As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Mr. Robot, Rami Malek and Christian Slater reflect on the show’s profound impact and its timely themes in today’s digital landscape.
Rami Malek and Christian Slater Reflect on the Timeless Relevance of ‘Mr. Robot’
Mr. Robot was plugged in from the start. By the time it premiered on USA Network on June 24, 2015, the pilot episode of the Sam Esmail-created series about a paranoid hacker (Rami Malek) battling a sinister multinational conglomerate had already been available online for a month, streamed over 2.6 million times.
A Show Ahead of Its Time
“That show was ahead of its time,” Christian Slater, who portrayed the titular character, recently told Gold Derby, referencing the current state of Big Brother technology and politics, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.
As Malek once remarked: “It astonishes me how well Sam Esmail, our brilliant creator, can foresee the future. But that’s also troubling.”
The Premise of Mr. Robot
A brief recap of the show’s premise: Slater’s Mr. Robot recruits Malek’s gifted but troubled cybersecurity expert Elliot as a modern-day Robin Hood to take down E Corp, which they refer to as E Corp — a stand-in for various tech companies with extensive influence, both then and now. (For those curious about deeper plot intricacies, we recommend binge-watching the show for free on Tubi.)
“It felt special from the beginning,” Slater reflects. “It started off with me and Rami sitting in the Wonder Wheel [at Coney Island] doing all those scenes together. That was the perfect way to start it. It put us together in close quarters where we couldn’t help but get to know each other and how we both like to work. So that was a wonderful accident.”
“It was exciting and drew the two of us closer together, which helped with our chemistry throughout the show.”
Critical Acclaim and Audience Connection
Mr. Robot was an immediate sensation; alongside its instant online following, critics universally praised it, with the pilot, titled “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov,” achieving a 100 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The show garnered 13 Emmy nominations from 2016 to 2020, winning three.
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“It struck a nerve with people,” Malek shared with Gold Derby after the first season, which still resonates with audiences a decade later. “I don’t know what everyone’s yearning for, but it’s something they can identify with. This cause. I think an unlikely hero in these times is something people wanted to connect to and were ready for.”
“The show presented many characters on the fringes of society trying to find their way in, and I think that’s something people connected with.”
Technology and Paranoia
Throughout the show’s four seasons, Malek noted that its eerily realistic storylines made him wary of technology, particularly when discussing sensitive plot points. “There are days when I haven’t used my phone to share notes with Sam. I’m so paranoid now that I might even call him from a landline. Sometimes I’ll look for a random New York payphone to use. I’m not so paranoid that I go to those lengths every day, but I often question my communication methods.”
Malek also emphasized the importance of addressing pressing issues that were becoming increasingly divisive. “We discussed it on set: we wonder if people will become disillusioned with technology by the end of the show. It questions whether we are connected or disconnected, or if our lives behind a monitor are bridging us or driving us further apart.”
Lasting Impact of Mr. Robot
Ten years later, Mr. Robot remains as relevant as ever. “It was a show delivered to me as a hacking story,” Malek noted after the first season, for which he earned the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series. “But fundamentally, it’s about how we connect as humans and how difficult that can be for some.”
For Slater, who won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for the series, Mr. Robot stands as a highlight of his illustrious career. “I was definitely proud of the show,” he reflects. “It was wonderful to be on that ride.”
