Fan Fest ‘Gotham’ Exclusive Interview: Drew Powell Dishes on That Big “Cyrus Gold” Reveal

Warning: Article contains spoilers. Do not read further if you aren’t caught up with Gotham.

Over this past weekend, fans of all ages descended upon the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey for the annual Heroes & Villains Fan Fest where they got to meet with some of their favorite stars.

In attendance at the show were some of the biggest names from some of the biggest shows on television, including Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, iZombie, Supergirl, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Gotham.

We were lucky enough grab a few minutes to chat with Gotham‘s Drew Powell who plays Butch Gilzean, henchman to Fish Mooney and later in the series second in command to Oswald Cobblepot. At the conclusion of last season, Butch was shot by Barbara Kean and killed, however, the big reveal was that Butch’s real name was Cyrus Gold, otherwise known to Batman fans as Solomon Grundy.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get Drew’s thoughts on his “new” character, and the upcoming season.

Fan Fest News: What was your reaction when you found out your character was actually Cyrus Gold and did you know beforehand?

Drew Powell: Well, I didn’t know until right before we started shooting that episode. I got a call from John Stevens our showrunner, and my reaction was literally a happy dance in my living room because I’ve been a [Solomon] Grundy fan for a while and to me, it made perfect sense. I totally saw the connection between Butch and Grundy and the way that they’ve been executing it is really cool, I think the fans are going to dig it.

FFN: So, that actually ties into my next question, What has fan reaction been so far?

DP: So positive! I mean, I knew he was a big deal, but I didn’t realize how many people actually love Solomon. I think what’s cool about Solomon is that he’s one of the oldest villains, I mean 1944, but then you’ve got all these younger kids who know him through the animated series and video games and stuff so, it’s really neat to have the longtime Grundy fans and the new ones as well.

FFN: Where would you like to see him (Solomon Grundy) go? As a villain or the anti-hero that he is now?

DP: I always love anti-heroes, they’re more fun to play, for me, because I always like playing both sides of the fence, but, the Grundy’s that I’ve liked the most have been the anti-heroes. You kind of feel sorry for him because poor Cyrus (Gold) got a bum deal, so I’m hoping it goes better.

FFN: Well, Poor Butch got a bum deal since the beginning.

DP: (Laughing) That’s what I’m saying! If you think about Butch and you compare him to Cyrus, you know, certain versions of this, and certain versions of that, there are some similarities.

FFN: So, what can you tell us to look forward to in Season 4 if there’s anything you can actually divulge? No spoilers!

DP: Yeah, no spoilers, but I will say there are some cool, different alliances. John Stevens talked about how, Nygma, Grundy and Tompkins become this weird little unit and that’s really something that’s been fun to do, and I think the fans are really going to enjoy that.

FFN: Have you been in the makeup yet for Grundy?

DP: Oh yeah!

FFN: How long is that process?

DP: It’s a process! It’s like anything else.  It’s trial and error, and it’s also different based on, you know, how much clothing I’m wearing. (All of us laughed.) It varies anywhere from, you know, five hours to two hours, so it’s a lot of work.

FFN: And I was told that I should ask you about your musical background. I was told you like to do small, little intimate shows.

DP: Oh yeah, in fact, the last Heroes and Villains show I was at in Nashville, we got on the small stage and played a little music. Actually, I played some, and then I played some with my buddy Chris Sullivan who plays Taserface [in Guardians of the Galaxy]. Yeah, I’ve been singing since I was a little kid, and playing the guitar since I was in college, so it’s definitely something I enjoy.

Big thanks to Drew Powell for granting us the opportunity to talk, and we can’t wait to see the big reveal of Solomon Grundy this season on Gotham, which returns Thursday, September 21st on Fox.

Are you excited?