“At the risk of sounding pious, I am someone who sort of identifies with the fight to be a good person in the world as much as I can possibly be,” Barnes tells Nerd Reactor. “And this is a character to whom it’s important to be a really good man.”

One of the notable roles for Barnes was Prince Caspian, a dashing and honorable prince in The Chronicles of Narnia series. He would later play villains and antagonists; for example, Westworld and The Punisher.

“But it’s really fun to be a villain sometimes,” he added. “Some of the roles that I’ve played in The Punisher or Westworld, almost borderline psychotic characters, but it’s so fun to play. I think I was looking for somebody to play, that there was like a real symbol of goodness and protection as well. And the older I get, the more I feel so protective of these younger and younger casts that I tend to be working with. And you want to stand up for the things that are right.”

Freeman is a newcomer in the acting world, and he portrays the genius protagonist, Luke Ellis.

“Luke Ellis is described from the get-go as a child genius,” said Freeman. “I think he’s quite cheeky. He’s quite defiant when it comes to the people that he’s trying to battle at the Institute, the authority figures. But at the end of the day, he’s just a little boy, and the things he endures in the place are horrible. And I think that’s what I wanted to get across when playing the role for sure.”

Attached as an executive producer and writer is Benjamin Cavell, who wanted to make sure he got the seal of approval from the author of the book, Stephen King.

“And so to have [Stephen King] endorse the show and want to be an EP on the show and to have him love what we’ve done, that is so gratifying and sort of armors you against every other reaction,” Cavell said. “It is kind of interesting, and you want people to like it and like it in some wide way, but if Stephen King thinks we did right by him, then I’m good.”

The Institute debuts this Sunday, July 13th, on MGM+.

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