WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY?
WHAT excited me the most was these kids didn't have otherworldly superpowers; their superpower was their intellect, their creativity, and their empathy. And after what we've all been through, those are the things that stand out. So, in addition to the adventure and the fun, that message is really exciting to put out there for me.
YOU PLAY TWO CHARACTERS. DID THEY BOTH RESONATE WITH YOU?
Even though I've played some far-out characters, I have to find parts of those characters within myself, in order to give an authentic portrayal of them. And even though I was playing twins, I had to find myself in each of them.
I like to be positive, and I like to try to see the best in everyone, and that's in Benedict. But even in Curtain, he can be labelled the evil twin, but he probably feels very misunderstood – and I've had moments in my life where I felt misunderstood.
HOW DID THE PANDEMIC AFFECT YOUR EXPERIENCE ON SET?
The Vancouver crew were really on top of it about following guidelines and keeping us safe. But none of us were able to go home for five months, and that was tricky.
When you're on a show, you typically hang out with each other and get to know each other, and we didn't have that opportunity.
So it was unique; everybody [on the crew] was wearing a mask, and we didn't see their faces for five months. I remember they gave us this book at the end of five months with a picture of themselves with a mask and without the mask, and they looked so different. If I had seen these people without a mask in the grocery store, I wouldn't even know who they were, and I had just worked with them for five months. It's just wild.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH THE YOUNGER CAST?
It was really exciting. These kids, here they are away from their homes for five months and stepping into a pretty high stakes show, and in the middle of a pandemic. At that age, I was wondering what I was going to have for lunch – that's all I was doing! So it's very impressive.
A set can be a lot of pressure, there are 200 people working on a show, and then these kids have a lot of lines to remember and a lot of blocking and understanding their characters and changing every day, and in the middle of that, they're doing full-time school. So, it's a lot of plates to spin.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A ROLE?
I'm still that actor that's incredibly grateful for a gig. But, the older I get, work that is life-giving – whether that be through comedy, or through something like Benedict – I gravitate towards that a little more. I'm the guy that has a hard time watching horror movies, because I'll watch CNN and be just as freaked out.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU'VE LEARNT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
A big lesson is, your value can be calculated as to your achievements – that's not just in this business, I think it's everywhere. I always tell acting students, the value they have now is the exact same value as if they were to win an Oscar five years from now. That does not change – even though the business tells them it will. That's something I have to remind myself.
:: The Mysterious Benedict Society launches on Disney+ on Wednesday July 7
