Joining Gotham Season 3's roster of baddies is Mad Hatter, who will be played by "The Walking Dead" alum Benedict Samuel. (Photo : Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy)
Darker times are coming to "Gotham" Season 3 as more villains arrive in town. Joining the show's roster of baddies is Mad Hatter, who will be played by "The Walking Dead" alum Benedict Samuel. The Australian actor is joining the show as a series regular.
Mad Hatter, whose alter-ego is Jervis Tetch, is a talented hypnotist. His arrival in Gotham is not without precedence - he's in town to find his sister, Alice, who went missing years prior. The character is played by Naian Gonzalez Norvind.
In an interview with Zap2it, Samuel dished more details about his character and the motives behind his evil acts. "His purpose is to find his sister and I think he'll move hell and high earth to find her," Samuel revealed.
But it's more of a game of hide and seek for the siblings. Alice didn't just go missing, she deliberately disappeared because she doesn't want her brother to find her. Given Jervis' psychopathic nature, Alice has good reason to hide from her brother.
"There are so many pieces to him," Samuel said about Mad Hatter. "There's a child in there and there's also a psychopath."
The character is inspired by the Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland," but with a dangerous mix of derangement. He uses technology to control his victims and ask them to do his bidding. In "Gotham" Season 3, his sanctuary is filled with creepy dolls and toys, and at the center is a long table with cakes, resembling Mad Hatter's tea party in "Alice in Wonderland."
In the comic books, Mad Hatter suffers many psychological ailments, although it's uncertain how much of these will be explored in "Gotham" Season 3.
When asked how he was going to bring the character to life in "Gotham" Season 3, Samuel said he's going to take a very basic approach while honoring the legacy that comes with the name.
Aside from Mad Hatter, Clayface is another villain confirmed by executive producer John Stephens. "Clayface and Mad Hatter are both villains we're going to bring in [as well]. They both have great backstories and great personalities," Stephens told Collider. "Clayface especially is a character I want to [explore the origin of]."
"Gotham" Season 3 premieres on Sept. 19 on FOX.
