The Expanse’s Steven Strait and Wes Chatham Take Center Stage at C2E2 2021

On December 10, 2021, The Expanse premiered its 6th and final season. Suiting enough, that was the same day that Steven Strait and Wes Chatham graced their fans with their presence at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. 

While there, the stars informed their fans of the blessings, hardships, and quandaries involved with filming a complex television show under time constraints and a budget. The fans clamored to their seats as the lights dimmed, and everyone listened with a thirst for knowledge.

Although Chatham and Strait had to stay tight-lipped on things yet to happen on the series, they were more than willing to answer other questions from the moderator and fans alike.

When the moderator asked Steven Strait about his feelings on the show wrapping with this season, Strait gushed about what a wonderful experience it has been.

“It’s bittersweet, obviously, with this being the last season. We worked so hard to do this last season right. We really wanted to stick the landing,” he explained.

“I think we made one of our best years,” Strait continued. “When you work so hard for so many years on something, you want to make sure you honor the story correctly — I hope you guys love it.”

Chatham chimed in, “I put a picture up on Instagram today of day one, Season 1 of The Expanse. It was a picture of me walking out of the makeup trailer. I had no idea of what I was walking into — I didn’t realize what this show was going to become.”

Wes Chatham then launched into a story about a meal he shared with Steven Strait. 

“We were having dinner around Season 3, and we were talking about all the things that were important to us as fans. All the things that we saw, and that we truly loved. We both said that our ambition was to be a part of something that affected people in the same way the things that we love affected us,” Chatham went into detail.

“I feel so humbled and grateful for this experience,” Chatham told the audience. With that, the fans erupted into applause.

Next, the moderator asked the stars when they realized that The Expanse was going to be huge and have an impact on the landscape of sci-fi. Strait answered first.

“With the team that was put together and with the ambition of the story, I knew the possibility was there. The first day we got on the set, having met everybody and starting to rehearse, there was just this feeling. You never know whether or not the show is going to survive, but creatively, the potential was always there.”

“By Season 3 we were firing on all cylinders, and we were confident in all we were doing. Six was the goal. We had a beginning, a middle, and an end — we gave it all we had every step of the way,” Steven Strait divulged. 

Chatham added, “When I read the script — before I even had the job — I got a really special feeling about it. I remember walking onto the set and about to shoot our first scene — I remember just being in awe at the set. The specific details, how every ship mentioned would have relevance to the show, and the amount of attention paid to detail.”

Eventually, the panel was turned over to the fans to ask the stars their pressing questions. The first fan asked about Wes Chatham’s techniques on channeling his character. 

“I read The Churn before every season. It’s Amos’ childhood. It’s the foundation I used to build him, and it is the foundation he grew up in,” Chatham said.

“I gave it to a psychologist, and she and I had these long conversations about if somebody went through this kind of trauma, how would that physically manifest itself. The types of things I studied with her is how I informed the physicality of Amos,” Chatham clarified.

Chatham was later asked about his role as a producer later on in the series. He answered, “This show has been such a blessing in my life on so many different levels.”

“When you spend almost seven years on a show working with some of the best writers in the business and the best directors — you learn. Not only do you learn your part and your craft, but you also learn everything that is involved in making a television show,” he further explained.

“The Expanse was the most collaborative experience that I ever had in making television. Whenever you empower an actor and let him creatively explore, you are going to get the best out of them. Being a producer just gave me that much more confidence to do what I can do,” Wes Chatham finalized.

Steven Strait expanded on Chatham’s comment about the collaborative experience. “The whole cast, writers, and directors would take Saturday and read through the script, and then the next day we would open up the set. This was all on people’s own time because we love the story and the process so much.”

“When this much collaboration takes place, there is a sense of ownership to the work of everybody involved. Everybody wants to make sure that this can live up to its potential.”

“It became something bigger than the sum of its parts. If there is one thing I am proud to contribute, it is to that culture,” Strait admitted.

Chatham and Strait’s love and appreciation for The Expanse and everything it encompassed showed through every word they spoke during the panel. Their enthusiasm spread throughout the entire room giving the audience a heightened sense of value for the characters they have come to know and love. 

As our time together came to a close, the two stars parted the stage with authentic smiles, and the audience left with full hearts. Although the series will soon be drawing to an end, no one will ever regret the adventure that unfolded.

Be sure to catch the final season of The Expanse only on Amazon Prime Video.

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