We talked to actor Ricky He about his role as Kenny in the new Epix horror series From. The series unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town in middle America that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest – including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down.
Created and executive produced by John Griffin (Crater), directed and executive produced by Jack Bender (Lost, Game of Thrones, Mr. Mercedes), and showrun and executive produced by Jeff Pinkner (Fringe, Alias, Lost), From features a stellar ensemble cast.
Horror Geek Life: How did you get involved in From?
Ricky He: You know, I’m still at the stage in my career, like many actors, where I’m doing a lot of auditions, getting a lot of no’s back, but just pushing through. I got this audition after I was waiting to hear back from another project that I was really excited about, so this was like, okay, let’s get through it. Until I read episodes one and two, and I was like, oh Jesus, I’m about to have my heart broken again, aren’t I? (laughs)
HGL: What caught your interest the most?
Ricky He: You know, Kenny is supposed to be a young deputy, but when I read the character breakdown in the script, I was almost fully convinced I was too young to play this character. At this point in my career, I hadn’t had the opportunity to play any character outside the high school/college range, so I thought, a deputy, are they going to want me for this?
However, Kenny and the other characters on the show just have such a life to them, such a history, that I was dying to figure out and learn more about. I think that John Griffin does such a great job at fleshing out each character, so as soon as I read episodes one and two, I just wanted to know obviously the mystery of the town, but also, who are all these people, what are they going through? Their pain, their relationship with one another, and how they got there.
HGL: Did you know how you wanted to approach Kenny? Did it change as the season progressed?
Ricky He: I think that over the course of the first season, what I can say is Kenny has a complete arc. So, my approach to Kenny kind of evolved alongside Kenny in a lot of ways. Kenny has an honest and true piece of my personality and heart where he’s eager to please, he wants to be loved and to do right, and the affirmation that he’s doing well.
I think because of that, Kenny has always been very earnest, and he’s just trying to do his best, but sometimes his best isn’t good enough. Which is where a lot of his pain comes from and where I can relate to him very strongly. Going into the first day of shooting, I carried that burden in a lot of ways, wondering if I was good enough for this, and Kenny was constantly struggling with that.
HGL: A great atmosphere and dread hang over the show. How does it help your character?
Ricky He: Matt Likely, the production designer on the show, and his team did such an amazing job with the set. My first couple days of shooting, we were at a different location. We were at the clinic, which was a separate location from the town, and I was also in the woods somewhere chopping a tree (laughs).
It wasn’t until the second week of shooting that I actually arrived in the town, and it was like driving onto a Universal set. You become so immersed in it that it really informs you of your character’s choices. All the diner, all the house stuff, it really puts you immediately into the world of the character.
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HGL: Let’s discuss episode two, “The Way Things Are Now.” Can you talk about Kenny’s relationship with his father and how that shapes his character?
Ricky He: First and foremost, when I first read the first episode, with Kenny’s dad having dementia, that was already a powerful layer, to begin with because you’re reading about this guy stuck in this terrible, terrible circumstance. In that scenario, I think everyone would be looking for some sort of guidance, mentorship, and advice. Unfortunately for him, his main male role model, his father, is just not available, to no fault of his own.
It also explained to me why Kenny wanted to become the deputy of the town because now you have Boyd who now serves as this kind of father figure for him. By becoming deputy maybe he can have some power or some sense of control over the situation until ultimately, as you know when Kenny’s dad dies, that completely changed the game.
HGL: Kenny goes on an emotional roller coaster, being vulnerable and overwhelmed. How difficult were these scenes for you?
Ricky He: Extremely difficult (laughs). Extremely difficult but also very rewarding because, like I said, at this point in my career, prior to booking From, so much of it was getting through all your self-tapes, your auditions. But an actor friend and I made a pact that we should start shooting all of these auditions like it’s an Oscar-nominated film.
To be able to play a character like this, especially in episode two. He has such powerful moments of vulnerability and incredible dialogue, with, for example, Father Khatri, a great monologue by the tree with Boyd. I remember calling a friend and saying holy shit, this is the moment, or moments, that we were absolutely dying for.
HGL: Do you tend to rely more on yourself or lean more on your scene partners in some of these heavy scenes?
Ricky He: I think my approach is a little bit different, but it also depends on what’s happening on the day and my approach to that particular project or scene. Depending on the scene, I generally don’t try to stay in that mode the whole day because I find it emotionally fatiguing. So, I really try to stay present to whatever the moment is. If I’m on set and we’re about to shoot the scene where I’m about to see Kenny’s dad’s body, I’m going to stay present in that moment so I can be more present and available in the scene.
That’s how I generally do it, and that’s why I appreciated shooting the scene with Shaun Majumder (Father Khatri), where we are having a drink, talking about my dad, talking about Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot) because he’s so fun on and off-screen. In between takes, we were cracking jokes, and it really felt brotherly, or uncle and nephew. Where I’m having a drink with my uncle, and we’re talking about my life, so when the camera gets rolling, I’m right there with him.
HGL: From‘s premise focuses on the threat of the monsters and how the townspeople cope with it all. How enjoyable are those two storylines?
Ricky He: Oh yeah, like we were talking about, the whole environment, the whole town, along with our entire ensemble cast, I think it really creates this atmosphere that is fun for everyone, including the crew. I think the crew had a really good time as well, just because of the nature of the show and the mystique of the show. Monsters and environment, on top of everyone dying to find out what happens, I think, make for a very fun atmosphere for everyone involved. It’s almost like a communal experience for everyone, on top of making excellent television.
HGL: Now that the series wrapped shooting, what did you take away from this experience?
Ricky He: On a personal note, I was able to participate in a large way in something I believe is really good. I’m not a fortune teller. I don’t know if this show will have mass appeal, but I can say proudly that I think we made something very special. Also, to be able to make something physical from John Griffin’s vision, this was his baby.
I remember on the first day on the set of the town, he said, “The weird thing about this town is they built it. I had nothing to do with how they built it, but now that I’m here, this is exactly how I always imagined it when I was writing it.” I think there’s something very beautiful about that.
