Summary
The long-awaited season 2 ofBlood Of Zeusis now streaming on Netflix. Jason O’Mara voices Zeus, who, even though he meets his demise at the end of season one, is still a very integral part of this season. Zeus' demigod son, Heron, is wracked with loss and struggles to find his place in the world as he is now an orphan. Jason has been an ambassador for The Movember Foundation, the leading global men’s health charity, since 2015, which ties in perfectly with what Heron, as well as other characters, faces in season two.
An Irish-born actor, who relocated to Los Angeles for his career, Jason O’Mara has been nominated for three IFTA awards, in 2023 forSmother(RTE), in 2018 forMarvel’s Agents of SHIELD(ABC), and winning the IFTA for Best Supporting Actor in 2017 for his role inThe Siege of Jadotville(Netflix). He also plays Batman in the DCAU Original Animated Movies. Having taken on the role of both superhero and god, he finds it important to do what he can to spread the word about men’s health.
Blood of Zeus' Greek Mythology & All Characters Explained
Netflix’s new hit anime, Blood of Zeus, is based on Greek mythology. Here is a guide to all of the characters and their ties to Greek mythology.
Screen Rantspoke with Jason O’Mara about thesecond season ofBlood of Zeus, and his gratitude to the fans for sticking around through such a long hiatus while it was being finished. He also addresses whether Zeus could potentially show up in a third season of the series, and talks about working with the creators of the show, Charley and Vlas Parlapanides. As a Movember ambassador, Jason also talks about the importance of mental and physical health, as well as how his son has changed his views on the world.
Jason O’Mara Talks Blood of Zeus Season 2
At the end ofBlood of Zeusseason one, Zeus dies. Jason was still confident that he would be able to return to the series, however, and is very pleased with how the series made it happen. Fans stuck around for nearly four years waiting for season two, so it is safe to say they will do so for a potential season three as well. Jason also reveals his gratitude to the fans for being there for the show.
Jason O’Mara: I thought, maybe because I’m playing Zeus, and it’s called Blood of Zeus. Obviously, it’s about my son, but I am supposed to be the most powerful God out there. So you can’t really kill Zeus, just like you can’t really kill Superman. So I had an inkling they would try and get me back, I just didn’t know how. I thought it was really creative the way they did all that, especially in that first episode back. The way they went back and told the same story, just from a different point of view, and gave it a whole new spin on the season one finale. I thought it was cool, and I was just excited to still be a part of it, frankly, and I am hoping I’ll still be a part of it as we hopefully move on to season three.
Animation just takes so long. It’s so hard. It’s hard for us to because, we’ve been talking about season two for what seems like years. Just between getting the stories right, and the scripts, and then recording, and then sending it out to be animated frame-by-frame, scene-by-scene. We thought that fans wouldn’t remember, because especially teenagers, they grow up, and for years, but like, Wow, what a reception. Some of the reviews have been amazing. I think we were in the top 10 most watched show on Netflix globally, for a week. That was very cool. Very cool. And the fans did remember, and they’re so loyal.
Many have said that Blood of Zeus season two was well worth the wait, something that isn’t lost on Jason.
Jason O’Mara: I’m glad I think that was the take from most critics and reviewers, and even fans – that it was worth the wait. That it might have even been slightly better than season one and that it’s just going from strength to strength, which is great. Because obviously we want season three to be even more fantastic.
Charley and Vlas Parlapanides are the creators and writers behind Blood of Zeus. Jason raves about how kind and nice they both are, to the point where he thinks it must be a joke being played on him.
Jason O’Mara: They’re lovely. Initially, I was like, are these guys for real? Because they’re so genuinely sweet, Charley and Vlas. I was like, Am I being pranked or something?This is Hollywood. People act kind and sweet, but they’re not actually kind and sweet, mostly. But these guys are actually this nice. I just got back from Crete, my dad spends half the year there, so I spent a few days out there and Greece is such a lovely place. The people are so nice and friendly, and when you go to Greece, you see how nice the people are and it all makes sense when you when you meet Charley and Vlas because you’re like, oh, okay, yeah, they’re great. They’re just really nice great people.
What Playing A God Has Taught Jason O’Mara
Jason voices Zeus, who is not just a god, he is THE god, in Greek mythology. Gods might seem like they have it all together, but the seriesBlood of Zeushas proved that this could not be further from the truth. In talking with Jason, he discusses what playing a Greek god has taught him about the human condition.
Jason O’Mara: I suppose what’s interesting to me is that the Greeks ascribed their own behaviors and ways of thinking to the gods, their own flaws. So Zeus is far from perfect. He’s out there, and he’s disloyal to his wife, and he’s making all these mistakes, and he’s not always a great father, and he’s trying to make up for that. And so they basically put all of our flaws as humans on to the gods. So the gods themselves, and their dealings, play out like a soap opera, except that the gods have superpowers. It really is the original superhero myth.
