Yahya Abdul-Mateen II shares how it felt shooting nude scenes as Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen

Watchmen is a dystopian superhero drama limited television series that was released in 2019. It is based on the 1986 DC Comics series of the same name, created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The show created by Damon Lindelof earned immense acclaim from the viewers. It features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in a pivotal role as Doctor Manhattan and he appeared in several nude scenes due to the character demand. Now the actor shared his opinion on the sequences.

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II reflects on Dr. Manhattan’s full-frontal nudity

In a recent interview with W Magazine, Yahya Abdul-Mateen expressed his feeling on appearing completely nude on Watchmen set to portray one of the world’s most powerful heroes. He said that being naked on set turned out to be liberating for him. The actor stated that he needed to get some pump to his muscles. He noted that acting without clothes is a little like acting when a person is exhausted. Abdul-Mateen II mentioned that when he is tired, he does his best work.

He asserted that when a person is naked and painted blue, one does not have the energy to care about other things. The Baywatch star explained that he studied the character beforehand, did a few push-ups and then took off the robe. He stated that being naked and having the audacity to be Doctor Manhattan, who runs the galaxy, was very freeing for him. And that surprised him because he is usually very reserved. He does not mind awkward silences, the actor noted.

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II received praises from the audiences for his performance as Cal Abar / Jon Osterman / Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen. He won his first Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special in September.  The HBO drama show received widespread critical acclaim for its writing, visuals, performances, and topic. It was nominated for 24 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 11, including Best Limited Series.

Watchmen cast includes Regina King in her Emmy Award-winning role as Angela Abar / Sister Night, along with Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Andrew Howard, Tom Mison, Jeremy Irons, Sara Vickers, Louis Gossett Jr., Jean Smart, and Hong Chau. It is set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, later the Tulsa Police department wearing the mask to protect their identities following racial injustices. The series consists of nine episodes.

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