The actor admitted that he was shocked by the negative reaction to his alter ego, who he described as being opportunistic rather than "evil".
© Rex Features / Gregory Pace/BEI
"I knew he was going to turn into a kind of a slimy villain, so I was looking forward to seeing how everybody reacted," he told TV Line.
"But I didn't know that people would get this into it... It's not that he's evil; he is just really invested in the product. He kind of considers it his show, so he wants it to do well."
On whether Ellis will change when Smash returns, he continued: "I think every show needs a villain, because without conflict there's nothing to watch on a one-hour drama.
"Nothing's set in stone, but I've gotten a pretty generous rundown of what's happening with my character in season two, and you can definitely look out for him a lot, doing some more [sneaky things]. I'm probably going to be even more hated."
Cepero also dismissed suggestions that Ellis should be killed off to appease viewers, saying: "He's a little too smart to be hit by a cab."
Smash airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.
> 'Smash': 'The Movie Star' recap
> 'Smash' soundtrack release date revealed
