Calling all vigilantes and enemies of the famous Batman, we have an exclusive interview with Tyler DiChiara, who stars as Cullen Row in the newest show Gotham Knights! We can’t wait to talk to Tyler about his role as Cullen, his thoughts and experience with the show and cast members, and more. This article will not be sharing the contents of the show’s pilot episode, as to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t watched the show as of yet. And now, onto the interview and its refresher.

Gotham Knights recently came out on March 14th with positive reception. The show is about how the famous Bruce Wayne was murdered, and how his adopted son Turner Hayes (portrayed by Oscar Morgan) is to blame. Framed and with almost zero options, Turner develops an alliance with those also framed for Bruce Wayne’s murder: Duela (portrayed by Olivia Rose Keegan), the daughter of Joker, with Harper and Cullen Row (both portrayed by Fallon Smythe and Tyler DiChiara). The four break out of prison, and through this alliance, the group must find Bruce’s killer and clear their names. The show will be airing on the CW Network, and the tagline “Hated. Hunted. Heroes.” has many watchers excited for what’s coming up in this superhero, teen drama show.

It comes as no one’s surprise that this show is inspired by the DC Universe. This show, however, is based on the Batman Eternals comics. What’s also interesting is that the characters in this show are inspired by other DC characters, with Turner Hayes as the exception, as he is an original character made specifically for the show. Duela, or rather Duela Dent in the comics, is a former member of Suicide Squad, Teen Titans, and she was introduced under different alias’ as the villain’s daughter. Her most notable rendition, however, is based on her appearance as the Joker’s daughter in the Batman Family comics. Cullen and Harper Row are also characters in DC Comics, with Harper as the more prominent character in the comics. Harper was supposed to adopt the mantle of Robin, but instead donned her own superhero identity and was promptly named Bluebird. Cullen made appearances in Young Justice, but he was usually the one his sister often saved, whether it be from bullies or other villains.

Here’s a small refresher on Tyler. Born and raised in Staten Island, Tyler received his first leading role as Kai, a trans male, in the Independent Feature Film titled Relish. Tyler hopes to serve as a voice for the younger generation of those who are members of the LGBTQ+ and trans community. You might also recognize him in other works, such as The Virgin of Highland Park and Our Language Is Chaos.

We start the interview by asking what Tyler’s first introduction to the DC Universe was. Tyler talks about he was first introduced to the universe through Batman, specifically Batman: The Dark Knight with Heath Ledger as the Joker. As a child, it was his favorite Batman movie, and he finds it ironic considering his current role in the show. Tyler states that he didn’t know much about the comic book universe, so Batman Eternal (the comics that inspired Gotham Knights) is entirely new for him. When asked about his audition process and who he had the best chemistry read with, Tyler mentioned that he didn’t have one. The process went by quickly, and he received a callback. Then the week after, Tyler received the role. He was grateful that everything was fast-paced, as he mentioned that as an actor, you either hear things back or you don’t.

He mentions that the audition process was fun. He enjoyed meeting the director (Danny Cannon) and the writers for the first time, and he recounts the tale of his audition. When he was going through the final audition, there was construction in his building, right outside his door. Every moment in his audition, a drill would go off, but it was fortunate for Tyler as it was a contributing factor for him. He states that because Gotham is loud if he can act through a drill’s noise, he can act in Gotham. Tyler jokingly mentions that he used it as an advantage.

Thank you, Tyler, for spending some time with us! You can follow him on her Instagram @tylerdichiara_. Please also watch the interview below where we ask Tyler even more questions about his time in Gotham Knights, his character Cullen, and a few other things about the show. While you’re there, be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment!