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NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Frank Grillo says he signed on to play Rick Flag Sr. in the DC Universe because the job uniquely allowed him to explore the character in animated and live-action forms. Grillo's first project in the franchise is Creature Commandos, a cartoon sequel to the film, The Suicide Squad, and Season 1 of Peacemaker.
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Written by DC Films' chairman and CEO, James Gunn, and helmed by showrunner Dean Lorey, Creature Commandos premieres Thursday on Max.
It follows a shadowy governmental agency that enlists monsters and robots for its most dangerous missions now that putting criminals and the mentally ill in the line of fire has been deemed inhumane.
"it's been a gift. It's been really challenging in a fun way, and, for me, it's exciting to be an integral part of something, and this character is that," Grillo, 59, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.
"James has let me kind of run with it and do my thing -- as long as I don't change his words -- to create this guy."
In addition to voicing squad leader Flag in Creature Commandos, Grillo also will appear next year reprising the role in Season 2 of the live-action series, Peacemaker, and the movie, Superman.
Grillo, who is known for his performances in Tulsa King and The Purge films, adjusted his portrayals of Flag depending on the medium in which he was working and with whom he was collaborating.
"In animation, you're in a booth. You're by yourself," Grillo said, referring to how most members of the voice ensemble recorded their lines separately.
"You really get to kind of go over the top, and it's animation, so you can experiment with all kinds of choices and then, coming into the live-action world, you've got to be a little bit more realistic with your choices and authentic -- not so much, but a little bit more. It's a bit of a balancing act."
Grillo described Flag as an "incredibly complex" man.
"Just when you think you have him figured out, especially for me, he does something and you go, 'Oh, wow, that's interesting! I didn't see that coming,' which makes it very fun to portray him," the actor said.
But Grillo also saw Flag as a guy he recognized and to whom he could relate easily.
"There's a big part of him that is much like me as a man, as a person," Grillo said.
"A lot of the choices he makes are things I would do. I've said this before -- to put this skin on as Rick Flag Sr. is about as close to my real personality as I've ever had to do. It's really been great to not have to kind of make up another person," he added.
"It's just a lot of me in Rick Flag Sr. and maybe that was James because he said he had me in mind when he wrote the character. So, in his genius, that may be what James saw."
Joel Kinnaman played Rick Flag Jr., who is killed by Peacemaker (John Cena) in 2021's The Suicide Squad.
His dad is still coming to terms with his death in Creature Commandos, Grillo said.
"I'm a [real-life] father of three sons -- 25, 20 and 16 -- and the idea of that is catastrophic. Do you go on?" he said, referring to a parent's grief after losing a child.
"He'd lay down his life in a second to have his son back," Grillo said. "That's one of the driving forces in Rick Flag Sr.'s life. I think that's what he goes to bed with and he wakes up with every day and [figuring out] how he's going to avenge the death of his boy."
Among the most appealing aspects of Creature Commandos for Grillo was how it seamlessly switches emotional tones and incorporates action, humor and drama into its fast-paced story-lines.
"First of all, it's funny. It's very humorous. There's a lot of levity and good jokes. But, then, it's got a lot of heart. I found myself tearing up when I was watching the episodes," he said.
"I was getting emotional, like 'This is weird,' and it's got unapologetic violence, so it's chock-full of what you want when you sit down to watch a film or a great TV show.
"I'm attached to these characters. They're all kooky, but they're all vulnerable. All of them have a great vulnerability, and that's why I think we get this empathy and sympathy for these characters. It's a cartoon, but I'm like, 'I'm attached!'" he said with a laugh.
Sean Gunn plays GI Robot and Weasel, Zoë Chao plays Nina Mazursky, Steve Agee plays Economos, Alan Tudyk plays Dr. Phosphorus and Indira Varma plays The Bride in the DC comic-book adaptation.
Viola Davis also reprises her Suicide Squad role of the division's boss, Amanda Waller.
