Why Suicide Squad’s Polka-Dot Man Resonated With David Dastmalchian – News Nation USA

The Suicide Squad’s Polka-Dot Man actor David Dastmalchian gets candid on why his character resonated with him so deeply. As a standalone follow up to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016), James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which is currently in theaters and on HBO Max, dives deep into DC’s rogues’ gallery, bringing a slew of obscure “villains” to Task Force X alongside Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). One of these misunderstood baddies is Abner Krill/Polka-Dot Man, who Gunn wrote for Dastmalchian.

While Polka-Dot Man is a ridiculous villain in the comics, The Suicide Squad’s character is the son of a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist who exposed her children to an interdimensional virus in an attempt to turn them into superheroes. Abner manifested a disease that causes him to grow multi-colored polka-dots and glowing pustules on his body, which he must expel twice a day and/or use as projectiles. Polka-Dot Man was sent to Belle Reeve after killing his mother; however, due to his traumatic upbringing now sees his mother everywhere, which sometimes works to his advantage during Task Force X’s mission on Corto Maltese. Dastmalchian, an avid fan of the genre, has appeared in several comic book movies before The Suicide Squad, but his latest character is his most personal.

Related: Polka-Dot Man’s Sister Has Secret The Suicide Squad Cameo – Theory Explained

In a recent interview with NME, Dastmalchian talked candidly about being drawn to Polka-Dot Man. He explained that there were aspects of the character that “instantly resonated” with him like the character’s mental health. Read what he had to say below:

“The first was his struggle with morbid depression, which I have battled the majority of my life. I have been working actively on my mental wellbeing for the past 19 years, so thankfully I am now in a place where I can more readily access my baseline [for a performance]. In the past, I felt so plagued by my inner darkness, and by my feelings of shame, isolation, and despair, that I attempted to take my life several times.”

Other members of Task Force X are either coerced to go on a dangerous mission or do so for a reduced sentence. Polka-Dot Man is “grateful for it because he’s finally going to get to end his suffering,” a feeling Dastmalchian and, unfortunately, many others can relate to. While many celebrities and other public figures have opened up about struggling with mental health, a nonsensical stigma still accompanies the topic. In addition to talking about also suffering from a skin condition and how honored he feels to play Polka-Dot Man, Dastmalchian has opened up about his battle with addiction in the past, something that, again, plagues so many.

The Suicide Squad is an R-rated rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but that isn’t to say there aren’t some serious moments. One of the best running gags in the film is how Polka-Dot Man sees his mother everywhere, whether surrounded on the dance floor or fighting a giant kaiju. In this way, the film “hides behind the tears of a clown” as its characters accept themselves for who they are. Similar to what Gunn did with Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad depicts a handful of lost souls who find purpose in a shared goal and, in turn, each other. It’s important to see “heavy” or “dark” themes explored in a genre as big as comic book movies and a medium as influential as film. It’s even more important to hear the stories of others.

More: The Suicide Squad’s Polka-Dot Man Is A James Gunn Miracle

Source: NME

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