Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has so much percolating that when he got on a video interview for “Wonder Man,” his new Marvel series on Disney+, he didn’t seem to be quite sure why he was there.
“I don’t know what I’m working on these days,” he said, laughing. “I tend to be busy, but also I don’t pay much attention to my career a lot of the time. Sometimes I forget.”
That’s the antithesis of his “Wonder Man” character, Simon, a struggling actor with a torturous artistic process who feels misunderstood, like a star stuck in day-player roles.
“He’s enhanced” — Simon has superhuman powers — “and so he has a big secret,” Abdul-Mateen said. “You can’t act and perform well and be so tight and be so precious.” Still, Abdul-Mateen added, as a former architect who decided to study acting at Yale, “I do remember what it was like just needing a chance to be seen.”
Abdul-Mateen landed his first television job on the 2016 Netflix series “The Get Down” before he’d even completed his master’s. He went on to win an Emmy as Cal Abar in the HBO series “Watchmen” and earned a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut in the 2022 revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’s “Topdog/Underdog.”
His upcoming projects include another Netflix series, “Man on Fire”; “By Any Means” with Mark Wahlberg; and “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” directed by David Fincher and written by Quentin Tarantino.
But those weren’t the only things wreaking havoc on Abdul-Mateen’s memory.
“I got a little puppy,” he said — Buddy, a 40-pound giant schnauzer — before elaborating on why Gucci loafers, a giant whiteboard and a book on astrophysics made his list. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
The Bible
It’s important to remember that God is really the head of all this and nothing that I’m doing is on my own ability. It’s all the blessing of God. And that really helps me to keep things in perspective.
My Semi-Secret Comedic Side
I love to laugh. I think I’m the third-funniest person in the world. The first might be Dave Chappelle. The second is my friend Antoine. And hardly nobody knows that about me.
‘Astrophysics for People in a Hurry’ by Neil deGrasse Tyson
It’s like for dummies, people who don’t have the time to stop and go through 10 years of school. But it helps me to think about the universe and what is really happening. I never want to think that I’m the center of the universe — to think that the only thing that’s out there is what I see. The more I learn about the science of the universe, the more amazing God is to me because there’s so much order in what we see as chaos. I think the best feeling in the world is having your mind blown.
Black Sweats and Gucci Loafers
It’s like being casual and mysterious. I can put it on and look good and feel good and still feel kind of classy and comfortable at the same time.
Family
Family is everything. I’m the youngest of six. They really are the reason I believe in myself, because they believe in me and they keep me humble, but they also put wind in my sails.
Diptyque Candles on the Road
I’m super low-maintenance, but I move around a lot, and I do ask for a Diptyque candle when I’m working. That’s like a nonnegotiable, because it’s a familiar scent and that’s enough to give me that feeling that I’m right at home.
My Porsche 911
That was a gift to myself. I can take a drive and put on my music, or I can open the sunroof and listen to the engine with no music. Basically, I have a fancy office on wheels that I can go anywhere in.
‘It Is What It Is’ With Mase and Cam’ron
I watch the show every morning. It’s funny. They give great sports takes mixed in with entertaining pop culture conversations. It’s basically professional barbershop talk with an unfiltered delivery. It’s been a part of the morning routine for going on three years.
Minding My Business
I don’t really want to have neighbors anymore. Ambition has been the theme of my life for so long and trying to get to where I want to be. And I’ve looked up, and I’m where I want to be. It’s like, bro, you can chill now. Now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and also plant new seeds.
Keeping Track of Everything on a Whiteboard
I’ve got great ideas. I think my ideas are the best ideas. I don’t always have time to flesh all of them out, but I’ve got this giant whiteboard in my living room and I just write things down. I write goals, I write jokes, I write plans, ideas. Everything goes on that board. Then whenever I’m erasing, it’s because I’ve accomplished something on there.
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