American actor Maxwell Jenkins, who recently appeared in the film ‘Arcadian’ alongside Nicolas Cage, spoke to IndiaToday.in about the film, shooting in difficult conditions, learning acting techniques from Nicolas, and more.

Best known for his roles in ‘Lost in Space’ and ‘Good Joe Bell’, Maxwell is known for his strong emotional range. His performance in ‘Arcadian’ also impressed audiences.

Excerpts from the interview:

Post-apocalyptic action horror is not an easy genre. What challenges did you face on set?

This project was not easy to pull off. There are many challenges in this genre, but on top of that, we were trying to film it in 20 days. We had to cram all this action and emotionally driven character scenes into a very short time in Ireland, where it rains a lot in the winter. However, I love shooting in such conditions because you get to do all the fun action stuff, drama, and fighting monsters, along with the character driven moments. When the horror and action are driven by these character scenes, it becomes enjoyable because you get to do a little bit of everything.

When you work with an experienced actor like Nicolas Cage, what’s that experience like?

Nicholas is incredible. I don’t think I need to reiterate how great an actor he is because most people already know that. But I think people will be pleased to know that he’s a really generous guy. He’s a great scene partner, very giving in scenes and very interested in what you have to say about it.

I remember our first day on set. We were trying to create a scene in which Jaden and I fight. Nicolas explained that we should take care of each other, as it’s written. He also suggested bringing in elements from his personal life, and we spent about an hour recreating the scene that day. It turned out to be one of my favorite scenes, where he stabs his knife into the table and says, “Aren’t we men?” It cut the scene in half; it was originally twice as long, but it revealed a lot about the relationship between these three men living in the woods and their dialogue. It’s just an example of how thoughtful Nicolas is about a scene and how much time he will take, even on days when there’s a lot to do.

He wants to hear about your interests outside of work. He’s a huge history buff, which was basically my major in school. So, we had a lot to discuss about history, which I was excited about.

What did you learn from him as a co-actor?

I can name a few things, but the most impactful lesson I learned from working with Nicholas is that whenever you step into a project, give it 110%. He’s been doing it forever and has more experience than anyone else I work with today. Before working with him, I wondered how much he would be willing and able to give to a project. After doing so many projects, I was surprised at how much he would give and give. He could have given 50% and it would still have been amazing. But he came in fully prepared on his first day, and that was a very valuable lesson for me.

Directed by Benjamin Brewer, Arcadian is a 2024 post-apocalyptic action horror film starring Nicolas Cage in the lead role. The film is now streaming on Lionsgate Play.