All good things must come to an end and sadly that is the case for the series Lucifer. On Friday, September 10, Netflix will drop the sixth and final season of the popular series.
To say Lucifer has had its share of ups and down is an understatement. FOX cancelled the series after three seasons. Fans started a campaign to resurrect the series and then Netflix swooped in to revive the show. Initially, the fifth season was to be the final season, but at the last minute, plans were changed and the show was picked up for one final season.
One reason for the success of Lucifer is the work of actor D.B. Woodside. He has played the character Amenadiel since the beginning of the show and has watched him grow and evolve over the course of the series.
We had the chance to sit down with D.B. Woodside to talk about Amenadiel’s journey, what it was like to direct for the first time and what he thinks about the series finale of Lucifer.
Pop Culture Principle – One of the things the fans really enjoyed was the 24 reunion between you and Dennis Haysbert who played God. You both had some wonderful scenes together. Can you talk about working with him again?
D.B. Woodside – There weren’t enough scenes between us! I absolutely adore Dennis. He’s such a powerful actor and also just a kind and beautiful man. He was everything to me when we were doing 24. He welcomed me with open arms, and he made working on that series easy.
I’m happy to report that he is still the same incredible human being. He came on set and just fit right in with the cast. I am serious when I say that I wish that we had more scenes together, but the ones that we did have were great. I just loved working with him. He and I were talking after we wrapped it all up and it was way too long since we’ve been together, and we definitely have to do it again. So, fingers crossed that he and I will be doing something again in the near future.
Pop Culture Principle – Obviously, Dan’s death affects everyone in the group at the end of Season 5, but I want to know how it specifically affected Amenadiel?
D. B. Woodside – Obviously, Dan and Amenadiel were BFFs and Amenadiel just really loved him. I think Amenadiel loved Dan because Dan was such a flawed human being and with being flawed, he was always trying to do what he believed was right and I think that is very similar to Amenadiel. I think there was a deep spiritual connection between these two and Amenadiel saw a lot of himself in Dan and looked up to him. So, Dan’s death just ravaged him as it did everyone.
Kevin Alejandro is such a beautiful actor and just such an inspirational man in real life, so to play those scenes missing him and grieving for him were pretty easy to do because we all sincerely love Kevin.
Pop Culture Principle – At the end of Season 5B, it seems that Lucifer is now God, but being a fan of this show, we know it can’t be that simple right?
D. B. Woodside – No, it can’t be that simple at all! I know all the characters probably wish it were that simple, but nothing is that simple when it comes to Lucifer. When you start watching the final season, you’ll see what I mean. 😊
Pop Culture Principle – Will Ella Lopez finally figure out that Lucifer is actually the Devil, or will the gang finally bring her in and tell her?
D. B. Woodside – This is what I will say. So, this season I was finally able to convince these wonderful people to let me get behind the camera and do my thing. It’s something that I love and something that I plan on doing a lot more of and something I wish I had been doing a lot earlier. I’m so happy that Lucifer was my first show to be a professional director on, that being said, Ella is going to break people’s heart in the episode that I directed and let’s just say that I do believe that Ella is going to get closer to the truth this upcoming season.
Pop Culture Principle – Do you think being so familiar with the cast and crew on the show made your directing debut a bit easier and more comfortable for you and can you tell us what episode you directed?
D. B. Woodside – I directed episode number eight and it was a beautiful episode. The cast and crew made it great for me. They were fantastic, but it was my first time doing it in a professional setting and we were doing it during all the COVID restrictions when it was still early and that was really challenging.
We didn’t have the full number of hours that one normally has and then we had to follow all the restrictions during the day and that cuts down on more time. So, you basically only have the actors for eight hours a day and if any knows, that is just a drop in the bucket for a normal day and that made it challenging.
Thankfully, I had the best support that one could ever have. I had Joan Cunningham as my DPM and Matt Pexa as my first AD, they were just incredible. The cast were just not going to let me fail. The experience was incredible, but it was challenging. It was the hardest job that I’ve ever had, but it was also the most rewarding. I can’t wait to do it again and I am just so thankful that I got the chance to have my first professional time with people that I know and consider family.
Pop Culture Principle – If the Amenadiel from Season 6 could go back and talk to the Amenadiel from Season 1, what do you think he would say?
D.B. Woodside – He would tell him to chill out. 😊 I love both guys and I’ve said this every year, this is the hardest character that I’ve had to play because every single season that we’ve come back, it’s like he’s a different character. He started out one way and by the time we wrap this final season, he’s a completely different individual and it was very challenging for me as an actor.
So, I would say the Amenadiel that first appears in the pilot is someone that is very rigid, serious, powerful and doesn’t know how to take a joke. Also, he’s a very condescending being, and he doesn’t see humans as his equal and doesn’t understand why Lucifer sees them differently. Amenadiel sees humans as pets.
By the time Season 6 comes and goes, he’s completely reversed that, and he actually feels like there is a lot that celestials can learn from humans and humanity by spending time with them and that was a beautiful arc.
Pop Culture Principle – When a series is coming to an end, there is a lot of pressure for that series finale to be perfect. Do you think the series finale will satisfy the fans and are you satisfied with Amenadiel’s ending?
D.B. Woodside – I actually think it will. I think the spectacular writers who held the show together for six seasons, I think they had so much time to plan out this final season, I am curious to see how the fans will feel. As the actor and as a person who knows how we are going to wrap this up, I can sit back and say that every single character has a beautiful end.
Some of the endings are left open just a little bit, which I always like to see. I don’t necessarily like all my endings to come neatly packaged in a bow, but I definitely think this season comes as close to that as humanly possible. I personally think that every single character has a nice ending and I really hope that the fans feel that as well.
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A huge thank you to D.B. Woodside for taking the time to talk with us. The sixth and final season of Lucifer drops this Friday, September 10th exclusively on Netflix!
**All photos courtesy of JOHN P. FLEENOR/NETFLIX**