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The latest chapter of pasture revolves around the search for Prince Airk, the prince of Tir Asleen and the son of Queen Sorsha and Madmartigan. In the first episode of the Disney+ series, Airk is kidnapped and embarks on a quest led by twin sister Kit to get him back. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY Dempsey Bryk about what Airk’s journey outside the walls of his life of privilege could mean for the character.
“When we meet Airk, he’s a genuine, sweet, kind-hearted person. That’s really who he is almost completely. He exists as a person who just wants to make everyone happy,” Dempsey said. “He’s also very romantic and falls in love very quickly and very often. Knowing that and then the fact that he’s missing and kidnapped was what intrigued me. I hope it’s going to be that way for the audience too, because you have this persona who’s so real and so pure and kind, almost comedic, like that and then subjecting them to really, really harsh conditions… Basically, what intrigued me was that Question after: does this love and kindness last? does it break And for me it’s kind of a character question.”
Before his kidnapping, Airk lived a life of luxury with very few worries, while his twin never did. While Airk “didn’t have too many responsibilities,” Dempsey noted that “Kit feels the exact opposite of that. They are polar opposites and in that way I think much much more is expected of her. This society is matriarchal in that queens become queens. Airk really didn’t expect anything from him against Kit. She’s the opposite of that, and I think she really feels it.”
The actor gushed about it, as did showrunner Jon Kasdan and the creative team “did a really good job of challenging traditional archetypes, especially in fantasy.” In a surprising role reversal, Dempsey pointed out that Airk “is basically the damsel in distress. I think I lost the job for saying I wasn’t watching pasture and got it back when I said, “Oh, so I’m the damsel in distress in my interview with Jon.” And that is very well the case. It’s fascinating to be able to explore roles that I wouldn’t have traditionally been privy to. But it’s also really great because Jon creates 3D characters anyway. I never got bored and never felt one dimensional. I feel like everyone has something unique to do. I think fantasy fans will also find it fascinating because I think you can see what the tropes would be and then subvert them. I think that’s why it feels fresh. It definitely felt fresh to act.”
When filming Pasture, Dempsey channeled Major Tom Holland Energy when it came to spoilers. “You are so mysterious. I have to put a box here because I had a lot of trouble the first week,” admitted Dempsey. “I got in trouble with Disney security, with the public that at the end of the first week of boot camp they removed my name from my trailer and appended ‘TMZ reporter’ because they thought spoilers were inevitable.”
pasture will definitely be action-packed throughout the season and Dempsey revealed he’s had more training than was expected of him. “I begged her to let me. I would ask on days when I was free. For certain periods I had a lot of days off because my character and other characters were on different paths, so I just came into the studio, not to shoot, and the stunt team was there. They would just train me,” Dempsey explained. “They were the best stunt team in the world, it feels like, because they were just so knowledgeable. They trained me almost every day throughout the year and we were able to use a lot of that.”
He added: “I can’t express enough how grateful I was for this experience as it was a dream come true. It’s like a dream I think, even if you don’t know or are unaware, every kid exits a superhero movie by hitting their friends and jumping into oncoming traffic.
The actor admitted he’s “always dreamed of” doing his own stunts, which comes from seeing Dylan o’brien -> actor in one maze runner Movie. “He runs down a hallway and slips under a door, which closes. What a great stunt and I remember being 14 and thinking, ‘This just seems like fun. I just want to do this,'” Dempsey said. “And then working with Jon is a full circle moment. Jon’s first film was with Dylan O’Brien before he left to do all those things. When I spoke to Jon, I pointed out that moment. He said, ‘I know that moment.’”
Dempsey teased that there will be “a lot of romance” for fans to look forward to amid all the thrill and action. “It’s something to juxtapose with the imagination because that’s human. And that’s it. Everyone recognizes romance,” said the actor HollywoodLife. “Everyone knows that’s the human experience. Also, what’s interesting about fantasy is that it takes an inner human experience and brings it to the outside, so that the demons, the monsters and all those things become literal manifestations of things that we as humans actually have to face, but in a way Way more abstract way. I think that’s why fantasy is interesting, because you can just see yourself more clearly in this weird, misty, magical land.” New episodes of pasture Premieres Wednesdays on Disney+.