Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Says Acting In ‘Aquaman’ Is ‘Clown Work

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gets his words twisted when discussing his various roles, leaving him with a red nose in an attempt to rectify the situation.

Source: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty

When COVID-19 struck, many of your favorite actors were at home as studios around the world shut down and productions were halted. However, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was still able to deliver his yearly blockbuster on schedule thanks to lucky timing. Since 2018, we’ve seen him play vastly different types of roles on the big screen.

In a recent interview with Variety, he opened up about the task of playing such roles.

“Everything should be about getting to the truth. But sometimes you got to know which movie or genre you’re in,” Abdul-Mateen said. “Something like ‘Aquaman,’ that’s clown work. ‘Aquaman’ is not ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7.’ You have got to get over yourself.”

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Attempts To Clarify His Comments That Left Comic Book Fans Clutching Their Funko Pops

After Variety posted a link to the interview, it instantly hit social media as if Yahya was disrespecting the well-organized Warner Brothers DC franchise Aquaman. It was a classic case of a celebrity doing an interview and having their words taken out of context. Yahya seemingly cleared up the situation and clarified his words with the infamous “boy if you don’t get” meme.

The meme signaled his words were taken out of context and they knew it. Today, people don’t always read full articles. Instead they focus on what they see on a social media timelines in bits and pieces.

After making the “clown work” comment, the actor added to Variety;

“In order to survive [as an actor] and to do it well, you have to play that game and then be crafty about when you want to surprise the audience, the director, or yourself with a little bit of ‘Wow, I didn’t expect to see a Chekhovian thing or August Wilson and Aquaman, but I did.’”

Yahya playfully joined in on the fun while promoting the upcoming Aquaman sequel by trolling with a picture of himself donning a red clown nose.