There’s really only been a handful of characters that have been uploaded into the “Tron” franchise, but one that stands out more than most is Michael Sheen’s larger-than-life double-crosser with even larger hair, Castor from the underappreciated “Tron: Legacy.” While costumes were lightly electrocuting cast members, Sheen was lighting up the screen as the owner of the End of Line Club, drawing on vastly different points of reference to bring his character to life.
It was clear from the first glance that Castor took a massive inspiration from David Bowie and his glitter-covered alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust. However, there was also a character from the comedy classic “Beverly Hills Cop” that managed to earn a brief nod during Sam Flynn’s (Garrett Hedlund) visit to the most happening and hardwired place in Tron City.
“Castor is a program, and I thought of him as being a popular-culture mashup program that churns out all these different things. That led me to David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust, and Bowie being a chameleon, and a bit of Chaplin,” explained Sheen to Vulture. “At one point, I did a bit from ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ Bronson Pinchot’s ‘I make it myself.’ It’s fun to think, maybe someone will get this,” Sheen hoped, referencing the extravagant art dealer, Serge, who appeared in three of the “Beverly Hills Cop” films. But while a fragment of Castor was copied and pasted from that character that couldn’t say “Axel Foley,” the rest of the duplicitous program was made up from the pop icon Sheen modeled his entire life on.
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Tron: Legacy let Michael Sheen work in Serge and pay homage to David Bowie
Serge in Beverly Hills Cop and David Bowie in The Prestige side by side – Netflix / Buena Vista
Castor’s capability in hospitality might have shown echoes of Serge, but the star of the 2010 sequel revealed that the majority of Castor’s construction came from David Bowie. “I do another bit that’s completely David Bowie from ‘Drive‐In Saturday,’ where he goes, ‘Drinks for everybody!’ I was being more flamboyant than any showgirl. He was giving it large, really, wasn’t he?”
While it was only a single appearance in the franchise, Castor certainly left his mark, with Sheen relishing the role that ended on a somewhat ambiguous note that could find space for a comeback if a fourth “Tron” film ever comes to pass. For Sheen though, he was just grateful to use a performance to pay his respects to musical legend in the process.
Speaking to WalesOnline back in 2010, before the film’s premiere, Sheen said, “My whole life has been inspired by David Bowie, and, with Castor, I liked the idea of someone who has reinvented himself over and over again in order to survive, which inevitably led me to Ziggy Stardust.” But while Castor might’ve been an amalgamation of personalities, there’s no doubt that Sheen’s balance of them all led him to make one of the franchise’s most interesting and standout characters. Fans might always have love for the Flynn family that has existed both in and outside of the digital world, but seeing the return of Castor in whatever future plans are in place for “Tron” would be an upgrade we wouldn’t say no to.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
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