The Continental: Who Plays Winston Scott?

Ian McShane's memorable turn as Winston Scott, the self-proclaimed beacon of order and stability, was arguably one of the highlights of the action-packed "John Wick" franchise. After making his presence known in four films, he's back for "The Continental: From the World of John Wick" on Peacock, the prequel miniseries that chronicles his rise to power in the secret underworld of assassins to become the New York branch's hotel manager. Viewers probably realized that a different actor was cast to play the character's younger version from the 1970s, and many would probably offer up several gold coins or even a marker to figure out which actor has been tasked with bringing Winston's origin story to life.

There is no denying that the cast of "The Continental" features several talented players like Mel Gibson, Mishel Prada, and Adam Shapiro. Leading the skilled roster in the Winston role is Colin Woodell, who many fans should be familiar with, considering what the actor has accomplished. Woodell started his career with appearances in entries of "Criminal Minds" and "CSI." His more notable claims to fame on the small screen include "Devious Maids," "The Originals," "The Purge," and "The Flight Attendant." And his skills aren't limited to television. On the big screen, Woodell's body of work includes "Unsane," "Unfriended: Dark Web," and "Ambulance."

While his achievements are undoubtedly impressive, following McShane's powerful performance is presumably not an easy endeavor to take on, and some fans may be curious about what drove Woodell to take the risk as Winston in "The Continental."

Choosing to play an established character can potentially put a lot of pressure on actors to outdo those who came before them and, regardless of their efforts, that often results in a whirlwind of inevitable comparisons to previous performances. While it may seem daunting to some, Colin Woodell was excited to take on the challenge of tackling a younger Winston Scott that would eventually evolve into Ian McShane's persona in the "John Wick" films. "You're talking about a character who goes through so much in a 24-hour timespan, and any time you as an actor get to dive into that type of mindset and go through this type of emotional journey, while also getting to be a badass and clever, I mean, it was so many cool things for me that it was a no-brainer," the actor said in an interview with Impulse Gamer.

But Woodell wasn't planning on completely copying McShane and took his own approach to cultivating the prequel's star, which makes sense considering he's been playing the personas several decades before he takes over The Continental." This is almost a completely different person,' Woodell said. "So I had a lot of liberty, and it was nice to watch him, but then I put it aside and brought my own thing to it." The Peacock series showcases Woodell's unique take, and some might be shocked to learn what fans think about the new Winston.

Viewers who have visited the series "From the World of John Wick" haven't had the same experience seeing Winston Scott's story play out in "The Continental." There have been some glowing reviews, especially from Reddit users like u/zedarecaida, who posted, "We get introduced to young Winston, who's been the standout so far. He's fun and purposeful." u/RiffRafe2 showed appreciation for the star's performance and character arc, writing, "Colin Woodell is really good as Winston. It's nice seeing his origin story."

But not everyone feels this individual has what it takes to grow up and become Ian McShane's Winston. These include u/clementinecentral123, who posted in a comment, "Winston seemed nothing like the movie version—looked nothing like him, had a different accent, mannerisms, etc." u/Away_Amphibian8027 was also confused. "Why is Winston American? Isn't he British in the movies?" they asked.

There are definitely many interesting opinions regarding the creative choices implemented for Winston's run at becoming hotel manager of The Continental, and it will be fascinating to see what else is in store for the character as the "John Wick" franchise continues to expand.