Tom Ellis talks 'Lucifer' Season 5 expectations, filming challenges

Tom Ellis says fans will love Dennis Haysbert's portrayal of God and how the musical episode will be one of the most memorable episodes of "Lucifer" Season 5.

The actor shared what Lucifans can expect when the show returns to Netflix with the first eight episodes on Aug. 21. He confirmed what was previously reported about the season having nearly hour-long episodes. This is because they initially thought Season 5 was the last season so they had the mentality of "go big or go home."

"Subsequently, most of the episodes are closer to an hour than usual and they are packed with fantastic stories and performances," Ellis said in an interview with Da Man, adding that Haysbert adds a new level of interest to the storyline in "Lucifer" Season 5.

"We welcomed the legend that is Dennis Haysbert into the cast to play God and some of the scenes I got to do with him are amongst my favorite moments since the show started. I think people will love him. I know I do!" he said.

Ellis also talked about the musical episode, titled "Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam," which took the cast and crew to a high school football field to film. He said it was the "most fun" he had on set ever.

"Singing and dancing makes me very happy, so when we filmed on a high school football field with 100 background dancers to the music of Queen, let's just say I felt like I'd won a competition to live out my dream," Ellis shared.

The actor pointed out that since the beginning of the season, Lucifer has changed dramatically in terms of character. He has learned to be selfless and to care for others. It was a selfless act when he decided to return to Hell to save mankind in the Season 4 finale.

"Lucifer" Season 5 was already filming the 16th and final episode when Netflix called for a hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ellis said they still have 60 percent left of the episode to shoot. He acknowledged that it is "going to be challenging" when filming resumes because they would have to "find a way to stay safe whilst remaining productive." Ellis said that with the restrictions "everyone has to take their turn to do their job," so it is going to affect how much they can "physically shoot in a day."