Meet Noah Taylor, the Filipino Werewolf of ‘Wednesday’ Season 2

Noah Taylor may be a newcomer in the world of Hollywood, but the Filipino-American actor has already bagged a spot on Netflix’s biggest English-language series of all time: Wednesday. His role? Bruno Yuson, a Filipino werewolf prone to tossing his thick, curly locks, swaggering around Nevermore Academy as one of its many lycan students, and throwing soulful stares at fellow werewolf Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers).

Wednesday, director Tim Burton’s series based on the unblinking Addams Family teen, is set to premiere its sophomore season on August 6. Just as its first season saw Wednesday, played by the unflinching Jenna Ortega, navigate the woes of high school, insidious killing sprees, and her fraught relationship with her mother, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), this new installment is set to once again blend supernatural mysteries with the trials of teenage angst.

While much of Wednesday centers around the dark, intense world of its titular character, much of its delightful quirks and oddities come from its large ensemble cast. Its latest season promises the return of the entire Addams Family, including its romantic patriarch Gomez (Luis Guzmán), awkward second child Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), family pet-slash-Wednesday’s-right-hand, Thing (Victor Dorobantu). But newcomers such as Nevermore’s overly peppy principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi), mysterious music teacher Isadora Capri (Billie Piper), and the enigmatic Bruno are poised to stir things up around campus for its new semester.

Taylor booked his role as Bruno fresh off studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Although his roots are inherently intertwined with the Philippines, his time shooting for Wednesday had the young actor splitting his time between his home bases in New York and Dublin, where production for the show took place. When he’s not in front of the camera, Taylor is writing songs with his brother for their indie music project, One Minute Friend.

Taylor sat down with Rolling Stone Philippines to talk about his role as a Nevermore werewolf, his feelings about joining the cast of a successful Netflix series, and what his experience was like working with an ensemble of renowned actors.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

Congratulations on booking Wednesday straight out of graduating! Did you have any feelings about joining the series, especially after its first successful season?

Thank you! They had me make a self-tape in December of 2023. It was definitely the biggest audition I had ever received, so I spent a lot of time doing prep work. I did a couple of Zoom callbacks and finally a chemistry test with Emma Myers. Joining a successful series like this in its second season was definitely a little stressful at first, but the cast and crew were so welcoming, and I felt like I was part of the team very quickly.

Were you a fan of Tim Burton prior to booking the show? Do you have any specific memories of working closely with the director?

Tim is a legend, and I was so excited to get the chance to work with him. He’s so specific in his vision and incredibly efficient at translating his ideas onto screen. I definitely gained a lot of confidence throughout the course of shooting and stopped second-guessing myself as I felt a sense of trust that I would bring what I needed to bring to the character.

How did you prepare for the role? Was there any werewolf-centered content you turned to for inspiration?

I focused primarily on the human aspect of the character, referencing performances from Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung, who have a wonderful air of confidence and vulnerability in a lot of their roles. Once I found that baseline for myself, I amped up the physicality a little bit to match the intensity needed for a werewolf.

Do you feel that you and Bruno share many similarities?

As an actor, I think it’s natural to see similarities with the character you play as you spend so long trying to understand them. That being said, if I [weren’t] playing the character, I’m not sure I’d be able to find much we have in common.

In a previous interview, you also spoke about how you enjoyed playing “the cool guy.” How did you try to embody that with Bruno?

A lot of it starts with physicality. The way you carry yourself, enter a room, lean on a doorframe, it all sets the building blocks for a performance. I spent a lot of time walking around Dublin on my off days just trying to nail down the physical essence of the character, and the rest sort of fell into place.

I also understand that you and your brother will be releasing your debut album this August. Could you please tell me more about the inspiration behind One Minute Friend? Do you prefer acting over music or see the two as intertwined?

One of the main inspirations for the album was ephemeral relationships. People you meet that you share perfect moments with, and then disappear from your life. We wanted to compile a group of songs that explored the beauty, regret, and hope that those experiences elicit.

I definitely see acting and music as two sides of the same coin for me. They are both outlets for vulnerability and connection, but acting is a much more collaborative experience where you are a part of something bigger than yourself, while I have a lot more control over the final product of my music as I handle all the recording, mixing, and mastering. I definitely need both artistic pursuits in my life.