DA: “The New Mutants” trailer hints at a horror-like movie. Is that something that the audience can look forward to? HZ:

Yes! Even in the “The New Mutants” comics, they have a much darker approach to the mutant powers than your regular “X-Men,” especially since Bill Sienkiewicz came on to illustrate. It’s definitely not for everybody. Some of these traumas are incredibly dark and I don’t personally know how valiant I’d have to be to overcome them, but expect a banger of a horror movie.

It’s special and strangely topical. We were freaking out by the end of filming— around March—that we were making “The Stand” during a time when a viral disease ravages the world like some scary omen. I can’t wait to see the show as I’m a huge fan of the book myself. Plus, you had to see how into it everyone was. It’s much bigger than us as a cast and crew, it’s Stephen King’s dystopian bible and we had to honor it no matter what. I think it will be special to people is a very lasting way.

I really love being outdoors, man. I think we’re so spoiled with the weather in L.A. and I try to make the best of it— even in quarantine! But to answer your question, I’ve always been obsessed with learning new skills, so whenever I fall in love with something, be it the piano or ASL, I try learning everything about it.

Every day is different. I started talking to my plants the other day, but realized it’s a collateral of the stay-athome experience. But through sanity, I try sticking to waking up early and reading as much as possible. Be it books, scripts or anything rewarding enough to keep going. It’s really easy to get distracted with pointless stuff like your phone or random lunch meetings—pre-COVID, that is. So, I try leaving a book over my phone all day long like a nervous tick, so as to remind me to line up my priorities.