Samba Schutte talks Mr. Diabaté’s ‘Pluribus’ return

Mr. Diabaté returns in this week’s episode of Pluribus.

The character, played by Samba Schutte and first introduced in episode two, is one of 12 humans who are immune to an alien virus that connects everyone in the world to an exceedingly cheerful hive mind. In episode six, out Friday, Rhea Seehorn’s Carol Sturka makes a disturbing discovery and travels to Las Vegas to find Diabaté.

Schutte promises we’ll see a “whole new side” to his character, who we first saw making a flamboyant entrance on Air Force One surrounded by models.

“With episode two, people felt, oh, what a hedonist and what a, you know, abuser or whatever it is,” he tells ABC Audio. “And I think with episode six, you kind of see a gentle side to him, a side where he actually cares for Carol, clocks her loneliness and wants her to understand what’s going on. … And he’s becoming a kind of ally to her.”

That’s not to say Diabaté agrees with Carol’s outlook on the world’s situation — she wants to reverse the virus and he doesn’t — but Schutte calls him “the ultimate diplomat.”

“He’s a very rational character,” he says. “If you notice, like he’s always coming up with rational counterarguments to Carol’s point of view, which drives her nuts.”

One thing’s for sure, Diabaté isn’t purposely malicious — even though some fans of Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan’s other show, Breaking Bad, were quick to speculate otherwise. 

“I think as soon as episode two aired, everyone was like, ‘This guy is gonna be the new Gus Fring. Mr. Koumba Diabaté is the new villain of the show,’” Schutte says. “And I’m like, ‘Really? I thought he was such a sweet guy!’” 

New episodes of Pluribus drop Fridays on Apple TV.

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