Adarsh Gourav on essaying a 10-year-old in 'Alien Earth': Was unlike anything I've ever done before

Mumbai, Sep 8 (IANS) BAFTA nominated actor Adarsh Gourav, whose latest release is Ridley Scott’s “Alien Earth”, has spoken about playing a child in the sci-fi series and said that it was unlike anything he has “ever done before.”

The actor, who took on the challenge of portraying a 10-year-old boy, said: "Playing a child was unlike anything I’ve ever done before—it was an enriching experience that taught me to let go of control. Children live with a sense of abandon and freedom that we often lose as adults, and I wanted to bring that authenticity to the screen.”

To prepare, Adarsh spent a lot of time with kids, “simply watching how they react to situations, how they ask questions, their unpredictability, even their little bursts of silliness and distraction.”

“These became the foundation of my performance.”

Adarsh added: "We also attended sessions with a child psychologist named April in Bangkok, where we did fun exercises—drawing, making clay sculptures, sharing our childhood stories, even meeting and interacting with our own ‘childhood versions’ through playful activities.”

The actor said it was both therapeutic and insightful.

“I also found myself watching hours of content on YouTube, especially ‘HiHo Kids’, where children engage with people from different walks of life and ask the most unexpected, innocent questions. That reminded me of how children see the world so differently."

The actor concluded by saying: "Ultimately, when you have a script and a character graph that is so well defined, you surrender to it.”

“Playing this role has been both liberating and challenging, because you’re constantly reminded to think less like an adult and more like a child who’s experiencing everything for the first time.”

Alien: Earth is an upcoming American science fiction horror television series created by Noah Hawley, based on the Alien franchise. It serves as a prequel set two years before the events of the original 1979 film Alien.

The show revolves around a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers who, after the space vessel Maginot crash-lands on Earth, make a discovery that brings them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat.

The show takes place when a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat.

--IANS

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