OTTO FARRANT
Our interrogation extracts the intel from Alex Rider.
When Amazon Prime’s TV adaptation of Alex Rider appeared earlier this year in the UK and Ireland, it not only gave fans of Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling YA series a faithful adaptation to savour, but it also thrust actor Otto Farrant into a new realm. As a working actor in the British theatre scene from the age of 11, Farrant has ably shifted between stage and screen roles for half of his young life. But getting cast as Alex Rider afforded him a first: playing a character from his own time.
“To be honest, the idea of playing a teen super spy was something I didn’t think was possible because it’s so far removed from what I’ve played before,” Farrant tells SFX. “I’ve done a lot of roles in period dramas and on stage, but never anything actionpacked, and rarely doing contemporary pieces.” Now he’s a globe-trotting mini-bond, and he likes it…
Alex Rider is a role that asks a lot of anyone who plays him. Were you all-in straight away, or a bit intimidated by what it would require of you?
When this came up, and as it started to look like it was going to happen as I progressed through the audition phases, I just got really excited. The idea that I could train with really physical workouts and learn new skills like climbing, fighting and snowboarding, those were all things I threw myself into. And I found they came naturally to me.
Did the three-month process of going for the role allow you to invest in it even more?
It does allow you to get invested in it, and it’s like passing a challenge. By the time you get it, you’ve got a sense of the world they’re trying to create. And I was intrigued to hear the directors and producers talk about the direction they wanted to go because it’s quite different from the movie [Stormbreaker], and it’s different from the books as well. It’s got a grittier edge to it which appeals to an older and younger audience.
Did you gravitate towards or away from the book version of Alex?
I read some of the books and wanted to keep the core values of the character. But I also wanted to bring myself to the character. I thought that was the only way people would be able to relate to him. Alex is such a grounded character, where often things happen around him and he has to respond to them. In the same way that I was thrown into the deep end, I brought my personality to the role and I hope it’s done him justice.
You have the advantage of being a few years older than the character of Alex. Does that help when it comes to handling the pressure of being the lead of a TV series?
Yeah. I’m 23 and have a bit of a baby face, so I’ve always played younger. I think what it’s allowed me to do is have a bit of perspective on looking back at myself at that age and what I responded to. Jumping straight back into that headspace was really useful. It allowed me the strength and clarity, with my head screwed on, and with maturity. But even having said that, this project was much bigger than anything I’d ever done before in terms of the workload and the stress. And you have a book series which is globally renowned, so there is a lot of pressure. But I welcomed it and fed off it in the process.
You had to physically train in a way you never have before to play Alex. What was your way into it?
I had to learn Krav Maga, which is the Israeli military forces’ self-defence training. You’re not allowed to use it unless your life is threatened and someone is attacking. It’s about taking out the other person before they can do harm to you. The first session, I got paired up with this huge man, and they gave me a jockstrap and just said, “Kick each other in the balls.” I had to do that for half an hour, so it was a baptism of fire. I have an aversion to violence, and had to get over it quickly! Alex is adaptable to his situation. He’s thrown into so many different worlds in this series.
The pandemic has pushed the shooting of series two back into early 2021. Do you think this strange year will inform how you play him in the future?
In times of hardship and struggle, for comfort, we turn to the arts. I have been devouring films and books and TV shows. I’ve been surrounded by people who keep me inspired, and taking the time for self-reflection as well. I wanted to grow as a person, to take that into the second season. It’s all life experience!
Alex Rider series one is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and IMDB TV in the US.
For training they gave me a jockstrap and just said, “Kick each other in the balls”