Collider: With as popular as comic book and superhero movies and TV shows are now, what’s it like to get to be a part of the DC universe, in such a big way?
COLTON HAYNES: My brother gets so mad because he’s the comic book guru and he is obsessed, and I’ve had to deal with him my entire life, talking about these characters. When Greg [Berlanti] called me to come be on the show, I didn’t know that it was actually a popular character. So, my brother found out online and basically called me in tears and was like, “I can’t believe that you’re basically playing the Robin in Batman.” And I was like, “You need to calm down.” Now we’re mid-way through Season 3, and I understand the excitement and how incredible the fandom is and how and how incredible the comics are. It took me some time, but now I understand why it’s so incredible. I love comic books now.
Roy Harper has come such a long way, since we first met him. Did you have any idea that he would be as developed as he is now, or were you just hoping that things might turn out the way they have?
HAYNES: I had no idea. There were probably five weeks that I’d been off work with my previous job, and then I came on to do this, thinking it would be three to six episodes. And then, it turned into a series regular and I actually became part of Team Arrow, which was really cool, but it was so out of nowhere and so quick. I think I got the call at 10 pm, that they wanted me to be a series regular, and I was like, “What?! It’s 10 pm. I have to sign my contract now?” So, at 10 pm, I had to say yes to a deal, and I was so excited.
What’s most surprised you about the journey that you’ve taken with this character and what you’ve learned about him?
HAYNES: What’s surprised me the most is that originally Roy Harper was very guarded and had put up a big shield. He had a lot of parental issues from the past that he wore on his sleeve, but you have to break down all of that. I don’t want to say that Roy Harper became a softie, but he’s sensitive now, in a way that helps him. You see him in scenes with Thea and he’s sensitive towards her and really shows his love towards her, but then he can be out on the battlefield and still be a bad-ass. He’s always flipping off of things. Anytime there’s a car, he’s going to do a flip off of it, which is really cool.
When you wear such an awesome costume for work, does it take away some of the fun of Halloween? Do you ever wish you could wear your costume from the show because it looks so cool, or do you intentionally go out of your way to wear something different for Halloween?
HAYNES: Oh, yeah. Halloween is basically my favorite day of the year. I take it so seriously, and I’ve been that way my entire life. I think it’s ‘cause my mom would make us go over-the-top. She was that kind of person, and I carried that with me. The costume is incredible, but I basically have no dignity, so I like to turn myself into something completely different and express myself that way. It’s clearly ridiculous, but it’s fun. [Fiona from Shrek] was a dream costume of mine, and I can’t even believe that I actually pulled it off, with my friend who did my make-up. It was just the most fun night, ever. I danced so hard that I think my crown fell off four times. It was fun.
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