🌀 Becoming a Cyclops, Surviving the Heat, and Stepping Into Legends
In this episode, Tony connects over Zoom with actor Aleks Paunovic, whose towering physicality and grounded emotional presence have made him a standout across genre television. Most recently, he brings the iconic Polyphemus to life in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, delivering a performance that’s equal parts monstrous, tragic, and unexpectedly human.
👁️ Transforming into Polyphemus The prosthetics, the costume, and the artistry behind creating a believable cyclops on screen.
🔥 Heat, endurance, and on‑set challenges How extreme weather conditions shaped the shoot and tested his stamina.
🎭 Finding character beneath the creature Aleks’ approach to performance when his face is partially obscured by makeup.
🥊 His time on Reacher
🐐 Stepping into The Greatest Why the Muhammad Ali story resonates with him and what audiences can expect from the new series.
