Oscar Isaac is one of the rare actors who can step between blockbuster filmmaking and serious acting with ease, so expectations are high for his take on the obscure Marvel character. In a new interview with NME, Isaac details his process for embodying the complex character. The actor revealed that he has found inspiration in some very unexpected places — primarily, British comedy.

“I thought, ‘What’s an energy that I haven’t seen in the MCU before? Like, what if someone asked Peter Sellers to be in a Marvel movie,” Isaac said. “And then I thought of Karl Pilkington,” he adds. “I was watching a lot of ‘An Idiot Abroad,’ not so much for the accent, but for the comedy of it: like, you often don’t know if he knows he’s being funny. And there’s something a little bit naturally introverted about him, which I really liked a lot.” Related Ethan Hawke Praises Method Acting with a Caveat: ‘It’s Crazy’ If You Don’t Act Like a ‘Grown-Up’ on Set Ethan Hawke Credits Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese for Inspiring Him to Not Quit Hollywood Related The 15 Best Vampire Movies Ever Made 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023
The fish-out-of-water nature of those films and shows helped Isaac put his role into perspective, so he continued to dive down the rabbit hole of British comedy. “I also listened to Russell Kane, the comedian, because he comes from [Enfield],” he said. “And I put in a bit of Russell Brand, even though he’s much more loquacious. And then, really, it was about finding the [character]’s emotional place. Like, why he is kind of mumbly and inward.” Even with some help from classic cinema, Isaac stressed that playing a character with so many personalities was a daunting task. “Generally, the fun part about being an actor is reacting to something, right?” he said. “Like, [your scene partner] does something different, which changes the way you do it and keeps you present. But sometimes, I’d show up on set and it would be a scene with myself. So I’d have to figure out, ‘Well, who do I want to be first?’” “Moon Knight” begins streaming on Disney+ on March 30.  Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.