Photography by Marc Cartwright

Young adult actor David Mazouz has been involved in some pretty high profile projects, including the Kiefer Sutherland series Touch. Now, he has landed the coveted hush-hush role of a young adult, pre-Caped Crusader Bruce Wayne in the new origins series Gotham, centered on Police Commissioner James Gordon (The OC’s Ben McKenzie).

“It was really exciting,” David remembers when he learned he was cast in the role. “I screamed really loud. It was one of the best moments of my life!” Immediately upon receiving the news, he began to think about how he would portray young Bruce. “I’ve been taking the same approach as Christian Bale,” he says of the final result. “It’s kind of a darker, more serious side.” Some of the adjectives he uses to describe the boy who grows up to become The Dark Knight are: “dark, serious, lonely, scared, angry, compulsive. He’s  searching for any meaning or reason for his parents’ death. It’s a fun, interesting role to portray,” David concludes.

About his costars, David is elated. “Everybody was perfectly cast for their role,” he says. “A really interesting character is Penguin – it’s a brilliantly creepy and scary role.” He goes on to say that actor Robert Taylor, who plays Oswald Cobbelpot (aka Penguin) does a “brilliant job.” What about any potential involvement between his character and Selena Kyle, who will eventually become Catwoman? While they don’t interact in the pilot episode, “in the second half of the season there should be some interaction between the two,” David teases.

An interesting adjustment that is present in this portrayal of Bruce Wayne, as opposed to the others who capture him later in life, is the heir’s relationship to his stalwart butler Alfred, here played by Sean Pertwee. “The chemistry between Bruce and Alfred is friendlier, more of a relationship,” David shares, referring to their tendency to converse and even spar as opposed to Alfred simply bending to Bruce’s every whim. “It’s more comfortable, more of a friendship.” 

He spends most of his time while shooting with Pertwee, as well as Ben McKenzie, whose character is beginning to shape Bruce into the man and superhero he will eventually become. David loves working with both these actors. “Sean and Ben are amazing role models, and fantastic people,” he inputs. “They teach me to have fun on set!”

But fun aside, Mazouz is consummate professional, and he is more than prepared to take on the challenges of such an iconic role. When asked about what it’s like to portray a child who just lost both his parents in the quickest and grizzliest of ways, he doesn’t bat an eyelash. “It’s part of an actors job,” he says simply. “Just to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes.”

Looking ahead, David is excited to “see how my character evolves into the Caped Crusader.” This season, you already get to glimpse “a little of the vigilante in him.”

We can’t wait to get even more of a glimpse this season!

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