back the way things were when it was simpler, and when there weren’t a million shows,” he observed.
“I kind of embrace new things and how we’re doing things, and I think it’s a marvel.”
“I believe that in the end, we’ll do it correctly, because we always figure out a way that works. The way TV and film are today, we’re in a very transitional period with streaming and theatrical, and I think that’s exciting,” he said.
“Not to go too far into it, but when you look back in the early 70s with film,it was crazy at the time and we got some of the best content ever. So, I just think that we should embrace what’s great.If it’s not great, then move on,” he added.
O’Brien on Sinclair Daniel
O’Brien also had favorable words about co-star Sinclair Daniel. “I love her! Sinclair is awesome! She is such a great actress. While we didn’t have any scenes together yet, I’m sure if we are blessed with more seasons, I think we will.”
“I would imagine we’ll cross paths, but she’s just such a smart actress who is just a hard worker and a wonderful person. Sinclair’s future is blindingly bright.”
‘Goalie’
On being a part of the movie “Goalie,” he reflected, “That was a great experience! I worked with my wife on that project. I love that movie very, very much. It’s really close to my heart. My daughter was four months old when we filmed that.”
“It was a wild period of time,” he admitted.
For his acting work as Terry Sawchuk in the biographical sports drama “The Goalie,” O’Brien won a Canadian Screen Award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.”
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, O’Brien encouraged them to “learn their craft.” “That means watching movies, watching interviews, and reading books about it.”
“There is so much to learn. You can’t just jump, try and go in the room to audition if you can. Try and be there in a space. Learn how to adapt. Just work, learn accents. There are always more things that you can do,” he elaborated.
“I watch a movie every single morning,” he admitted. “I’ve been doing it for 25 years. You need to go in understanding the craft and the business that you’re in.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Coming into My Own.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, O’Brien said, “Doing what you love, and taking the time to enjoy it while you do it.”
Message for his fans
For his fans and supporters, O’Brien expressed, “I can’t believe I have fans. I would say to my fans, of course, thank you for watching. Thank you for keeping an open mind. I hope that I pleased you.”
Closing thoughts on ‘The Copenhagen Test’
O’Brien remarked about the Peacock show, “It makes your brain work. It’s hard to create things these days that make you a participant and it makes you have to think as opposed to it just happening in front of you, and you can be on your phone. It really makes you think!”
“Those are my favorite artists, my favorite filmmaker such as David Lynch and Ingmar Bergman and all these people that I fell into growing up,” he recalled. “I love it when I am a participant in the thing that I am watching, and not just hearing it.”
“I think that ‘The Copenhagen Test’ does that; it challenges you. It has all these fun set pieces and everything, but then it challenges you and you’re like, ‘whoa, that’s really interesting.’ That’s the best feeling for me when I’m watching something,” O’Brien concluded.
To learn more about Canadian actor Mark O’Brien, follow him on Instagram.
