A few weeks ago I attended the Doctor Strange Press Junket, or rather #DoctorStrangeEvent, I was one of 25 bloggers there for Walt Disney Studios (Disclosure: All-Expenses Paid). When I learned that Benedict Wong has been cast as the character Wong in Doctor Strange I knew that I had to get out to this press trip. I had to be a part of it just so I could get a chance to talk to him, even if it was to ask a question and nothing more. I am a big fan of his work on Marco Polo and I had to refrain from addressing him as “Great Khan”. Seriously, he is a great actor and a presence on screen. In person he is an affable fellow who laughs and smiles easily. This is a very different person from his character in Doctor Strange. Wong is an incredibly serious character. He knows what is at stake should the sorcerers fail in their mission. He also knows that being the keeper of the library is important because the last librarian met with a pretty terrible fate.

For some reason Wong’s nature vexes Doctor Strange and he makes it his mission to get the guy to crack a smile. There are many scenes where Wong provides the comic relief just by being so stoic. Many of my favorite scenes were with Doctor Strange and Wong. So, when Benedict Wong entered the room I was so thrilled. We then began to ask him questions about his time working on Doctor Strange. I even got to ask one of the questions.

Question: What was your favorite moment behind the scenes?

Benedict Wong: My favorite moment. I’ve known Benedict and Chiwetel over the years and have been in a few films with them. I’m very thrilled to be a part of this incredible cast, this magnitude of Marvel, and embarking on this incredible journey together. I just feel ecstatic.

I think when we came back in LA, we did a bit of additional photography. I was just looking over incredible costumes as we were walking into Santorum again. Sometimes, there are just beautiful moments and you just get that warm, fuzzy feeling. I think it was a warm fuzzy Actor Production feeling. I just thought, ‘Awe Wow!’ It’s culminated into something really wonderful and a childhood dream of being in the Marvel Universe. Yeah, I was thrilled.

Question: How long did it take for you to film your part of the whole Movie?

Benedict Wong: I was taping another show. I was filming for seven months for Marco Polo so I was traveling around the world. Then, I was auditioning in Budapest and sending tapes in Slovakia. Then I found out [about getting the role] in Malaysia and so I was always making these calls. It was like I was from a different world. I finished that and then I flew back to London, dumped my bags, and was picked up an hour later straight in. It was really full on, yeah.

Question: Were you a comic book fan before and if you were, did you feel a lot of pressure from such an iconic role?

Benedict Wong: I used to collect a lot of Marvel Comics. I was always a big Spider-Man fan and always collected my 3 go to comics. They were Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man, and Web of Spider-Man which I’ve got a #1 copy. You’d often read and then there would be a little subheading of go read Fantastic Four, but I could never afford them. There was a comic book store which is no longer there out in Manchester. God Bless His Soul, Odyssey Seven. I’d just be mining through these stories til you get sort of chucked out. I never really knew much about Dr. Strange if I’m honest. Then I saw Chiwetel for lunch one time. I asked what he was up to. OK, you’re doing this Dr. Strange.

Then I saw this picture, it was Dr. Strange, and then there was a Wong Character. I was like, “what?” I was always so crestfallen that there were no Asian Superheroes, like where are the Super Asians. I have to simply get this by birthright. My ancestors will not let me live this down. Then bit by bit, the stars aligned and they kindly moved the dates and that’s where it went straight into filming. What’s fantastic is, they’re just honing these Movies and they want to get them right for the fans. I mean, there’s an element of certain roles that they played in the ’60s which I think we could really be doing with updating this for a modern Audience and I’m thrilled about that. He [Wong] is this Drill Sergeant that is standing alongside with Strange as they fight in this Multiverse. We introduce this to the Audience.

Question: Do you have a favorite line, that actually made the cut?

Benedict Wong: I don’t really have favorite lines to be honest. Because I love all my children. I love all my lines. I love being part of these scenes. I’m this cog. I just feel like I’m a cog in a part of these amazing machines. And everyone’s in it as well and special effects and the writing teams and everyone and the crew. Everyone’s just putting so much energy into this and I’m just there to be a part of that. I can’t wait to see it and see what we’ve come up with.

Question: Your character is pretty serious but he has some of the funniest parts of the movie. Which side do you relate to more in real life?

Benedict Wong: Oh yeah, I’m a little bit of a goofball really, like a serious goofball. I think they’ve kind of got a very interesting relationship. They’re a little bit chalk and cheese, aren’t they, you know. And, the odd couple. As much as he’s got these incredible mystical powers. I think he’s also there to put him in check and help guide him through this crazy multiverse that we’re about to encounter.

Question: So you said that this role was meant for you. So what was your reaction when you got the role, that exact moment?

Benedict Wong: Yeah, I got the call from Sara Finn and I called her up and she just said, Congratulations, you’re gonna have an amazing ride and I was like “What?” Obviously you can’t tell anyone. So you’re just at work, dressed as Kublai Khan and you’re not to tell anyone, “I’m gonna be in a Marvel film”. When someone gives you this secret and you go, don’t tell anyone. OK, OK. All these sort of things where you just become, you as a kid, as an 11 year old, just thinking, Wow, all of this investment of all my pocket money has really paid off in my Adult life. It’s really good, reverb back to you. It’s wonderful, yeah.

Question: Do you have anything quirky you like to do on set?

The answer to this one really has to be heard. I can’t release the audio so I will try to describe it to you. Benedict does a vocal warm up where he stands up and bends over. He lets his tongue hang out and tries to do his lines. They are all strange sounding because he’s bent over and his tongue is hanging out. He does this to work on his enunciation. He went on to explain that he was doing this one time for a movie that he was in with Tim Robbins [it was called Code 46]. He was in a scene with Tim Robbins and he had been practicing his lines that way when the director walked past him and heard this. The director tapped him on the back and said, “yes, do it like that”. He then said, “so you’ll see me doing it in a scene with Tim Robbins like Daffy Duck or something like that or Porky the Pig.”

Question: If you could have any super power in the world, what would it be?

Benedict Wong: Oh wow, Super power. I think this place really needs the power of understanding. I think I’d forego that from flying around and being invisible. Yeah, unifying that we’re all one.

Then I got to ask my question of Benedict. I really have to make these more succinct.

Question: In developing the Character of Wong, what sort of research did you do? Did you read a lot of the older Dr. Strange, some of the newer stuff, outside influences?

Benedict Wong: I first picked up like The Oath, so I had a little look at that. Certain aspects of that, Man Servant, sidekick, took it back into the 60s and leave it there. For me, as an Actor as well, I’m always looking at what can we do to promote a positive role model. That I feel this stoic strength of Wong that is serious. He is serious about the severity of what is about to happen and these forces that we do not know. And obviously with the story of this arrogant Neurosurgeon becoming a broken man coming to find himself being humbled that he has a place that is bigger than himself. I’m thrilled to play this role. I think Marvel, Kevin Feige and the gang, are doing a great job to promote that.

Then we ended the interview and took photos as a group. I got to be right behind Benedict and he even had us do a goofy photo with “Jazz Hands”. It was a great experience to meet him and interview him.