Legion: Ptonomy May Be Young But Has The Calm of A Much Older Man

Legion‘s mutant memory explorer might be quick to anger, but Ptonomy Wallace maintains cool and collected throughout each episode in the first season. The actor hinted that it could be a result of the character’s trauma, which we’re going to see more of in Season Two.

ComicBook.com caught up with Ptonomy’s Jeremie Harris at San Diego Comic-Con where we discussed his role and how his character is able to keep focused amid all the mind-bending chaos on the FX show. Check out the clip above.

“I think it’s because Ptonomy has seen so much,” Harris said. “Since he’s seen so much of life. Like, we can image being able to jump in the brains of tons of other people and to see all the things that they never express or they never share. I think that experience, in addition to the fact that he remembers everything that happens in his life, I think makes him a very straightforward person. I don’t think he fears what other people think about him. I don’t think he worries about what other people say about him. He’s experienced so much.”

Ptonomy is often very direct in Legion, and when David Haller starts to exhibit signs of vast power and instability the character is quick to suggest cutting their losses and moving on — with lethal force.

Harris said the key to his portrayal comes from the guidance of one of the show’s directors who told him to “think of Ptonomy as a 70-year-old man.”

“Someone who’s just experienced so much, he’s not going to cut corners, not going to beat around the bush,” Harris said. “He’s going to be straightforward about how he feels and what he thinks is the best way for things to happen. Either you’re with that or you’re not.”

Harris added that his character is a loyal person.

“He’s loyal, obviously, to Melanie [Bird],” Harris said. “He’s going to have his opinions but he’s going to fall in line to figure out what’s best for the group.”

Ptonomy will return in Legion Season Two in 2018.

David Haller, a.k.a. Legion, is a haunted man with power beyond comprehension. His power does not come free, but at the steep cost of David’s mind. Plagued by numerous split personalities – each commanding a different aspect of his power – David is trying to find his way back to sanity. But he’s getting tired and about to give up until he meets the girl of his dreams.