WHAT THE DICKINSON?

The Darkest Minds star Harris Dickinson talks

What was it about The Darkest Minds that attracted you in the first place?

I really liked the idea of these kids going up against the government in this revolutionstyle story. It was very inspiring to me. I think the idea of these kids being contained due to something very powerful developed in them is a very interesting concept.

You play the telekinetic Liam. Who was this character to you?

When I first read the script I felt like he was someone with a lot of pain. He’s a guy who wants to fight for justice and do the right thing. Ultimately, he’s a guy trying to make a better future. I really tried to capture that element of family that he wanted to regain.

Did reading the books beforehand help?

I feel like with the books, there are certain elements of characters left open for people to interpret or to let that character be the vehicle for their own narrative. With the film you have to try to keep it the same in some respects but you also have to create a character which is real and lived-in.

Is there any way of doing telekinesis acting without feeling silly?

I watched a great interview with James McAvoy talking about doing it in X-Men and he was laughing about it. I really got into it. I wasn’t breathing for one of them and I got a bit too excited. I got really elated and almost passed out. You have to think about every aspect of it. The breath and the tension on your lungs, the strain it would take on the body. With things like that, and imagining things that aren’t there, you just have to believe it. If you believe it it’ll look right.

You’re 21 now. What does The Darkest

Minds get right about being a teenager? It feels very fresh to me! What it gets right is the tenacity of young people now. They’re not following orders from people barking them down. It’s that disillusionment aspect of our generation, and trying to affect change. It’s also the light-hearted comedy of it.