With For All Mankind Season 3 debuting around the world this Friday on Apple TV+, I recently got to speak with Joel Kinnaman about making the new season. As I have said many times, if you’re not watching For All Mankind, you’re missing out on one of the best shows airing on any channel. And while both Season 1 and Season 2 were phenomenal, Season 3 might be the best one yet.
I got to watch eight out of the ten episodes of the third season, and it takes everything you love about the series and amps it up several levels. And it’s not just one episode that’s fantastic. It’s every episode. The season starts off with what would be a finale on another series and then keeps going.
If you haven’t seen the trailer, For All Mankind Season 3 takes place in the 90’s and features three players (the United States, Russia, and a private company) in a dangerous race to be the first to land on Mars. Eventually, the Red Planet is reached, which opens the door to even more danger.
During the interview, Kinnaman talked about the making of Season 3, how episodes seven, eight, nine, and ten are all like season finales,how they decided on the amount of prosthetics he would wear this season and their plans for future seasons, and the quality of the writing. In addition, while he didn’t come out and say Season 4 is confirmed, he did say he was in “preparation” for Season 4. So I’m hoping that means Apple will announce the renewal soon.
For All Mankind was created by Emmy Award-winner Ronald D. Moore, and Emmy Award nominees Ben Nedivi & Matt Wolpert. Nedivi & Wolpert serve as showrunners, and executive produce alongside Moore and Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions, as well as David Weddle, Bradley Thompson and Nichole Beattie.
The ensemble cast returning for season three also includes Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, Sonya Walger, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, Casey Johnson, Coral Peña and Wrenn Schmidt, along with new series regular Edi Gathegi who will play Dev Ayesa, a charismatic visionary with his sights set on the stars.
Check out what Joel Kinnaman had to say below.
COLLIDER: I've seen the first eight episodes of season three and it's incredible.
JOEL KINNAMAN: Nice.
That's my review for you. That's it. I'm out.
KINNAMAN: I love it.
I spoke to you obviously for season one and for, I think for season two, and you made it seem like you knew more than you could tell me. I'm curious, when you first signed on, did they tell you, "If we get to season three, we're going to Mars?"
KINNAMAN: When we signed on, I think Mars was... It was a debate if that was season three or four. So it's like they had a five season outline that they walked me through. But with any show, you have an outline and then you also let yourself get affected by what's happening on the show and how it develops. And the show takes over. So it ended up moving a little quicker than I think it was originally planned.
What are you allowed to tease about season three?
KINNAMAN: I don't know (laughing). I usually just talk and then people pinch me.
The first episode of season three has action like a finale. I just couldn't believe what was going on in just the first episode. So, what was it like for you reading that script and being like, "This is how we're starting the season?"
KINNAMAN: Yeah, I was very excited. And I can tell you that episode 7, 8, 9, 10 are all like season finales. Each episode is its own season finale. And 9 and 10 is just ridiculous. The scale and scope of this season really ramped up. And then, the storytelling style of this show was to really take its time and dig in with the characters and let things take its time and really laying thorough pipe for this show and really be thoughtful with the whole architecture and how each character was developed.
Some people felt like it started out a little slow and but I thought it was very methodical. And then season two started picking up pace a little bit more. And then in season three, it's a completely different tempo, but it's also because we've also done so much groundwork with these characters so we can allow ourselves, I think that's really what the writers felt, to really ramp up the pace. I was really excited. Every script that came in, I felt it was a page-turner. And then each episode really had scale and scope.
Well, I actually love the way that it starts in season one because there's no technology and the show showcases the infrastructure on how to do these things. And now that you guys have the technology and now that you guys are in space, it's much easier to exponentially go faster because it makes more sense.
KINNAMAN: Exactly.
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
In the years of the show, your character has aged, I'm going to say, and this is a guess, but about 30 years. Did you ever debate or did you ever talk to the writers and directors about you using even more prosthetics or heavy makeup to demonstrate your age changing?
KINNAMAN: Oh, it's a constant discussion because it's also where we go from there. So the question is like, how much do we do now? Because then we have a season four and a season five, so we have to save some ammunition. So we've been comparing photos of my dad and my uncles when they were in similar age to where Baldwin should be. Of course, they're living different lives and I think Baldwin might be doing a little bit more training than my dad and his brothers, but we're trying to sort of gauge of where to go.
It's really fascinating because I really get to portray a whole life in each age. There's no real difference between season one and season two, even if it jumps about 10 years. Between those ages, physically it doesn't really change. From season one to season three, you definitely start to see some change, especially when you're getting up and sitting down, how the knees, some things start to hurt. When you get to season four, although albeit it's not announced yet, but then you really start to see the aging and how that takes shape physically.
I was going to ask you if, and I don't know what the status of season four is or a possible season five. I obviously want both of those seasons. But does that mean if you were to get to season five, it would be a real makeup thing where you're wearing more stuff?
KINNAMAN: Oh, I was wearing a lot of prosthetics for season three. I had a good hour and 20 minutes in makeup every day.
It looks so good.
KINNAMAN: It's really good. No, we have a great, great team. If you look at season two and season three, if you just look at them side by side, you'll see a big difference. And we're not exactly stating how old we are, but you'll see, we want to see a big difference between each season. That's sort of the goal. We’re trying to do as much practically as possible.
You sort of touched on season four…what can you say? Because they obviously haven't announced it yet, but hypothetically, are you maybe filming soon? What can you say?
KINNAMAN: Yeah, hypothetically I might be in preparation.
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
I truly mean it when I say the series it's one of my favorite shows on TV. I think that what the writers have done and all of your performances on the series, it's so incredible. I mean, I cannot say enough great things about the series.
KINNAMAN: Steve you've been such a great supporter of the show from the beginning. And when we released the first season, it was a little muddled because it was part of the first Apple release. So we felt like we had something really great. And then it just felt like the first season kind of came out in a vacuum and it just didn't feel like it made a splash and it was like, but we did the pudding, the pudding is really good. And it's just the tricky part of coming out on a new platform.
But you were such a supporter from the beginning and then the second season really caught on. I think that people are now primed for the third season. And everyone that's working on the show is just feeling really happy and grateful. And I don't forget who was there from the beginning.
I definitely noticed more people talking about it as season two was on. So many people I saw on social, and I don't know how much you're paying attention to it, were just praising the show and saying, "You need to watch this."
KINNAMAN: I kept saying, because people were disappointed that it wasn't more people writing about it. And I really felt like it deserved it. I've done a few things and I really felt like it was one of the best written things that I've been a part of. But I just kept saying to everyone, I was like, "Just rest assured. If we keep producing this level of quality, people will find it." People always come around to quality.
And I feel like it's such a high level of writing and attention to detail on this show and they have the balls to make unexpected left turns. And I feel like that's the thing with all the great shows, the first seasons of House of Cards, they have that thing where it's like the show has a confidence and they know the characters so they can make these unexpected moves that at first is surprising, but then you feel like but that's how characters, that's how people are. People make surprising decisions.
And when you realize that the thing that surprised you the most about a person or a character is actually the thing that then becomes the defining moment or characteristic. So I think they really have that level of writing for characters on the show that signified the best drama.
I agree. I’ve got to go. I'm just going to say thank you for your work on the series and I'm so happy that it's being made. And on that note, I'll end with hi, Bob.
KINNAMAN: Hi, Bob. Bye, Bob. Peace out, Steve. Take it easy.
For All Mankind Season 3 starts June 10th only on AppleTV+.