Skyler Gisondo On Gideon Gemstones Redemption Road
Skyler Gisondo of Righteous Gemstones wasn't driving the Redemption monster truck, but said seeing it in action was "the most fun I've ever had." Photo: Jake Giles Netter/HBO
Chapter 3, Episode 7: " Burn for Burn, Scar for Scar, Strip Naked."
No one has changed Gideon's view of the TV family quite like Skylar Gisondo. In the first season of The Righteous Gemstone , eldest son Jesse (series creator Danny McBride), the eldest heir to the Gemstone, is estranged from his parents and works as a stuntman in Los Angeles. He returns to hunt down Jesse and steal money from the church coffers, then goes to Haiti for missionary work. In Chapter Two, Gideon's frosty relationship with his parents fizzles out, and his martial arts and motorcycle skills help protect the Gems from various enemies. As Eli's manager in Season 3, Gideon is now more fully involved in the family's activities with a deeper understanding of how his grandfather ran the church and his desire to contain rival members of the Montgomery family.
Once Jesse's monster truck, Redemption hits screens this season, Gideon is assigned to drive it — and in "Burn after Burn, Wound by Wound, Stripe by Stripe," he uses it to rescue his kidnapped father, Aunt Judy (Eddie Patterson) and Uncle W. Kelvin (Adam D) from captivity by soldiers. Gisondo has never driven this shop-made metal jacket, but described watching it in action as "the most fun I've ever seen."
One of the most likable, and seemingly normal characters, Gisondo makes Gideon a kind, intelligent young man determined to put his guilt behind him and take control of his smoking habit. What if he had to drive a monster truck into a group of cops to protect his family? Get out of Gideon's way.
This interview with Gisondo, conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, has been edited and condensed.
When we meet Gideon this season, he's wearing a neck brace that restricts his movement. Are you prepared differently knowing that you are restricted?
From the first scene — the image of Gideon smoking a cigarette and drinking beer by the pool and the afternoon in his bathing suit — the whole thing just blew me away. In fact, it was not a very difficult task. The costume department was amazing. They made this necklace very comfortable. It's always nice to support and play with these physical things. It wouldn't be much easier in terms of workload. You go to work, you put on your pajamas, and then you're told to lie in the lounge by the pool for 12 hours.
Gideon's parents forced him to be Eli's manager. Are you actually driving through these scenes?
Either they have stunts or we're on stage where the car is being pulled or strapped to something so they can light up the scene well. But on the other hand, I go through a lot of places, and it's just me and John Goodman. On the surface, it's like John and I are driving today, and then you get in the car and you're driving, and you realize, "Oh, I'm in charge of John Goodman's life now." This man is a national treasure and I will lead him. This is normal due to a lot of stress. Since I got my license ten years ago, I'm less nervous when I drive. God, please don't let anything happen and I'm responsible for John Goodman's safety .
You were able to do something interesting. There is a rhythm where I will quickly come back and suddenly stop. They had sandbags to mark the place and I saw our coordinator in the rearview mirror. I kicked it in the opposite direction and hit a hard spot where I hit my brakes. These were the most dangerous things I was allowed to do. Every time a trick came up in previous seasons, whether it was a dirt bike or a car, I spent a few weeks practicing the tricks. We always do that once or twice where they're like, "Let's see Skyler actually pull a bike or a car," and I'll do that and everyone will say, "Okay, okay, let's look at the study." He did that once and he sure looks cooler than me. Everyone was like , "Why are we wasting Skylar's time doing this?" They gave me a chance, but we all realized that they are professionals and that's what they do .
How was John Goodman as a co-star? Was this the best time you two had together on set?
Of course he was, yes, and he is human. John is very nice, polite, and easy to deal with. We spent a lot of time alone in the car because we would shoot long, fast driving shots or sequences, and then they would have to reload the car. Or we put up a drone camera and get on the road and do the scene a few times with Judy Hill or David Gordon Green or Danny McBride directing the scene with a headset. It's one of those real-life moments when you take a step back and realize how lucky you are.
I love when Gideon puts on his sexy jacket when he's riding the turtle; He takes this responsibility as the officer very seriously, which is a drastic change from seasons past. Did you try to do something with Gideon this season to show how comfortable Gideon is in his family?