So what does that say about us? I suppose it says that we are always interested in watching how we interact, but we like to do it allegorically. I think the same way we might use science fiction now, the Greeks back then were using the gods. It’s kind of weird, if you think about it, because it’s almost a form of heresy to go like, Oh, you know, the gods weren’t perfect, and they were off all shagging each other and fighting each other. They weren’t perfect, but apparently, that was all acceptable.
They do not have it all together, and you wonder where these stories came from. They’re so ancient that each myth can be interpreted in so many different ways. So many different writers tried to get this stuff down and make a solid story out of it. But I think that’s what Charley and Vlas do so well. They take a myth, which could be almost anything, because it’s even written in ancient Greek language and has existed hundreds, if not thousands, of years before anything was written down. you’re able to do anything with it and it’s okay. It’s not like Shakespeare, there isn’t one way to do it. I really like the poetic license they took with this. You needed a form of irreverence to make those stories come alive and feel so fresh. We all know Greek myths, we were brought up on them as kids. But there is something really fresh about Blood of Zeus.
There’s a whole Star Wars subtext embedded in the story. I am a big Star Wars nerd, so I was really kind of happy to do all that, especially I get to do some Obi-Wan Kenobi stuff. Training and Yoda stuff. It’s cool.
Jason O’Mara On The Importance Of Mental & Physical Health
Heron is struggling with his own issues and mental health in Blood of Zeus season 2. As an ambassador for the non-profit Movember, Jason is helping to spread the word, becoming a hero of sorts himself. He explains the importance of keeping yourself healthy.
Jason O’Mara: Men’s Health Week is coming up. It’s 10th of June till the 16th of June, and the 16th of June is Father’s Day. So this all kind of ties in, everything we’ve been talking about. The work Movember tries to do is trying to be a healthier man. So obviously, we’re talking about screening with prostate cancer, testicular cancer, learning to check yourself. Dealing with suicide prevention, as well, but also just general fitness and trying to make healthier choices in terms of daily fitness routine, in terms of the foods that we eat, and also checking in on each other when it comes to the mental health stuff. Trying to build more of a communicative community of men so that men can build happier and healthier lives, and thus happier and healthier families. Heron could really do with some Movember messaging.
Jason is a father and so it has been very important to him to verify his son is also healthy, both mentally and physically. He shares some advice on how to get teenagers to talk to their parents, to really open up, as sometimes they can be closed off. Jason recommends leading by example, instead of trying to tell your child what they should do.
Jason O’Mara: Basically his teenage years, I just drove him from practice, to parties, to school, to whatever. And actually, I didn’t mind it, because they’re a captive audience. You can actually start having really good conversations with your kid in the car, instead of just turning up the radio or playing whatever thing they are asking for. I remember, he was obsessed with the Hamilton soundtrack. We just listened to it for like two years, five hours a day, in the car.
But to turn down the radio, and don’t just ask questions like, “Hey, how was your day? How was school?” Asking more specific questions like, “What did you do that was interesting today? What was your favorite part of today? Was there something that upset you today?” That actually [gets a response] like, “Yeah there was something that upset me. Yeah, actually, I did have fun today.” As opposed to just those open-ended questions. I actually have happy memories of most of those days. That’s what is really important I think, as the adults, and from a man’s point of view, it’s about being the healthier man so that I can lead by example.
I can go to the gym in the morning so my kid sees that I go to the gym, and it’s an important part of my day. I’m choosing to have a healthier meal and a healthier portion. Instead of telling him that he should do this, you should do that. He can see that I’m making better choices. So it definitely inspires me to be healthier and better, and I hope that it has some kind of long term effect. He’s doing pretty good. He’s in his second year of college now, so he’s free to make all the poor choices, but he’s been doing pretty good, actually.
He looks pretty fit, he looks pretty well, he seems happy. We got through some of those difficult teenage years, and he seems to have come out the other end. So I’m very grateful for that. I think leading by example, because everything else just sounds like “Do as I say, not as I do.” And they already think we boss them around too much. I think the culture of behavior has a lasting effect, much more so than words. Of course, it’s always a good time to tell your kid that you love them. But I think they really respond to that kind of behavior, you know? There have been times where he’ll turn around to me and go, “Dad, I don’t think you want that second piece of Nutella toast.” And I’m like, “Yes, I do.” And he’s like, “No,.” So you can help each other.
Go toMovember.comto find out how you can support the foundation, as well as how to get support yourself.Blood of Zeusseason 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
About Blood of Zeus Season 2
Following Zeus’ demise, a power vacuum emerges among the gods, leaving Heron, Zeus’ demigod son, struggling to find his place. He is racked with loss and hears a mysterious refrain in his dreams, prodding him to save his brother, Seraphim, who is suffering the terrors of the Underworld. Unbeknownst to Heron, Hades is trying to enlist Seraphim to help him secure Zeus' vacant throne and save his family from their long-standing suffering.
