‘The Vampire Diaries’ Q&A: Michael Malarkey on Continuing Enzo’s Journey

Michael Malarkey returns as Enzo this Thursday night on “The Vampire Diaries.”

Missing since the Season 5 finale, when the charming Enzo reappears on The CW drama, he will be focused on bringing back his only friend, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), from the mysterious place he ended up following the collapse of the Other Side.

Enzo and Damon had a few spats over the years, like when Damon left him behind during their Augustine Society escape attempt, and when Enzo found out Damon killed his love Maggie, but their friendship continues (Damon did help get him back from the other side).

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As Enzo, Michael has been a welcome addition to the show, whether it’s watching him get under Caroline’s skin, connecting on an emotional level with Damon, or facing off with Stefan. Now a series regular, Michael told Access Hollywood about settling in on set, why he wanted to stay on the show when another opportunity came up, and what we’ll see this Thursday and beyond now that Enzo is back.

AccessHollywood.com: Tell me about what it’s been like being a full-time cast member. What are the perks? Do you get a special chair (laughs)?
Michael Malarkey:
Well, I get my own permanent dressing room, which is nice, so, you know, I can create my little artist’s den there… and put some pictures up and make it all sexy like (laughs), just to create a nice little environment for me to go over my scripts and stuff, you know, stick my guitar in there. So that’s nice. Yeah, I do get my own chair as well, but whatever. It’s a chair (laughs). Yeah, it’s great to be back full time. It’s just nice to kind of know that I’m here now and the thing about when you’re a guest star is they fly you back and forth between episodes and it’s hard to kind of keep your headspace, I think, when you’re doing that over and over again.

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Access: When did they ask/tell you [about becoming a series regular]? I know that’s a little back in time for you, when you became a series regular, but I did want to hear about that moment, because that’s very cool.
Michael
: Yeah, it was pretty cool. I was back in London for one episode. I was sending a bunch of tapes out still because you’re still able to audition for other work when you’re a guest star and I ended up getting another job, basically. I can’t say what it was, but I got a nice offer for some other work, on a different show, as a regular, and basically brought that to ‘Vampire Diaries,’ and they kind of counter offered and we did that whole thing back and forth and I just felt like my time with Enzo wasn’t quite done yet. I kind of thought about, you know, leaving. And I was like, ‘Okay, yeah. That could be cool.’ And then I was like, ‘Eh.’ I just love those guys, and I feel like also, I really, really enjoy the character and I hadn’t really gotten the chance to explore all the sides of him yet, and so I actually knew I was gonna be a regular around Christmas last year.

Access: You were talking about wanting to explore the different sides of the character – I want to know what has he be doing since he came back from the other side, because we didn’t get to see him in the premiere. Did you sort of make up a little fantasy sequence for your character about what he has been doing?
Michael:
I imagine he went back to London for a bit and hit up a few pubs, had a few roast dinners, had a few roast people and went gambling and went down the casino a little bit and probably enjoyed life back from the other side because he was there for a bit at the end of the season.

Access: Your character was imprisoned in so many ways last season.
Michael:
Oh my God, yeah. He’s had a hard run. And then, when we finally do see him, he’s got down to the issue of Damon’s death and he’s trying to get him back.

Access: How does he feel about Damon, because you were trying to hurt him, but when you were on the other side you saw him working hard to try and get you back, which must have been wonderful?
Michael:
Yeah, well, you know, Damon’s his only friend that he’s had really, so I think he’s – whatever kind of vendettas were there before have been expunged by now and he’s like, ‘Look, I’d rather just have my friend here than not.’ Good friends have kind of scrapes from time to time, but, you know, the best of friends get over those things.

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Access: It’s true. You know who aren’t good friends though — Enzo and Stefan.
Michael:
True.

Access: What is it going to be like when those two see each other again? I imagine that’s not going to be the happiest of reunions.
Michael: Oh they run into each other’s arms and embrace (laughs).

Access: Then they do a little face painting.
Michael:
Yeah, play Scrabble. Enzo strongly disapproves with how Stefan is actually… (Editor’s note: A female voice can be heard in the background) Nice to see you. That’s Danielle Campbell. You know Danielle from ‘The Originals’? We’re in the same building.

Access: Interview guest appearance.
Michael:
Yeah, you can tell ’em she was here. Basically, yeah he disapproves of how Stefan is dealing with the loss of Damon and basically tells him that. There’s a lot of kind of spiky interactions between Stefan and Enzo this season.

Access: How hard is Enzo going to be working [to bring Damon back] because this collapsed Other Side thing and where Bonnie and Damon are is really the big mystery this season, but you do play a very determined character.
Michael:
He’ll stop at nothing to try to get what he wants. He’s got a soldier’s mentality, so anything he deals with, he wants it to get done and he’ll stop at nothing short of making out with people and killing others. So a bit a both.

Access: I’m glad he’s willing to go there. Is there any chance we’ll get some flashbacks with your character this season?
Michael:
You know, I’d really hope so. I kind of have my own theories as to how he became a vampire and all that stuff and I’d like to see if the writers’ ideas are similar or not. I’ve talked to some of the writers about all this stuff, and I think they are keen to explore some things. Hopefully we can manage to squeeze it into the season, depending on where the storylines go.

Access: You’re on another road trip with Caroline. You guys really like to be in the car together – those two characters. What’s that going to be like? It looks like there’s some fun dialogue from the previews that have been released online.
Michael:
Yeah, well Caroline is — she’s one of the only other people who is actually seemingly concerned with Damon and Bonnie being… wherever they are, so he naturally has his mission [and it] kind of slightly links up with hers – they coincide, so you’ll see some interactions between them as they both try to purse that.

“The Vampire Diaries” airs Thursday at 8/7c on The CW.

Jolie Lash

 

 

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