Like many actors do on any given project, Stroma auditioned to play Vigilante on "Peacemaker." As it turns out, showing his ability to play the role was only one of the requirements he met for Gunn before getting hired. Stroma was also subjected to a background check of sorts about his previous on-set behavior, so Gunn spoke to his friend, Elizabeth Banks, who produced and starred in "Pitch Perfect."
"I read for two scenes and then got a call that James Gunn wanted to call me, which was a very cool phone call to get," recalled Stroma for Looper in an exclusive interview. "Then it was another callback. We did multiple scenes, and then he was like, 'I spoke to Elizabeth Banks,' because we did 'Pitch Perfect' together and knew each other."
At that point, Stroma's good guy behavior was validated: "As James said, he was like, 'I did an a****le check," Stroma said, laughing. "He was like, 'You always make sure, just in case.' I passed that, which is good. It was crazy to suddenly be working with James Gunn."
The moral of the story, the actor added, is be a good person at work and the opportunities will come to you.
"[It's a] good life lesson. In general, don't be an a*****le," Stroma noted with a smile.
The first seven episodes of "Peacemaker" are streaming exclusively on HBO Max, with the season finale set to drop Thursday, February 17.
