From showrunner Eric Heisserer (Arrival, Bird Box) and based on the worldwide best-selling Grishaverse novels from Leigh Bardugo, the Netflix original series Shadow and Bone is set in a war-torn world and follows orphan Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), as she realizes just what extraordinary power she really possesses. As she struggles to understand and hone that power, General Kirigan (Ben Barnes) steps in, seemingly to protect her from the looming threat of the Shadow Fold, but clearly also with an agenda of his own.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, actor Archie Renaux, who plays Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, talked about why he found Shadow and Bone so appealing, his audition process, how his real-life relationship with co-star Ben Barnes compares to their on screen one, being a big fan of sci-fi/fantasy, the Mal-Alina dynamic, and his hope that they get to continue to explore this story and these characters.
Collider: Shadow and Bone has so many cool aspects, with this world inhabited by all of these characters, the fight scenes, and the special effects. What was it that most appealed to you? Was it one thing, or was it everything?
ARCHIE RENAUX: It was a lot of things. Being a kid and growing up and watching things like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and more recently, Game of Thrones, and having the opportunity to be able to be a part of this story and this world, was everything. When I saw the audition come through, I had to throw everything that I had at it because it was something that I wanted so much. My family are big into these fantasy things, especially my brother. My brother has seen the show and absolutely loves it, so it was nice to be a part of it for that.
What was the audition process like for this? Did it take a long time before you found out that you’d gotten this role, or did you know pretty quickly?
RENAUX: I found out fairly quickly because they were rushed on finding a Mal. I was away filming a sci-fi film called Voyagers, so I did a tape over there, in Bucharest where I was filming. I did the tape, and then they flew me back to do a chemistry test with Jessie [Mei Li]. And then, I think I had one more chemistry test with Jessie before I found out. It all happened within the space of three weeks.
At what point in the process did you find yourself becoming attached to this character, and how do you deal with that?
RENAUX: I know that I became attached to it fairly quickly. There are certainly some bits in the story where, I was like, “Yes, Mal!,” or “No, Mal, that’s really bad.” I do it quite naturally, in terms of distancing myself from characters, but this is a great one, so it’s not too bad to be far, far away from it.
You were also in Gold Digger with Ben Barnes. Do you think that character hated him more, or do you think that this character hates him more? And did you ever laugh with him about working on projects where his character seems to make your life more difficult?
RENAUX: Yeah, we have joked about that a few times and Ben has said it in some press stuff before. It’s great. This is my first like real leading part in a huge series, so to have Ben there again, who became my mentor after Gold Digger, he would help me out and give me tips. So, to have him there again and to work with him on this job was just such a big help to me and would be a big help to any young actor trying to try to do well in this industry.
So your real-life relationship is different from the one that you keep having on screen together.
RENAUX: Yeah, it’s annoying. I wanna do something where we’re actually friends. That’d be nice. Yeah, it’s very different. We absolutely love each other. We talk to each other quite a bit. We’ve got a very nice relationship.
Along with Shadow and Bone you’re also in Voyagers and you did Morbius, which are all stories that explore various aspects of fantasy and sci-fi. Are you personally a genre fan or is this just a lane that you’ve found yourself in?
RENAUX: I am a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy, superhero movies and, for that matter, action films. I think I’ve just been lucky enough to find myself in these genres. I have also done the dramas, like Gold Digger, which I was quite lucky to get, but I love it. I’m a big sci-fi fan. I love things like Star Wars, and I was a big fan of our showrunner Eric Heisserer’s film Arrival. I think that was one of the best modern sci-fi films that’s come out. So, to get to do this is feeding that inner child in me, when I put on the costume, and then get to go out on these wonderful sets and am a part of these epic stories that take place in this wonderful world that’s created by Leigh Bardugo.
What was your reaction when you got to read the final episode of the season and found out where things were left? How did you feel about that script, when you read it?
RENAUX: I was very excited about that. With all of the episodes, getting to see where Mal went was just great and far better than what I had imagined and surprised me, every time. This last episode did get me. It did get the blood pumping.
What were the emotions that you went through, when you found out about the ending?
RENAUX: It feels like there’s a lot more work to do. There’s still work to be done and, as an audience member, it ends with you wanting more, which is exactly what you want.
Have you had any conversations about what could happen in Season 2?
