Spoilers Ahead
David Gyasi’s portrayal of Austin Dennison in The Diplomat has solidified him as a standout in Netflix’s political thriller.
As the British Foreign Secretary, Dennison navigates high-stakes international crises, personal ethics, and simmering romantic tension with Ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell).
The last time we spoke with Gyasi was right after the release of Season 1. At that time, he teased that Season 2 would bring even more excellent writing for Dennison—and he was right!
We had the opportunity to chat with Gyasi about the complexities of Dennison’s character, how the role has impacted him, and more.
Walking down the street has been a little different for Gyasi since the series premiered in April 2023.
“Dennison’s probably the person that looks the most like me of all the parts I’ve played. That’s a bit of a difference. Certainly getting called out a bit more in the street,” Gyasi shared about the changes he’s experienced since he series debuted.
For Gyasi, the Dennison character has been a new journey. His previous roles didn’t often extend across multiple seasons or were film roles where audiences only connected with the character in a single viewing experience.
“Going on this journey with Dennison, this is the first time I’ve gone into a third season of something. Usually, it’s either a film or a standalone limited series, so you get to see the middle and the end on the page,” Gyasi said.
Season 2 of The Diplomat picks up after the explosive finale of Season 1, where a car bomb left Kate’s husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), gravely injured. This season, Kate and Dennison investigate the bombing of a British aircraft carrier, initially suspecting Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), unraveling secrets reveal the true culprit might lie elsewhere in the British government.
There’s a noticeable shift this season compared to the first, with Dennison’s character not completely in the spotlight.
“What I found in the second season was a bit of a sadness come over me,” Gyasi admitted. “I felt like he was becoming more silent and a bit quieter.”
Still, every time Dennison appears on screen, his presence is felt. This season, a major plot point revolved around Dennison nearly becoming the prime minister.
However, Gyasi didn’t think Dennison truly believed this would happen. “When I read that bit in the script, I thought, hang on a minute, Dennison is more experienced and more in the know to know that this might not happen,” Gyasi explained. “I don’t know that he runs with this until it actually happens. There is a moment where Kate, who is his only real confidant, where he lets it sort of slip in his face—a little bit of a smile—but other than that he’s prepared.”
Gyasi likened Dennison’s smile to a moment in Vice President Kamala Harris’s concession speech. “You see Kamala [Harris] afterwards. Her speech—the grace, the poise. You go into something like that, and I would imagine all of your efforts are towards the result that you want, but there’s an inkling of, ‘how does this go if not?'” he said.
He also reflected on America’s recent presidential elections. “If you were to scratch off the names on those CVs, the sex, and the race, and you would just to put those two CVs on a table and the felonies on a table and what their history is; I’m not sure there would be that much of a competition,” he said.
Amid the political turmoil, Season 2, continues Dennison’s evolving dynamic with Kate. By the end of Season 1, their professional relationship had shifted into a more romantic one, with both expressing interest.
In the new season, overt romance takes a back seat to professional respect and unspoken conflict.
Gyasi believes the feelings are still there. “I don’t think these things [feelings between Kate and Dennison] disintegrate. I think what happens is there’s all of this other stuff to sort out, and Kate and Dennison just go, ‘We can’t look at that,'” Gyasi shared.
As a Black man in such a high-stakes role, Dennison has more to lose. “For Kate to have a fling, how does that affect her? For Dennison to have a fling, if it comes out, he’s one of one—there’s no one coming up underneath him so the stakes are so high for him. So I think for him, it’s about working out, ‘Hey, what does this what does this actually mean for you [Kate] and what does it mean for me?’ I don’t think he’s about to cross that Line to scratch somebody’s itch,” Gyasi shared.
Season 2 ended on another cliffhanger, with the President of the United States dying and the Vice President stepping in. Gyasi hopes to see a more vocal Dennison in the next chapter.
“Season 2’s quietness, this internal scream that he has, this furnace inside him—I’d love to see some of that,” Gyasi said. “That might come out in him going…, ‘Kate, this is how,’ and however that goes. It might come out in a board meeting going, “F it!”
Check out the full interview.
Photo Credit: Netflix
