Jimmi Simpson takes on the role of Ryan in the sci-fi novel, Dark Matter, where he encounters multiple versions of himself and grapples with the consequences of his actions in different worlds. Celebrated as one of the best sci-fi novels, Dark Matter marks the 10th anniversary of its release this year. The story explores the concept of the “road not taken” as Ryan and Amanda (played by Alice Braga) embark on a desperate quest to find their way back home.
LISTEN NOW: Jimmi Simpson on 'Dark Matter'
Simpson joined Romeo International for an exclusive conversation discussing his role and the distinct paths each character takes, ultimately leading to different outcomes.
Was it more emotionally challenging, or were there specific physical actions you took to ensure that people perceived the distinct individual in each scenario?
"It's fascinating because you're essentially playing the same man shaped by entirely different life experiences, right? So, yeah, I spent weeks developing some subtle psychological distinctions between the two Ryans that I was only able to do because of the brilliant writing of Blake and Jackie. I gave them just a slightly different gait, and everybody, you know, was thrilled, but ultimately what I was intending throughout is that your soul comes out and that is you. And life's experiences are going to push it and prod and they're going to bend it and bend its shape and make it more reactive or more calm, but that center has been there since the universe gave birth to you."
"That's what you can see throughout Ryan's journey. For instance, Ryan has not seen a lot of blockages to his intentions and to his wants in the world. He wanted to become a beautiful neuroscientist. He wanted to be successful. He wanted to have a great apartment. And then he's thrust into something he didn't plan for. He had control of his life. And so that man's gonna react much sharper, much more sharply to, 'I don't have control all of a sudden,' then say, Ryan 3, who never had a break and has his mechanic shop and life is hard and he's paycheck to paycheck. Now all of a sudden, 'where the hell am I? Okay, well, I guess I'm here now, right?' It's like the more knocks you take in life, the more you understand, 'okay, so the response is to roll with it.' Um, that's hopefully the lesson we learn."
Dark Matter is now streaming on Apple TV.
'Dark Matter' is now streaming on Apple TV
'Dark Matter' is now streaming on Apple TV
