All interviews with actors and writers in this issue took place prior to the union strikes.
While John Wick has always been the master of his own destiny, it’s undeniable: he never would have got so far (nor would he have got into half as much trouble) without Winston. Ian McShane’s owner of the New York Continental Hotel – a safe haven and neutral business ground for the Big Apple’s surprisingly sprawling underground assassin network – has always been there to assist (or pile additional peril) onto Keanu’s Baba Yaga. And now, we’re about to get a greater understanding of how Winston rose to power in three-part limited series The Continental: From The World Of John Wick.
Set in ‘70s New York, the show finds Colin Woodell taking over the role as a young Winston, on his path towards running the ultimate hitman hotspot. “It’s a story of revenge and making amends for what I think is taken from [my character], and that’s my love and my family,” he teases to Empire of Winston’s journey in the show. Picking up decades before we met the character in the first John Wick, expect a different Winston – one who isn’t quite as much the showman as he is all those years down the line. “I love Ian’s embellishment [of the character], and how delicious everything is,” says Woodell. “To some degree we begin to get there at the end [of The Continental] and you understand what motivates him, but I didn’t get to really participate in that deliciousness.”
He did, however, get to participate in Winston’s particular dress sense – getting to don the character’s signature finery, including that cravat. Or, is it an ascot? “There was an ongoing debate as to whether it was a cravat or an ascot, and then it became a bit that’s in all three episodes,” Woodell notes. Whichever one it is, the most important thing in this: a sharp-shooter should be just as sharply-dressed.
All interviews with actors and writers in this issue took place prior to the union strikes.
Read Empire’s full interview with Colin Woodell on the world of The Continental in the Napoleon issue. Pre-order a print copy here, or become an Empire member to access the digital edition on launch day. The Continental: From The World Of John Wick comes to Prime Video on 22 September.