1. 282 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 283
OPERATION
UNDERCOVERBrett DaltonWITH A CLASSIFIED MISSION UNDER HIS BELT,
BRETT DALTON PLAYS A SECRET AGENT IN MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRYAN KONG CREATIVE DIRECTOR MELVIN CHAN STYLED BY JULIET VO WORDS BY JULIE YIM
BRETT DALTON
Suit and tie by
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA;
Shirt by FAÇONNABLE;
Pocket square by
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

2. 284 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 285
HOLLYWOOD’S OBSESSION WITH
SUPERHEROESHASUNDENIABLYGIVEN
DUECREDITTOITSCOMICBOOKORIGINS,
TURNINGITINTOANINSTANTFORMULA
FORSILVERSCREENSUCCESS.THIS
YEARALONE,WEHADBLOCKBUSTERS
THEAMAZINGSPIDER-MAN2,CAPTAIN
AMERICA:THEWINTERSOLDIERAND
X-MEN:DAYSOFFUTUREPAST GRACE
OURSCREENS,DELIGHTINGMARVEL
FANSANDCONVERTINGNON-BELIEVERS,
SPURRINGTHECULT-LIKEPHENOMENON.
HOWEVER,THEPHENOMENONDOESN’T
JUSTENDTHEREASFANSYEARNFOR
MORETHANJUSTTHREEBLOCKBUSTERS
TOKEEPTHEIRTHIRSTQUENCHED.
BRETT DALTON
Suit and shirt by
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA;
Tie by BEN SHERMAN;
Pocket square by
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

3. 286 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 287
“THERE ARE A TON OF THINGS I’D LIKE TO PLAY SO AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME,
I FEEL LIKE I’VE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE”
BRETT DAALLLLTTTTOOOOOOOON
Suit by ERMENEGILDO
ZEGNA; Shirt by GIORGIO
ARMANI; Pocket square
by BRUNELLO CUCINELLI;
Sunglasses by RAYBAN
OPPOSITE PAGE
Blazer and trousers
by DKNY; Shirt by
ARMANI COLLEZIONI

4. 288 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 289
ITWASTIMETOTURNTOAtelevision spin-off series to keep Marvel s fans satiated and that
brought the birth of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series directed by Joss
Whedon, the same man responsible for Buffy The Vampire Slayer
and The Avengers. Whedons vision was to give us a chance to really
get to know the characters when he initiated the series. Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D. is based on the Marvel comics organisation S.H.I.E.L.D.
featuring Agent Phil Coulson who assembles an elite covert team to
handle the threats they face after the Battle of New York.
One of the characters we really got to know was Agent Grant
Ward played by Brett Dalton. Dalton is the epitome of every secret
agent̶sexy, suave with a hint of mystery and danger. Throw in a
sense of humour essential to every Marvel on-screen production
and he s the right man for the job. But there s more to this agent
behind that no-nonsense face. A Yale graduate with a Masters
in Fine Arts, Dalton first caught the acting bug after auditioning
for a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in high
school. I can still recite most of my six lines, he divulges. Daltons
other television credentials include an array of acting roles in
Blue Bloods, Killing Lincoln, Army Wives, Nurses and Beside Still
Waters. He emphasises that he s not an actor who plays the same
role over and over again. I just want to do something different
from my last role. There are a ton of things I d like to play so at this
stage in the game, I feel like I ve only scratched the surface.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.s success propelled Dalton to fame, as it
made the highest rated drama premiere in over four years and
drew in 11.7 million viewers. Daltons character Ward is a Level
7 clearance agent working for S.H.I.E.L.D. who is a combat and
espionage expert. Luckily for Dalton, he tells us that there was no
training for the combat. It s been one long (at times frightening)
experiment learning to do all the stunts and physical stuff. Luckily,
the stunt team is amazing. My goal is to just assume I can do a
stunt unless they won t let me or I find out the hard way! says
Dalton. Dealing with people isn t Ward s strongest suit and playing
his character has its fair share of challenges. For Dalton, it was all
the tactical gear he had to put on during his character s role. I m
definitely more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy so I don t know
what to do with all those pockets and zippers. I mean, who needs
that many?
Ward s cool and serious demeanour may have prompted some
fans to write him off as a no-nonsense unsociable man who is
great at his job but fails miserably when it comes to interpersonal
relationships. However, Dalton begs to differ that there s more
than meets the eye when it comes to his character. I like to think
that there s two Grant Wards. There s the specialist with a lack of
people skills role he was playing for the team and then there s the
real guy. The troubled soul. Dangerous yet vulnerable. Conflicted
and focused. Aggressive and yet guarded, he clarifies. For Dalton
however, he relates to the real guy the most. He s a bundle of
contradictions but he s true to his own code. He s like the hero in
his own Western, he says.
His character has also garnered mixed responses from fans,
especially after the last few episodes of season one. The words
Hail Hydra whispered between Senator Stern and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Agent Sitwell in Marvel s Captain America: The Winter Soldier this
year dropped the bomb on fans that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated
by HYDRA. That scene was a tie-in to the television series,
particularly in the episode Turn, Turn, Turn where Ward revealed
Suit by ERMENEGILDO
ZEGNA; Shirt by
BOTTEGA VENETA; Tie
by CK CALVIN KLEIN;
Pocket square by
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

