INTERVIEW BY IRVIN RIVERA

Texas born actor Colin O'Brien plays the titular role of Edward in AppleTV Plus' “Dear Edward” alongside Connie Britton and Taylor Schilling. The series is about the story of Edward Adler, a boy who is a lone survivor of a plane crash, including his family. It's a tale of survival, healing, recovery, and finding unexpected connections and communities around you. 

Armed with his passion for acting and the arts, Colin continuously soars through Hollywood despite his young age. His upcoming projects include the sci-fi adventure "The Mothership" opposite Halle Berry, "Wonka" that focuses on the  young Willy Wonka, and “MR. HARRIGAN’S PHONE."

In this exclusive interview, rising star Colin O’Brien opens up about his experiences starring as Edward in AppleTV Plus’ “Dear Edward”, the challenges and the highs of filming, his acting journey, dream projects and more. 

Hi Colin, How are you? 

I'm doing well. Thanks for the interview. 

Share with us your experiences in filming Dear Edward? 

Wow. That's a question I could write a book-length response on, I think. Like all series, we moved quickly. We started in Miami with the scenes of Edward and Jordan swimming- what Edward thinks about when the plane is going down. That was a fun way to start the shoot. It was like a mini vacation before starting a new job and a fun way to get to know my on-screen older brother, Max Jenkins. We met Fisher Stevens and David R. Boyd for dinner at an incredible Cuban restaurant and attended an Inter-Miami CF game. Loved seeing soccer players in pink. I was so nervous. I don't usually eat when I'm nervous, but I scarfed down my Cuban sandwich in seconds and then sat there wondering why everyone was still eating.

As luck would have it, our flight from Miami to New York City was so turbulent, the flight attendants had to take a seat for more than half the flight. Rocky flights seem to be a theme with this show for me, as our flight to Los Angeles for the TCA and press junket was insane. It's like a roller coaster. As to my on-screen experiences, one of my favorite scenes during Dear Edward was when I was riding bikes with Maxwell Jenkins (Jordan) in Central Park. I didn't realize how much I'd biked until I woke up sore the next morning! Filming scenes in MOP was amazing, too. Production had to create a museum from scratch because Ripley's Believe it or Not (which they had hoped to use) closed just before we started production. I loved looking at all the odd items like shrunken heads, medieval armor, and artifacts of grief. Another experience I loved was the scene where Eva Ariel Binder (Shay) and I go through the shrinking room in episode 3. That was another art department or production design creation that amazed me.

How would you describe Edward’s character evolution throughout the show? 

Edward starts closed-off from the world because he is devastated by the loss of his family, and by the trauma he went through. His whole world was his family due to being home-schooled with his brother, with his dad as his teacher, and his mom working remotely. Then all of a sudden, all of that is gone. He has to redefine himself in a world without them when they were how he defined himself before. The world's reaction to his survival isolates him further when he is called Miracle Boy. While his aunt and uncle try to help him, they are stuck in their grief over the accident, issues in their marriage, and his aunt's miscarriages. Edward finally finds a way back when he meets Shay, the girl from next door. She is Edward's opposite in many ways. She puts herself out there and in doing so, brings Edward around. He finds family in her and hopes for the future. In the end, he seems to accept Lacey's love, which he had rejected at first. I think this shows he has come to a type of peace about losing his mother, as he told Lacey earlier that he couldn't even look at her because she reminded him of his mother. He embraces Lacey at the end, and says, "You found me." She was always there, though, he just needed to let her in. Finally, his relationship with Shay is one that moved from reliance to rejection and then to affection. Shay is like family to him, which is one of Dear Edward's themes-family can be what we make it.

What’s unique about the show that you could share with the audience? 

The show is adapted from a book called Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, and her book is based on a real-life event where a Dutch boy is the lone survivor of a plane crash. Like the book, the story is surprisingly uplifting. I mean, where else can you go when your entire family dies, but up? 

What’s the best part about playing your character, Edward? 

The best part of playing Edward is that he is such a beautiful soul. He feels deeply but knows he must move on. He feels sad but does not wallow. For me personally, being able to work with such amazing scene partners on this show is the experience of a lifetime. Each one brings something to each scene that makes me react at the moment a little differently. It's a dance of sorts.

What are the challenges and the highs that you experienced during filming? 

Filming in New York City is challenging and at the same time, thrilling. Sometimes there are unexpected jackhammering or sirens during a sensitive scene and there isn't anything we can do about it. Once one of the show's bodyguards (Michael Morera) saved my life when a car went through a red light. I was in my head and just looked at the walk sign-never again. The many thrilling things include the people of New York City, filming in Times Square and Central Park, living in Hunter's Point, hanging out with a friend my age who's also a cast mate, working with a cast and crew that became like family, and having a creative team at AppleTV+ and True Jack Productions that see beauty in a story of hope after loss.

How did you manage to rise above the challenges? 

I think knowing when to put my AirPods on between set-ups helps. If I don't have a quiet place, I use noise cancellation to give myself that space to get into the moment and think about my scene. 

What’s the most memorable moment for you throughout the whole process of making the series? 

The most memorable moment for me was the first time we filmed in Times Square, which was in episode 3. Shay and Edward sneak into the city to investigate the shrunken head Mahira gives Edward at the grocery store.

What is your creative process whenever you go and film a scene? 

I keep a journal where I write as if I am the character, discussing what I'm feeling and sometimes creating more backstories for my character. It helps me understand I want more. I might also ask the writer or director before the day if I have a question that will help me understand the scene better. I also read through the scene and think about different choices while I'm memorizing my lines. I want to react at the moment to my scene partner, so I try to stay flexible to see what they bring to the scene.

Who and what inspires you? 

There are so many things that inspire me. When it comes to what inspires me, I am like someone who explains what art is by saying, "I know it when I see it." Little moments I least expect sometimes inspire me, and the quiet moments that no one else notices sometimes leave me in awe. Typically it's unexpected beauty or unexpected kindness. That's what I want to be part of creating, moments that inspire people.

What’s your dream project? 

I will know when I see it, lol. I am open to any genre. I love acting, so I like to keep my door open to anything that challenges me, lets people escape when they watch it, and maybe leaves the world a better place because my character is connected with a viewer, or a scene makes someone pause and appreciate life a little more.

Which Directors and Filmmakers do you want to work with? 

I don't think you could fit my list in this article!

Aside from acting, what else keeps you busy? 

I enjoy playing chess, hiking, cooking, playing the piano, finding a good series to dive into, singing, dancing, writing, and sitting still to hear the breeze from time to time.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

I guess I would be a dystopian coming-of-age book, or maybe a historical fiction coming-of-age book, or maybe a science fiction dystopia, or a children's book... there is nothing I can't imagine.