Zane Holtz Talks Richie Gecko In 'From Dusk Till Dawn' Season 2 Premiere On El Rey! EXCLUSIVE!

Based on the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez cult classic, El Rey Network airs the Season 2 premiere of From Dusk Till Dawn tonight. In an exclusive interview with MStars News, Zane Holtz talks about playing Richie Gecko, reuniting with D.J. Cotrona (Seth Gecko) and taking on bloodthirsty vampires.

As we previously mentioned, Santánico (Eiza González) and Richie (Holtz) are outside Houston, living like Bonnie and Clyde, while Seth (Cotrona) and Kate (Madison Davenport) are scraping by south of the border.Freddie Gonzalez (Jesse Garcia) is protecting his wife and young daughter in a Houston suburb. As Carlos Madrigal (Wilmer Valderrama) and Scott (Brandon Soo-Hoo) emerge from ruins of the Titty Twister, they will all come together to face off against an even bigger threat.

Before the second season premiere on August 25, Tuesday at 9pm on the El Rey Network, Holtz dishes on Seth and Richie's relationship, working with El Rey founder/director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City), and what viewers should expect from the younger Gecko brother.

MStars News: Because you played Richie Gecko in the first season and now in the second, what is it that appeals to you the most about the character?

Zane Holtz: I was initially attracted to the project because I really wanted to work with Robert Rodriguez. And then, when I saw which character I was going to have the opportunity to play, I thought 'Hey How cool!' You know, I really haven't had the chance to play somebody that may or may not be a crazy, violent, gangster. I didn't really have a chance to really play a character like that and Robert gave me the opportunity to do so.

What I found in season one was the more and more I played him, I started to look deeper to find the other things that are interesting and Richie. The things that make him a little bit more compelling and a little bit more likeable.

And now going into season two, I wanted to continue to play this character because I did the initial ten episodes, and I feel like I've really developed a rhythm. I have and I am continuing to discover who Richie is. I'm going to keep on doing that until as long as the show will go. And hopefully by the end of it, I've carved out an interesting sort of story.

MS: The second season seems like it's starting from scratch and moving away from the movie. Do you feel like you have more freedom with Richie this season?

ZH: I didn't ever really feel like I was bogged down from the movie. I mean obviously the blueprint of the character is the same, but I always had the freedom from Robert to portray the character how I wanted under his direction. The fact that the character had been played before didn't really change my performance. Now going into season 2, I really feel like I have a good hold on who Richie is and to be able to continue to play him is just wonderful.

MS: What I loved about the first season was the chemistry between you and D.J. Cotrona (Seth Gecko). How did you build that chemistry with him?

ZH: D.J. is amazing, and to be honest, on and off set we really have become like brothers. We got really close during the shooting of the first season. And the,n we stayed in contact through the hiatus, saw each other through LA, and now working together again on a second season. And not only because we're playing brothers, but we're also going through this experience of playing characters, that are kind of a lot of times, the driving force behind the show.

And to be able to do that together on a brand new network with Robert is a very sort of bonding experience. So we're both in the same shoes in that regard. And then, just away from the work, we get along great and I think that chemistry that we've developed really shows on-screen.

MS: When we last saw Richie and Seth in the season finale, I felt a rift had been formed between them. What can you tell me about Richie's mindset now as we start the second season?

ZH: Going into the second season, Richie's going to take his opportunity. He sees this as a time to be able to prove not only to Seth, but to himself, that he can stand on his own. And that, in his mind, as the younger brother, he's always had to listen to what Seth had to say. Seth always has first call on the jobs that they would do. Richie would always plan them, but Seth was more the leader.

So now going into the second season with his new abilities, Richie really wants to take this time to spread his wings, and see if he can be the man that he believes he can be.

MS: In the season finale, we saw the beginning of a relationship with Santanico as well. Where are these two, Richie and Santanico, in the second season?

ZH: It's kind of an interesting dynamic because on one hand, they are in a criminal partnership together, the Richie and Santanico characters. And that you'll see that works really well, they're a great duo in that sense.

Her using her clever abilities and then Richie having the background as this master thief, together they're really quite effective.

In the other half of the relationship is, had the opportunity to sit in the writer's room prior to season two. One of the questions that came up was, "Do you think Richie's ever had a girlfriend?" And I said no and they all agreed.

So to be able to see this guy sort of feeling out the day to day normalcies of a relationship with a woman is very interesting. I think the audience will find that entertaining.

MS: One of my favorite episodes from the first season was "Boxman" because it's about a heist with vampires. Do you have a favorite episode from the first season?

ZH: I would say, I really love how episode one and two play together but that's also sort of like, it wasn't that long ago but it's almost nostalgic. Because that was the first time that I was working together with Robert and D.J. and the rest of the cast. Just looking at it from which episodes I think are really entertaining, I think five is great! I think seven is great! The initial episodes are great.

I think my favorite episodes from season two are episodes four and five, and on throughout the rest of the season.

MS: There's so much detail with the vampire effects. As a viewer, you see all this detail. What's it like on set seeing these makeup scares?

ZH: During season one, I was pretty impressed and amazed at how good the creatures came out. If you recall during the pilot, one of the first visions I have is the two girls in the liquor store transforming into those demon characters. I remember the first time that I saw them!

I was on set, I knew that we weren't messing around. All the effects and makeup were going to be top notch. Obviously, Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) and his company have an amazing reputation and have worked on numerous films and TV shows. So I knew they were going to be good. But when I saw them in person, I was definitely impressed!

MS: What other projects are you working on now?

ZH: Currently I'm looking at a couple of things that I hope come together. But I have a couple movies that I did before that are now being released. I have a movie called Seven Minutes that's available on demand right now that's with myself, Jason Ritter, and Luke Mitchell.

I have a film that I'm going to London, I'm going to FrightFest in London at the end of this month for a film called Wind Walkers. That's me, Glen Powell, Rudy Youngblood, and my buddy, Phil Burke. A few little things here and there. Hopefully I'll drum up some work during this fall.

Don't forget to check out our 5 reasons why we're excited for Season 2 of From Dusk Till Dawn here:

Season Two of From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series premieres August 25, Tuesday at 9pm on El Rey Network.

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