5. 290 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 291
“VILLAINS ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT THE WORLD TO FEEL THE PAIN AND ANGUISH
THEY EXPERIENCE. I DON’T KNOW WHY BUT I GET THAT”
BBRREETTTTT DDALTON
Blazer by HUGO BY HUGO
BOSS; Shirt and tie by
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
OPPOSITE PAGE
Suit and shirt by
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA;
Tie by BEN SHERMAN;
Pocket square by
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

6. 292 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 293
“ANY TIME YOU GET TO WORK WITH ONE OF YOUR HEROES IS
SUCH AN HONOUR. YOU CAN BE ALTERNATING BETWEEN LEARNING,
WORKING AND JUST PLAIN GEEKING OUT”
BRETT DALTON
Suit by BOTTEGA VENETA;
Shirt by BURBERRY
LONDON; Tie by DKNY;
Pocket square by BRUNELLO
CUCINELLI; Shoes by
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

7. 294 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 295
himself as a secret member of Hydra. The shocking twist left many
fans hurt and confused, as Dalton confirms that there s been a lot
of hate since the betrayal. There are definitely some fans who
drank the Haterade after I turned Hydra. But there have also been
a tonne of fans who still believe in Ward s goodness and a possible
redemption in the future, hence the hashtags #standwithward and
#ibelieveinward. Whatever the case, I think people are excited
about what will happen to Ward in season two, regardless of his
good or bad status, says Dalton. An avid Twitter user himself,
Dalton decided to take things up a notch and instead of live-
tweeting puns, he performed a little stunt using his Twitter account
@IMBrettDalton and changed his entire layout to reflect Hydra at
the end of the shocking episode. This resulted in a couple of bitter
fans who took the betrayal a little too personally. After the whole
Hydra reveal, some people were like I d like to punch Brett in the
face! How could he?! I was like, guys please! I m not really Hydra, I
just play one on television!
With confirmed plans for season two underway, we can only
wait to see if fans and Ward s team will accept him back into the
fold. As for now, Dalton is kept in the dark about the upcoming
season. I hope I ve regained the ability to speak after May bruised
my larynx in the finale or this is going to be a very strange season
for me. They haven t told me much about the next season so there
aren t any beans to spill here. But my guess is I ll probably develop
Hulk-like superpowers. Or steal Tony Stark s Iron Man suit. I m fine
with either of those scenarios, Dalton jokes. Working with Joss
Whedon on set has also been an honour for Dalton especially since
most of his work has claimed cult status. Any time you get to work
with one of your heroes is such an honour. You can be alternating
between learning, working and just plain geeking out. Joss is such
a creative and collaborative force and hopefully through osmosis,
a little bit rubs off on me. Dalton also mentioned that some of
his favourite comic characters includes Deadpool, Punisher and
Lobo but when it comes to choosing sides, he has no qualms about
being the villain. They have so much fun! And they always have
something to prove. They re not trying to save the world or protect
the people. That s boring. Villains are people who want the world
to feel the pain and anguish they experience. I don t know why
but I get that. I have sympathy for someone who is so hurt that he
doesn t know what to do with it so it comes out in dangerous ways,
says Dalton.
Most Hollywood actors usually stumble into the industry but
Daltons repertoire in theatre may have given him an advantage
on screen. It gives me confidence that I somewhat know what I m
doing. When you graduate, it s like you have a Ferrari that you
know how to drive fast and you ve been tuning this thing for three
years now. So when youre just starting out and auditioning for a
two-line walk-on for Law & Order, you know you can do it. That s
just the lap around the track. You ve been training for the Indy
500, says Dalton. With classmates like Oscar winning actress
Lupita Nyong O at Yale, Daltons proud of the recent accolades his
school mates have achieved. Proving himself to be quite a multi-
skilled actor, writer and singer, Dalton reveals that he would love
to be a part of a second instalment of Dr Horrible but that will be
in the wishful thinking column for now. He also lets us in on a
new film he s currently shooting in Florence, Italy with writer and
director Eric Oppenheimer, where he co-stars opposite Stana Katic.
It s about a tourist who finds himself abroad and discovers Calcio
Historicio or Historical Soccer. If you haven t heard of the sport,
Youtube it. It s insane!
Brett Dalton, who plays
Agent Grant Ward in ABC’s
series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Suit by ARMANI
COLLEZIONI; Shirt and tie
by ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

8. 296 AUGUSTMAN SEPTEMBER2014
BRETT DALTON BRETT DALTON
SEPTEMBER2014 AUGUSTMAN 297
BBRRRRRETT DDDAALTON
“I’M DEFINITELY MORE OF A JEANS AND T-SHIRT KIND OF GUY SO I DON’T
KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE POCKETS AND ZIPPERS”
Coat by BURBERRY
LONDON; Shirt and tie by
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
OPPOSITE PAGE
Coat by BURBERRY
LONDON; Shirt and tie
by ERMENEGILDO
ZEGNA; Trousers by
TODD SNYDER; Clutch
by GIORGIO ARMANI
GROOMING BY CAROLA
GONZALEZ/MAGNET
AGENCYUSING
MURAD; DIGITAL IMAGING
SEBASTIANBAR;
PRODUCER YOSHINO
CREATES; PHOTOGRAPHY
ASSISTANT WILLREID;
STYLIST ASSISTANT
JANEAMORETO;
SHOT ON LOCATION
AT HOLLYWOOD
ROOSEVELT HOTEL,
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