There’s a stranger coming to Hemlock Grove.

Season 3 of the Netflix series will introduce us to a mysterious character, Aitor Quantic, played by Richard Gunn.

Gunn, whose credits include Dark Angel, Dexter, CSI, Hidden in the Woods, Granite Flats, and Dark Places, was particularly excited to get to be a part of Hemlock Grove’s final season.

I recently had the chance to speak with Gunn about his character and his interest in this particular genre of television.

In addition to already being a fan of Hemlock Grove, Gunn said he wanted to be a part of it because of the opportunity to work with showrunner Chic Eglee. “I think the world of him. I think he’s a phenomenal talent. I was very happy to have a chance to work with him again,” Gunn said. He stated he was interested in the genre of the show as well. “I think, also, the mystery and fantastical elements appeal to me. I’ve always been interested in those sorts of genre elements.”

In fact, those mysterious and darker elements seem to be a common thread in many of the projects Gunn has been a part of. Though he said he is drawn to that genre, that common thread isn’t necessarily intentional. “It just happened that these projects came along and had elements that I was drawn to in them. But genre I don’t really take into account when I’m considering a project,” Gunn explained. “I’m more interested in excellent writing, and who are the other creative forces working on it? Would I click with them? What sort of character is this? And where can I go with it?”

Because the mystery of Gunn’s character is so important to the story for Season 3, he wasn’t able to give too many details about Aitor Quantic other than the fact that Aitor is a stranger to the town. He did share the meaning behind the character’s name, which likely has some symbolic meaning. “The name Aitor means ‘good father,’ it’s of Basque origin.”

Gunn thinks audiences are going to be happy with this final season and the mystery that goes along with it. “I think they’re going to be really pleased with the way this third season plays out and wraps up the series as a whole. So there’s a lot to look forward to,” Gunn explained. “I’m psyched about it. I think it’s going to be very cool.”

Hemlock Grove is a show that lends itself to binge-watching (it is a Netflix Original, after all), and it’s written as such. “It’s an exciting thing to be able to watch it all unfold as almost a really long film as opposed to weekly installments,” Gunn said. “I think each format has its benefits.”

When Gunn is able to find the time to watch television himself, the shows he watches follow similar themes to the ones he’s been a part of. “I’m catching up on American Horror Story. I’m pretty enthralled with the ‘Coven’ season right now,” Gunn said. He named Hannibal, Homeland, and Sherlock as a few other favorites.

Fans of horror, fantasy, and darker dramas will probably agree with the reasons Gunn gave for finding these kinds of shows to be so captivating, even if they hadn’t quite thought about it before. “I get caught up in them, especially when there’s great character development and it has a darker edge of humanity,” Gunn explained. “Because I think it’s very honest, and I think that it’s not often shown in public – the darker aspects of human nature, because it’s not so socially acceptable. But to see that in a well-crafted show I’ve always found to be very intriguing.”

Don’t miss Richard Gunn in Season 3 of Hemlock Grove, premiering this Friday, October 23rd on Netflix.