Interviews: Alexander Skarsgård, David Dastmalchian and more talk the new action-comedy series Murderbot

Murderbot is not quite as vicious as the title suggests. Based on the series by author Martha Wells, Murderbot is a blend of science fiction and comedy that follows the title security android as it works for and alongside human beings despite not liking their species very much. Told across eight, half-hour episodes, Murderbot is a faithful adaptation of the first story in The Murderbot Diaries and should make fans of the source material very happy. With a great cast including a group of famous actors in minor roles, Murderbot is one of the most fun series of the year.

Murderbot follows the main character, an android played by Alexander Skarsgard, as he hides the fact that he hacked himself and no longer needs to preserve human life. Preferring to watch his favorite television series, the series is full of voice-over narration by Murderbot as he complains about the idiot humans he works for, including Gurathin (David Dastmalchian), who suspects Murderbot may not be what they think he is. With alien monsters as a threat and rival human factions, Murderbot must choose whether to work with his human employers or save himself.

I talked with the cast and creators of Murderbot about the new series. Showrunners and directors Chris and Paul Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy) talked about changes they needed to make from the books and whether they have a long-term plan to adapt all the books in The Murderbot Diaries. Tamara Podemski spoke about how her character, Bharadwaj, felt as one of her first truly comedic roles. Akshay Khanna, who plays Ratthi, spoke about the physical humor and stunts he got to participate in. Tattiawna Jones and Sabrina Wu, who play Arada and Pin-Lee, talked about the relationship elements between their characters and whether they felt the series was a glimpse into what fundamental societal norms are like in 2025. Noma Dumezweni talked about playing Dr. Mensah as a good and truthful person. In contrast, David Dastmalchian discussed whether he viewed playing Gurathin as a villain or a troubled guy. Alexander Skarsgard talked about the appeal of playing Murderbot and how he imbued the character with

Murderbot premieres with two episodes on May 16th on Apple TV+.

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