The Flash's Rag Doll is All About Instilling Emotional Trauma

The Flash guest star Troy James has a superpower of his very own. James, who will play the villainous Rag Doll in "All Doll'd Up," is a contortionist, which means he can bend in body in ways that can seem unnatural. He will lend this unique talent to his Flash character, who just so happens to be a metahuman with a predilection for using his flexible abilities to squeeze into places he shouldn't be.

Speaking with CBR, James offered some insight into his mysterious character. He revealed Rag Doll's wicked motivations, the villain's powers and whether or not the character will speak on the series. He also teased what draws Rag Doll to Barry, his interactions with Elongated Man and more.

CBR: How would you describe Rag Doll in your own words?

Troy James: Rag Doll, Rag Doll, Rag Doll... He is -- well, clearly, he's not a nice guy. He has some familial issues. We meet him as he goes on a crime spree around town, but -- unlike other villains that have a definite evil motive -- Rag Doll kind of gets off more on causing emotional harm to the people he's after.

Tell me about how you landed the role.

Certainly! It all happened really fast, to be honest. It was 10 o'clock at night and my agent was on vacation, but his brother calls and says, "Troy, I have a role for you. I know this is kind of out of your depth; you don't normally --" I'm actually really new to acting, I should let you know -- so he said, "Give me the self-tape, and I need it by tomorrow at noon." So a really fast turnaround! I ran to my friend. I asked her to help because I have no idea how to really audition and we sent it off and, within an hour, I got a phone call back saying, "How quickly can you make it to Vancouver?" [laughs] I got the role!

What aspect of Rag Doll's character would you say you relate to the most?

This is too easy, I think! It's more, I think, Rag Doll is known for having extreme flexibility and I was born with preternatural flexibility, so it was very easy to get into the physical role of Rag Doll, which is what I connect to most.

NEXT PAGE: The Flash: Rag Doll Is Not Your Typical Rogue

What is your favorite part of playing Rag Doll?

I think the fact that he clearly owns who he is as a super villain. Like, he doesn't have super speed or super strength. He really is just flexible, but he uses that and has fun gallivanting around town, committing crimes, stealing things. Just, he's completely selfish, which is unlike me in person, so it was fun getting into the heart of what a super villain would be like.

In the description for the episode, Rag Doll is described as a metahuman, which means there was a point where he was not so flexible. Are we going to learn anything about his past, before he got his powers?

I do think there's a point in the episode where the detective crew -- the Flash crew -- try to find out who Rag Doll is, and I think it does explain a bit about who Rag Doll is and how he got to be how he got to be. [laughs]

How would you describe Rag Doll's dynamic with Barry and Iris?

Hm. I have to think about this for a moment. Going back to the fact that Rag Doll doesn't just commit crimes for the sake of committing crimes but he does so with the intention to hurt, Rag Doll overhears the issues that the West-Allen family are having and he uses that to get to Barry and to get to Iris. I don't know if I can say much more than that!

Which character were you most excited to interact with coming into the show?

I wouldn't say before I got onto the show, but -- after I got there and I looked at the script -- I'm interested in my interactions with [Elongated Man], Hartley Sawyer, because we're kind of similar in a way.

Can you tease your favorite moment or scene from the episode?

Yes! Sneaking out of each place and catching someone unawares.

What was the atmosphere like on set?

Oh, it was my first time ever in Vancouver! So I was already blown away by just how beautiful the place was. When I got on set, everyone really tried and got along so well. I am still kind of new to acting and being on set, but you could clearly see that there was a camaraderie around. These people aren't just creating a show; these guys are like family, and it was so cool to be a part of that, even for just a short amount of time.

How does this role differ from your past experiences in television?

Well, interestingly enough, I've played some not-so-nice guys before, but Rag Doll is the first person -- or I should say, actually, Rag Doll is one of the first roles where I speak! He's a human who talks. I've played other roles where I'm inhuman or I'm an alien or a demon and it's really all about the physical, but this a role where I had to do both. I had to interact with Barry and I interacted with other people, and that was new for me.

What kind of research did you do to prepare for the role?

Oh, it all happened so fast! I remember, as I was on the flight to Vancouver, I remember thinking, "Okay, I don't read the comic books, so I have to figure out who is this character to begin with, and -- more than that -- how do I play him?" So there was a lot of catch-up, a lot of reading. I felt like I was going in for a job interview when I got there, that they would quiz me all about what happened in this episode of The Flash, what happened in this issue, and I'd have to answer all these questions, but it wasn't like that. Everyone was really nice.

Rag Doll, as I'm sure you know, is part of the cult classic team Secret Six, which is reportedly getting its own TV series. If you got the opportunity, would you be interested to continue playing Rag Doll?

Absolutely. I had a blast playing Rag Doll. I hope I get the chance to step into his shoes once more.

NEXT PAGE: The Flash's Rag Doll is a Hybrid of Two DC Characters

Is there an aspect of the character that isn't explored in this episode that you would like to see down the line?

Well, when I was looking up Rag Doll -- because, you know, there is a Rag Doll Sr. and a Rag Doll Jr. -- and it wasn't explicitly mentioned which Rag Doll I would be, because the original Rag Doll was born flexible but his son Rag Doll Jr. was not born flexible. He underwent, I think, a few surgeries to get it and it really affected his mind state, trying to gain the approval of his father, which turned him into a psycho super villain. I guess I kind of chose a mix of both on how to play Rag Doll.

[I want to explore] why exactly Rag Doll does what he does. I understand other villains who, you know, they want to be the strongest or they have a vendetta with Flash because he did something to them in the past or the future or they want to become the strongest metahuman, but now we have just almost a psychopath or a sadistic villain who just wants to mess with other people's heads and steal their stuff. Why? I don't know! It's like a cat burglar almost. I want to figure out why Rag Doll does what he does.

Since The Strain, you've brought a really unique skill set to television and film. Did you ever envision yourself ending up where you are today?

Oh my goodness! If a year ago you asked me where I would be today... In the corporate world, I worked in Human Resources, so I was always very flexible, but I never thought I would use my talents for TV. It was more for cool things I would show off after work or at the Christmas party, and now I'm an actor!

If you could choose to have any metahuman power, what would it be?

Flight would be -- like, everyone chooses flight, right? Flight is like the best superpower. You get to go up in the air and you get to have fun. Everyone wants to fly, but that's a boring one, so... What would I do? I don't know, maybe I would actually be Rag Doll and have the ability to squeeze into tight spaces and get anywhere I'd like to be, because he is inhumanely flexible. Like you get the meta of him. He can squeeze into vents. You'll see in the episode. He does some things that are just absolutely, inhumanely impossible.

Airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Tom Cavanaugh, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Nicolet, Hartley Sawyer, and Jessica Parker Kennedy.