David Hewlett is useful company in science fiction, where his clever, abrasive characters give an ensemble something to contend with. Cube is our clearest recommendation, though its quarrelling can test the patience as thoroughly as its puzzles.
Fi1m perspective
The lethal rooms in Cube (1998) demand ingenuity, but the people inside them also have to decide whose judgement to trust. David Hewlett plays Worth in an ensemble that must keep distinct personalities visible while the puzzles compete for attention. We felt uneasy about the shifting loyalties, because these people had to rely on judgements they could not trust. Hewlett helps keep those exchanges alive even when the characters become tiresome. It is a good introduction to an actor frequently cast as intelligent, cynical or neurotic men.
His association with director Vincenzo Natali began in student films, well before Cube became a breakthrough. A regular role in Traders (1996–2000) was another early step, followed by the leading television role of Dr Rodney McKay in Stargate Atlantis (2004–2009). McKay, the brilliant but abrasive astrophysicist, became his most recognised character. That is a substantial part for an actor more often used in supporting film roles. Supporting parts in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and The Shape of Water (2017) continued his work in genre ensembles.
Natali keeps the puzzle prominent enough in Cube that Hewlett and his fellow actors have something concrete to argue over. The limitation is how often the film lets the arguments run on, and how broadly the ensemble sometimes plays the strain of confinement. This is a reservation about the group, not a fault we would pin on Hewlett alone. Still, a cynical character needs more to do than disagree, however forcefully. The shifting loyalties supply that extra interest here, keeping us attentive when the arguments grow wearisome.
In The Shape of Water, Hewlett plays Fleming, a supporting part in Guillermo del Toro's creature romance. The film is tender and persuasive, although it can be too eager to tell us how to feel. Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones make the attraction convincing; Hewlett is not being asked to carry it. We recommend the film more warmly than Cube, but would send anyone curious about Hewlett back to Natali first.
Biography
David Hewlett is a British-Canadian actor, writer and director. Born in Redhill, Surrey, England, he moved with his family to Canada at the age of four.
He began acting in the 1980s in Canadian television series and low-budget films. He gained attention for his role as Grant Jansky in the series Traders (1996–2000) and as David Worth in the film Cube (1997).
Hewlett is best known for playing Dr. Rodney McKay in the Stargate science-fiction franchise, notably in Stargate Atlantis (2004–2009). His other film credits include Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and The Shape of Water (2017).
