In just one season, Sleepy Hollow has managed to inspire a passionate and dedicated fanbase. Even before the pilot aired the show had a following, and the number of fans—who became known as Sleepyheads—only grew, making the show an instant hit and the first fall show to be renewed for a second season. Production for the new season is well-under way and it’s no surprise fans are eager for more.
Actor Orlando Jones who plays Captain Frank Irving told the Daily Dot that fans should “really expect the unexpected.”
“We set up this big crazy finale, so there’s a lot of expectation and speculation…We’re in a precarious place in the show now that the second horseman’s been revealed. John Noble’s Henry complicates things in a messed up way and with everyone the stakes are higher,” Jones said. “Irving’s in a tough position. He’s gone to jail, he’s out of touch with his daughter and wife, he’s fighting for his life and it’s out of control. It’s going to create real problems.”
When it comes to where Irving will ultimately end up, Jones said he’s been given broad strokes about the character’s path.
Sleepy Hollow: Season 2 Promo – Evil Takes Hold by dreadcentral
“For me, every week I get the script and I’m like ‘What? How did we get here?’ but it still falls within the broad strokes they told me. A lot of the time I’m just hearing about it when the script comes in. There’s change and flux and they raise the bar every 10 seconds on this show,” he explained.
As if Sleepy Hollow wasn’t keeping Jones busy enough, he also has a number of other projects underway, from working on a soundtrack for his graphic novel-style action comedy Tainted Love to executive producing and voicing a new graphic novel documentary titled The Five Powers. Recently Jones also launched the multi-cultural emoticon app iROC Emoticons, which is currently in beta and was inspired in part by his experience within fandom. The Sleepy Hollow cast has been active in dealing with passionate Sleepyheads, but Jones in particular has become known for his interactions within fandom. As a fan himself, he understands what fans are talking about and joins in these conversations through his Tumblr blog and Twitter account.
“Part of what’s been so interesting in fandom is that so many people’s voices are very much marginalized or put into a box. When you look at African Americans represented in media and women across the board, African American or otherwise, [they] are grossly underrepresented … they are generally with a man and it generally has a healthy amount of gender bias. This behavior has become the norm,” he explained.
His app aims to be inclusive of all ethnicities and have everyone’s voice represented. He also hopes to provide a way to represent how those like Jones and his friends talk in fandom.
“Where are the zombies, aliens, and all of those emoticons that we can use? Where’s Ichabod? I’m hoping other artists will submit art. It’s not about commerce at all, I could care less about money,” he said.
Seeing the enthusiasm of the Sleepy Hollow fandom in particular, Jones said it’s hard to be surprised by the fans’ dedication to the show. He did, however, admit that in-person interactions like those at San Diego Comic-Con can be shocking.
“They run up to you to see you and cry and say, ‘You look nothing like I thought,’ and it’s really fun! You get to scream with them,” Jones said.
Jones had a busy time at comic-con in July attending the Sleepy Hollow panel, the “Fandom, Transmedia & Transformative Works” panel, presenting at the MTVu Fandom awards and the Eisner awards, and taking part in more events. Amid all the craziness of the convention though it’s developing real relationships that’s most fulfilling and rewarding for Jones. It’s the chance to see people he normally doesn’t have the chance to see, and even meet people from social media who come to the panels.
“The camaraderie of Comic-Con is what’s most special about it to me,” he said.
Season 2 of Sleepy Hollow will premiere on FOX on Sept. 22.
Photo via SleepyHollowFOX/Twitter
