The new Apple TV+ show Time Bandits is a new take on the 1981 cult classic. The show stars a stacked cast including recognizable faces like Lisa Kudrow (Friends), Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), and Jemaine Clement (Moana), but the discovery of the cast is young actor Kal-El Tuck, who plays the show’s hero, Kevin.
We at FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with Tuck about his starring role in the show, working with such a talented ensemble, and the challenges of playing his character Kevin. Check out the interview below!
Kal-El Tuck Time Bandits Interview
FandomWire: So before getting cast in this version of Time Bandits, how familiar were you with the original movie? Had you seen it before?
Kal-El Tuck: So I didn’t watch the original movie, but my dad did. And it’s amazing to watch a thing that originally my dad watched, but I didn’t watch it because I wanted to be my own Kevin. I didn’t want to be someone else’s version of Kevin, I didn’t want to be influenced.
FW: So Time Bandits is obviously a classic adventure movie. Are there any other adventure movies you love?
Tuck: I did love Jumanji. Jumanji is a great movie. Such funny actors and such a great adventure they go on.
FW: And in Time Bandits, your character Kevin is a huge history buff. How much of a history buff are you in real life?
Tuck: Yeah, I love history. It was really nice to play a character who you could also have some knowledge about. But it was nice to go, “Who’s this? Let’s search it up and do all that.”
FW: What did you think about the research part of learning about these different historical eras? Did you find it difficult? Challenging?
Tuck: It kind of depended on who it was on. If it was on just like a basic person, it’s gonna be fun and interesting. But if it’s someone a bit more complicated, like a leader or something, it’s gonna be fun and challenging.
FW: So, if you could travel back to any period in history, what would it be and why?
Tuck: There was a great time in the show — 1920s Harlem. I loved that one. We had to go on location, actually to a city. Just the actors there were really fun, the costumes were really great. When we had to go, it was just a really nice experience. And I think it’d be nice to be in 1920s Harlem.
FW: The ending of the season does leave it open for the Time Bandits to go on more adventures in a second season. Are there any periods you would like to see Kevin and the Bandits go to in the future?
Tuck: I think one really good time that they should go to is probably the future. If they can go through any time at all, I feel like the future would be a great one because you could do so much with that.
FW: This is your first major starring role, and you got to work with a very talented group of actors. What was it like working with these incredible co-stars like Lisa Kudrow, Taika Waititi, and Jemaine Clement?
Tuck: Well, of course, I’ve watched Friends. It’s amazing to look up to someone and then be able to meet them and not only just meet them but work with them. It’s just so amazing to work with these actors because they’re great actors.
And Taika Waititi, I had a one-on-one scene with him, and it was so fun because halfway through the scene, he’d improvise and change it altogether — get a new costume, put new stuff on the set — and it’s just a fun challenge to go for.
FW: I really enjoyed the dynamic that you formed with the Bandits that evolved into a sort of family. How did you go about building that friendship with the real-life actors that played the Bandits?
Tuck: Well, the first time I met them, they were just really nice, very welcoming. And it was really nice to meet them all and then start acting together and warming up to each other. Like, offset when we weren’t doing scenes, as we were waiting, all the cast would just be playing games and a bunch of stuff like that. It was a very nice bond, and we were all happy.
FW: Time Bandits had a very intense shooting schedule, with many sets and locations shot in a short period of time. Did you find this exciting? Challenging?
Tuck: I think it was great. One day, we’d be in a forest, and then the other day, we’d be somewhere new, like in a town or up a mountain. It’s crazy. It’s so fun to be in different places and meet new people.
FW: One of my favorite things about your character is how he grows braver over the course of the ten episodes. What did you like most about exploring your character’s growth?
Tuck: It was very fun to be a character and to see them grow as a character. It’s nice that they grew up, they got better, they learned that they’ve become a better person. It’s nice to play a good person.
FW: Time Bandits is a very funny show. Did you ever find that you were having a hard time staying in character with all the jokes? Did you break a lot?
Tuck: I would break a few times. But there were definitely a couple of good times where it’s just, “Breathe, just breathe. In your head.” Because it’s hard to just keep it in.
FW: Yeah, and I think the other thing about Time Bandits is that, while it’s a funny show, it also has these moments that are very intense and a few that are scary. How did you approach these different changes over the course of the show? Did you have to dial it in to be serious at points, or did you find it easy to jump between the two?
Tuck: Well, as I’m playing a character like Kevin, I don’t really think of myself as an actor. I’m Kevin, and as Kevin, what do I think in that situation? Of course, it had some hard parts, but it wasn’t so tricky.
FW: Obviously, people my age will watch the show out of nostalgia, but what do you think there is for kids your age who have never seen the original movie to like in Time Bandits?
Tuck: I mean, who doesn’t want a beach through their wardrobe? And it’s so funny and hilarious, and it’s just a really good show. It’s so fun. It’s so cool. Just all the places we go to and all the people we meet. I think it’s good for everyone.
Time Bandits streams on Apple TV+ beginning July 24.
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