The Sinner: Eddie Martinez teases Vic Soto, Season 3, and more

Eddie Martinez takes on the role of Vic Soto in The Sinner Season 3. Find out about the character, the season, and more in this exclusive interview.

The Sinner Season 3 premieres tonight, and we’ll finally get to see the accident and get a sense of why Ambrose is sure there’s more to it. Before that, we talked to Eddie Martinez to get to know more about his character, Vic Soto.

While talking about the character, we chatted about the high-quality writing, directing, and acting on The Sinner, along with dream projects and favorite moments. Here’s our exclusive interview with Martinez to get ready for another twisty and dark season.

Precinct TV: The Sinner is one of the most addictive shows I’ve watched in a long time. Is there anything you can tease about Season 3 without giving away spoilers?

Eddie Martinez: I think we’re building on the first season. The premise goes further than the traditional whodunit and explores the why and the psychological factors, looking at why a seemingly normal person might be compelled to kill. And we build on that. I think we explore everyday trauma and question the morality of life.

Just reading the scripts, I think this is just as good as the first season. I can’t wait to see it all on screen.

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PTV: I’ve got to ask about your character Vic Soto. One of the things I love about The Sinner’s anthology setup is that we get to know new characters. What can you tell us about Vic?

Martinez: You know, I was stoked that I wasn’t playing a drug dealer like some of my usual characters. Out of all the characters I’ve played, Vic is very similar to how I am. He’s a hard-working former Marine and now he works at the Dorchester police department alongside Harry Ambrose.

To delve deeper into the character, he’s been to hell and back, he’s been to the edge and come out of the other side as a different person. Ambrose and Jamie [Matt Bomer] are going through all that this season, and I’m someone who’s been there, done that. My character wants to help Ambrose and be involved in the case, and let him know that I know what he’s going through.

Ambrose is a loner and doesn’t like to get close to anyone. He likes to explore unconventional ways to solve crime. That’s pulling Ambrose and Vic together.

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PTV: Ambrose is the only constant in The Sinner but the story is standalone. What’s it like coming in as an actor to get this fresh story but know there are connections to previous seasons in some way? How do you prepare for it?

Martinez: I like to prepare for all my projects a lot before going in and then let go once you start shooting. If you do that right, when you start shooting, everything shows up. I didn’t depart from that strategy for this show.

The only difference was at the table read. Being a fan of the show, being happy about a project that I loved, the quality of the cast, the dynamic was there. Everyone was so good. There was a dynamic between Matt and Chris Messina. I knew then, I had to bring my A-Game.

PTV: It must be great as an actor to be pushed to be great.

Martinez: Yeah, it’s like that when someone is better than you. That’s how I felt. I was constantly learning so much on set. Bill Pullman is the nicest dude you could ever meet and he’s a great actor. But it’s the same with the showrunners and executive producers and everyone on set. They were so welcoming.

I’ve never been on a set where everyone was so nice and happy. But we’re telling a story that’s dark and emotional. But when someone said cut, everyone was so cool and chill. It was surreal but a good environment to be in.

PTV: There is definitely some dark and difficult material in the first two seasons, and I’m expecting it for The Sinner Season 3. Were there any scenes that you found hard to prepare for?

Martinez: Yeah, towards the later episodes for my character there are some moments on a personal level of art imitating life. For the character, he goes through an emotional rollercoaster in later episodes. The others were working hard way earlier. They earned their pay.

PTV: How do you prepare for those darker scenes and tricky material?

Martinez: I usually use music to set a mood in my mind. But when the writing is good like it is on The Sinner, you can’t force anything. I can’t force emotions. I don’t think it works for me.

When the writing isn’t good, there’s only one thing you can do, and that’s substituting stuff. But when the writing is good and the directors are great, there are a million different ways to bring it. The best way to prepare for this show was just learning the lines and letting go; trust the director and the person you’re acting with that everything is going to be there. I felt like it did. I felt there were some good and honest moments.

PTV: Without spoiling anything, are there any moments that you can’t wait for the fans to see on the screen this season?

Martinez: I can’t wait to see the season finale! That episode was amazing! There are some really good moments. I can’t wait to see the whole arc of the episode after catching just little bits on set. The way everything is tied up is the most exciting part, and I think that’s the most exciting part the fans will love. I think it was a really good payoff after the rollercoaster ride.

PTV: It also tells us whether we were right as we worked through the season. Not just for the person who has committed the crime but for Ambrose, who clearly has some skeletons in the closet.

Martinez: Yeah, and I think this season you will get more about Ambrose’s past. Not to give anything away, his past is explored and we see why he forms that unconventional bond with the people he’s investigating.

PTV: Finally, if you could do any project in the world, what would your dream project be?

Martinez: Oh wow, there are so many! Right now, just because I’m focused on telling my own stories, I’m developing a pilot with a writer based on Brazilian martial art that I do called Capoeira. I’ve been working on this for years and I’ve teamed up with a really good writer who thought we should do it as a pilot instead of a pilot.

We’ve got some people from Brazil involved. And I’m most excited about that right now.

If I talked about shows I’d love to be on or directors I’d love to work with, we’d be here for hours. Christopher Nolan is at the top of my list, but there are so many. Right now, I’m most focused on telling my own stories and getting to the point where I can produce.

The Sinner Season 3 premieres tonight at 9/8c on USA.