Related yet complete polar opposites, Merrill brothers, John “Ace” (Matthew Allen) and Chris (Paul Sparks) talk about racial tensions and terrifying supernatural occurrences within Castle Rock.
We sat down with the pair as they discussed character dynamics and the strange oddities that make up the spooky town of Castle Rock.
The Knockturnal: Can you talk to me about what your biggest challenge was taking on this role?
Matthew Allen: “I play Chris, [Ace’s] younger brother and Chris is actually trying to keep the communities together; he’s doing his best to kind of keep the family together and the communities together; [a] ‘why can’t everybody just get along type of thing’. It poses a problem because behind the scenes there’s a lot going on. So without spoiling anything, we’ll have to see where that heads, but it becomes a whole you know, it builds to a…I’m gonna stop there!” (laughs)
Matthew Allen: “I was going and I said, ‘don’t say that!’” (laughs)
Paul Sparks: “Yeah we can’t talk about anything, you know so that’s what’s so hard about it is that there are things I can’t talk about, but suffice to say it was an extremely challenging role and I could see that from the beginning. There’s a lot of twists and turns between where it starts and where it ends for me and so there was a lot to do – I don’t know if that’s hard or not, but it’s certainly a lot of work and it’s exciting to like, work on so, I love working on it. There was a lot to do.”
The Knockturnal: Was Stephen King very involved on set with giving notes or just providing a certain for what he had on the series?
Paul Sparks: “[King] wasn’t on set with us. I mean my understanding is that he’s involved obviously because it’s his people; it’s his world. So, in a way, I feel like everyone is thinking about him and the way his world works. To me, it always felt like we were trying to do stuff that we’d hope that he would like, and I’m assuming that he did like it – if he didn’t, I think they would’ve been stopped.” (laughs)
The Knockturnal: Of course. And so what is it that you really feel like the viewers at home can take away from this series?
Matthew Allen: “Oh man, for Stephan King fans I think they’re going to take away a lot. It’s such a melting of so many different worlds.
Paul Sparks: “Yeah, I think the fans will enjoy because there’s a lot of Stephen King paraphernalia that’s in it, and there’s a lot of stories that are kind of intersecting…”
The Knockturnal: Lots of easter eggs too.
Paul Sparks: “Yeah, and I think that’s gonna’ be a lot of fun, but I also think that there’s this story of how does this Somali community survives in this very, very white sort of main place. I think it’s a really interesting thing with current affairs like this idea of immigration and who is accepted and who’s not and I think its something that we look at in the show, which I think its really cool. I also think that there’s a certain amount of dealing with – I think what’s really scary about it is the Annie Wilkes character from Misery who is kind of the lead that Lizzy plays, you know there’s a lot of looking at what is real and what is not, you know her particular kind of madness and like what’s real and what’s not and who’s who. I think there’s a lot of fun stuff in that.
Matthew Allen: “That makes kind of a great thread throughout the season, you know it keeps those stories kind of together.”
Paul Sparks: “Yeah, you’re never quite sure whats going on.”
The show premieres on October 23 on Hulu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bytPaQ5I8U