RENAUX: I have a lot of questions, and not so many answers. The fact that it is so open and there is this whole world that has still been unexplored on the screen excites me a lot. A lot of the character relationships feel like they’re still in the very early stages and have only just scratched the surface, so to speak. The circumstances have changed a lot, from where we see our characters at the beginning versus where we see them at the end. A lot has changed, and that has an effect. That has an effect on the dynamics of a relationship, so there’s so much more to explore. I really hope that we get the opportunity to go and do that.
What did you learn from making the first season and having the experience of doing the first season of the show that you hope to bring to the second season?
RENAUX: There was so much, even just in terms of experience. The best way of becoming a better actor and a better storyteller is just experience. Being at the forefront of this story helped me out so much. It just helped me exercise those active muscles. Now, hopefully, if we get the chance to do a second season, the performances will keep getting better and better, as will the show.
When you’re telling such an epic story, does it help to stay focused on those individual character relationships? Is that what helps ground things and make them feel human, when you’re surrounded by the fantastical?
RENAUX: Yeah, I think that’s what I focus on anyway. The great thing about these characters is that you can take them out of this world and put them in the real world, and they still have a place and the relationships would still make sense. So then, when you put me in the fantasy world, you wanna keep the grounded. The relationships and their souls matter, and that helps tell the story. At the end of the day, they’re all just people. They’re humans, it’s just that some have power and some don’t. That’s what we love watching. We love watching human interaction and story.
Sometimes big projects don’t feel big while you’re shooting them. Did this feel as big and epic as it actually is?
RENAUX: This was the biggest thing that I’ve done, apart from Voyagers, which was a very different shooting experience because that all takes place on a spaceship that was built in a studio and it was just one big set, if you like. Whereas this felt huge because they’d built so much in so many different locations and the sets were always changing. To me, as a relative newcomer, it felt massive. It felt like a really big project. But even speaking to Ben, who’s done loads of cool stuff, he was like, “This is huge.” We had quite a nice budget, as well, for a first season, which we were blessed with, so that always helps.
This story is really told through everyone’s connection to Alina and it all runs through her. What did you most enjoy about that relationship between your characters and what did you feel Jessie Mei Li brought to it?
RENAUX: It’s that universal relationship that Mal and Alina have, where they grew up together in an orphanage and they lost their parents in The Fold. They have so many similarities and so many similar struggles, and that creates a bond. Everyone in real life has that person that they would just go and do anything for, and it works both ways for them. They both have this love and this friendship that’s just incredible. It’s something that anyone that has anything like that in the real world will enjoy watching.
What was it like to work with Jessie Mei Li throughout this? Did you guys talk a lot about that dynamic or your scenes together, or did you just jump in together on stuff?
RENAUX: We spoke about it a little bit. There would be times when I would go over to her place and we’d run through the scenes together the night before. We did work really hard on it. We both got on so well, outside of work, that it made everything easier. Everything happened organically. The chemistry was organic, which made shooting a joy. It was really fun and really enjoyable.
You mentioned Mal and Alina both grew up together, having both been orphaned. How has being an orphaned defined Mal?
RENAUX: In Mal and Alina’s case, they both weren’t given anything as kids. If they wanted something, it wasn’t given to them because they didn’t have anyone. All they really had was each other. Because of that, when they’re older, in this story, they know how to take care of themselves and to get done what they need to get done. His determination and drive and willingness to carry on comes from hardship, when he was younger.
You mentioned feeling connected to the character pretty quickly. Was there anything him that you grew to appreciate that you didn’t necessarily realize was there, in the beginning?
RENAUX: With Mal, he really does wear his heart on his sleeve. It was all there to see from the beginning, so I knew the type of guy that he was. He was just so courageous and bold, and that’s something that I love. That’s something that I loved, when I was a young kid at the cinema watching films. I loved the characters that possessed those qualities. That goes a long way, in terms of being able to walk out of the cinema or finish the series, and if you could take something from watching it, hopefully it’s those kinds of qualities and those attributes, as a role model to kids.
You want a hero that’s a little bit imperfect, so that he has somewhere to grow.
RENAUX: Yeah, and that’s the thing that’s cool about the story. Because of what’s happened, he has to grow up really fast and do these really daunting things, when the odds aren’t in his favor, in terms of who he goes up against. And then, of course, there are moments when he is that boy again and he’s really vulnerable and needs a little cuddle, here and there. It’s a coming of age story, for Alina and Mal.
Shadow and Bone is available to stream at Netflix.