This article appears in the SXSW 2024 issue ofDen of Geekmagazine.
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Alex Sharp as Will Downing
What did you know about this role when you auditioned?
I didnt have any context, really.
Id heard of the books, but I had not read them.
I just knew it was like a sci-fi thing from the guys fromGame of Thrones.
Credit: Chris Baker/Netflix
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What can you tell us about Will Downing?
I got a sense from the [audition] scenes of who he was.
He seemed very British, actually.
Credit: Netflix
Quite stoic during a personally troubling time in his life.
What Wills going through is one of the largest things a human being can face.
It terrified me but I was really moved by his perspective.
Credit: Netflix
I wanted to try and capture that.
Hes very brave in a sincerely humble way.
I instantly fell in love with him.
What is the Oxford Five?
Theyre sort of like thePower Rangersof physics.
Maybe Im the pink one.
Hopefully, I am.
They all have specialties.
Theyre all astoundingly brilliant, but theyre all radically different people.
Jess Hong as Jin Cheng
What can you tell us about Jin Cheng?
Shes one of the Oxford Fivethe group of exceptional scientists who were brought together from across the globe.
She was plucked from New Zealand and she eventually grows into her own and has a successful career.
Jin is super driven and ambitious, sometimes to the detriment of her personal life.
Shell charge ahead to solve a problem, and until she finds some answers, she doesnt stop.
What expertise does she bring to the Oxford Five?
I think they all have their own things to offer.
Its more about how they interact with each other.
With Jack, [Jin is] more assertive, with Will, shes more soft and gentle.
With Auggie, shes a lot more like, Yeah, lets do this.
She is the most forward-thinking and tunnel-visioned of the group.
What did you learn from theThree-Body Problembooks?
The books were incredibly helpful because the world-building is incredible.
What was it like shooting the scenes set in virtual reality?
My second day of shooting was when we shot something with the VR helmet.
And he went, I dont know, but Ill know it when I see it.
It was a lot of trial and error.
John Bradley as Jack Rooney
How did you get this role?
What can you tell us about Jack Rooney?
His mind is split between the academic and the practical.
Did theThree-Body Problembooks help you prepare?
I did read the book before I read the scripts.
What was it like working with D.B.
Weiss and David Benioff again afterGame of Thrones?
Theyre the reason we want this to be a success.
I find them very inspiring.
3 Body Problem hits Netflix on March 21.
It will first screen during SXSW 2024s opening night on March 8 at the Paramount Theater.
