The devil may work hard, but Alex Hassell works harder. When we asked the actor to describe the challenging stunts he performed on Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, Hassell wasn’t afraid to spill his guts — literally. “Some of it was so difficult that it made me puke, but I felt very pleased to have gotten fit.”  

In Bebop, Hassell plays the devilishly cool and bloodthirsty villain Vicious. Like his signature sword, Vicious is sharp and cold as steel. He’s maniacally transfixed on his ex-partner, and now greatest rival, the bounty hunter Spike Spiegel (John Cho). And in order to portray this lean, mean katana-wielding killing machine, Hassell dug into his theatrical roots. As a thespian, Hassell has portrayed many other treacherous swordsmen, like Shakespeare’s tragic Henry V and Ross in Joel Coen’s upcoming adaptation of Macbeth. So, clearly, Hassell likes to play with a pointy tip. “What got me into it was the sword,” Hassell says. “Practicing a lot with the sword and understand[ing] how to use [it].”  

But how did he capture Vicious' signature death glare? Hassell jokingly admits to “kind of looking at people in a way that I could see their faults and destroy them.” And since music is such an integral part of Bebop culture, Hassell reveals that he listens to “soft cello music” in order to get into the mind of the villainously stylish madman. 

But all’s well that ends well. As a treat for all that hard work, Hassell admits the production did let him keep “a soft version of the sword.” We just hope he doesn’t make himself sick.