TEN YEARS AGO, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was
working as a city planner in San Francisco, when
he was unexpectedly laid off. His dreams of
becoming an architect vanished. They were soon
replaced by acting and, a decade later, the New
Orleans-born 33-year-old is now one of the most
in-demand actors in Hollywood, about to make
the leap from “oh, that guy” to “The guy”. He
is still fl ummoxed by his breakthrough.
“Yesterday I was on a plane, just kind of
chilling,” he recalls with a laugh. “I still can’t
pinpoint in my mind what caused me to
remember in that moment that I played Doctor
Manhattan. But I freaked out.” He’s talking about
his surprise role in Watchmen, the hugely
acclaimed TV adaptation of the comic by
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, in which his
house-husband character is revealed to be an
omniscient blue god. It was a surprise for him,
too. “I didn’t know!” he recalls. “I was just
excited to be in the show. But yeah, Damon
[Lindelof, the show’s creator] sat me down
somewhere between the fi rst and second episode
and let me know where we were going with that
character and, man, I just kind of lost it.”
He’s diplomatic on whether a second season,
thrown into doubt by Lindelof, will actuallyhappen: “As a fan, I would love to see where
the story goes...but there is a specifi c artistic
desire for it stand alone.” The real question
is when he’d fi nd the time to fi lm it. Next up
is a starring role in the new Candyman fi lm,
a spiritual sequel to the 1992 cult horror, this
time co-written by Jordan Peele (who also
directed Abdul-Mateen in a small role in Us).
“I can’t say much,’’ he admits, “but I’m excited.
This movie will say something new while also
honouring the legacy of the story that came
before. I’m hoping it’s going to be an important
cultural moment — and scary, too.”
He won’t be drawn on the rumours that he’s
playing Anthony, the baby seen in the original
fi lm: “Oh, you did some digging!” he laughs,
a little nervously. “I cannot confi rm that.” Nor
can he be drawn on the role of the original
Candyman, Tony Todd, who is returning for
what seemingly amounts to a cameo. “I wasn’t
fortunate enough to meet Tony,” he says.
(Though this could be a double-bluff .)
Like the Peele horrors before it, Candyman
has the potential to be the watercooler fi lm
of 2020. As does The Matrix sequel in 2021, in
which Abdul-Mateen has landed a starring role
alongside Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.Again, he won’t address the rumour that he
might be playing a young Morpheus. But he’s
been in heavy training for weeks — it is, it’s fair
to say, a physical role. “It’s The Matrix, man!”
he exclaims. “It would be a shame if I don’t have
a chance to kick ass, get my ass kicked, dodge
bullets, do some cool shit.”
Like a lot of his projects, he seems to be
coming to it with a giddy sense of excitement.
“I’ve seen the [original] fi lm so many times.
You know, I can be an actor and also step back
and just be a real fan of the things I’m working
on. I’m really excited.” With roles in Aaron
Sorkin’s directorial debut and Aquaman 2 also
somehow squeezing into his heaving schedule,
the San Francisco planners’ offi ce is more
distant a memory than ever. JOHN NUGENTCANDYMAN IS IN CINEMAS FROM 11 JUNENo. / 15
The year
of Yahya
With starring roles in Watchmen, Candyman, Aquaman and
The Matrix 4, YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II is having a moment.
He speaks to Empire on his breakthrough 12 months
Top to bottom: Nice helmet: Abdul-Mateen II in Aquaman;
Going blue in the face for Watchmen.Getty ImagesPREVIEW