Dany gave me a great macro view of the entire Gideon arc. It's a different physical and emotional atmosphere from previous seasons where Gideon was constantly running around - everything in season one felt like in a heist movie, right? Stress, pressure and constant forward movement. I take the time to think about the material, but when I get too angry or too existential, I'll give you... I feel a little weird about the performance. Especially with John as a stage partner. He is a real person so you can go to these scenes and meet him. I wouldn't go on stage too busy with my performance, I would just watch John and follow his lines. If I go to a scene thinking about the timing, it's going to end badly.
Gideon bought the fisherman this season. Are you a fan of monster trucks or is this world new to you?
The page reads something like this: "The hunter's monster truck drives through the gate into the field." Then come and see what happens. It has a modified exhaust, shoots flames, and shoots 20 feet in the air. There was a lot of technical stuff to figure out in Redemption , and it's crazy to see them pull off such crazy action sequences and performances with so much logistics and planning. I've never been to a monster truck rally and still haven't been to it, but now I'm ready to go.
In fact, I never drove the redemption car . I think, with how poorly made the dirt bike is, everyone knows we definitely wouldn't let Skyler get behind the wheel of this savior . There's no way he's going to look cool doing that or rocking it . When I got into the cab, it was always hydraulic, not motion. They designed this crazy device while we were on board the Redeemer . But they had a professional giant truck driver. The boy was ready to go to work.
There's really no day you forget how lucky you are to be a part of this: Today, my job is to sit in a burning monster truck and scream for hours with Danny McBride and the funniest people in the world.
Before Gideon Hunter gets robbed, he follows May-May around Camp Woodfeather looking for Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin. How was he crawling?
There were many such moments. At the end of Season 2, we have a scene where Danny and I escape from the hospital on ninja bikes and shoot. It reads on a page like this: "Essie and Gideon running through the hospital door. Jessie and Gideon covered. OK, I get it. Then you put on your headphones and run to do the first thing, and when you see four guys with semi-automatic pistols and start shooting blanks and it's hard to hear, there's a big, funny, funny moment where you lose your mind."
While Gideon is managing Eli, he begins reading the most recent "documented" biography of Eli , in His Kingdom . Is there anything printed in the book and when should you read it?
I think there is something in the book. I always think it's the hardest game to play - doing mundane things - because in your everyday life it's much more difficult if you're reading a book or changing the channel on TV. But you have to do something to get it to be read on camera to see what's going on. Finally, you always feel crazy. Nobody reads a book with such effort. You start doing things you've never done before, like tracing words with your fingers. This casual time will make you shiver at the end . This is the worst game I have ever played in my life. I thought he was an idiot reading this book. I have always thought that normal human behavior is more difficult than crying or screaming.
Your introduction of "Sky Montgomery" is such a change for Gideon, who is usually stoic and polite. He was pushed as far as he could get from his cousins.
It was funny to find this, because you said it right: usually not Gideon. I have to quote Danny-isms, he has such a delivery and intonation in the way he speaks; Gideon gets closer to his father and his family again and takes more decorative paths. He finds it most at home in the rhythm of the family and how it interacts with the world. Those lines always pissed me off, but Gideon never said them. I've always been scratching my head, especially at what Danny said about "dad." I can't hold my face when Danny says that word.
During this season, Gideon's younger brother, Pontius, had the word Blessing tattooed on his face. If Gideon had to tattoo his face, what do you think he'd do?
Gideon is most likely a pioneer or . I recently got my first tattoo.
What was your first tattoo?
In Hebrew , gam is Zeyavor , which means "This also shall pass." It was something I thought about for a long time. My mother was very angry because she thought I was tattooed because when I was growing up it was said "You wouldn't be buried in a Jewish cemetery with a tattoo". And of course she loved it. You almost cried, oh God. I remember when I was 19, I went to USC and I had to quit working. I'm almost 27 now and last week I said to my mom, "Mom, what would you say if someone told you when I was 16 that your tattooed son was going to drop out of college?" She said, "You know, it's not as bad as I thought."
Jordan Fisher, son of metal shop owner Rick DeSharon, and Ryan DeSharon, rode Redemption at various points during the season. As seen in the upcoming Metal Monsters movie "Righteous Redemption" July 30th at the top, the company has built Redemption for the show.
