I just had the chance to watch a new interview Kyle Chandler Aaron Pierre Lanterns 3, , and honestly, it’s really interesting. We’ve already seen a few episodes of the new HBO series, and things are really heating up in the DC Universe. The first two episodes focused mainly on Nebraska in 2016 and a crazy event ten years later. But this third episode, “OutKast,” takes a completely different turn. It focuses on John Stewart’s past and explains why he has such a complicated family history. It also makes clear why he seems so frustrated with Hal Jordan, even though he’s actually supposed to take his place.
Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre analyze Episode 3 and the main timelines of the DC series
I was very curious to hear what the stars had to say about filming across different timelines. Both Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre told me what it’s like to work on such a big project. When I asked Kyle what he liked about playing Hal Jordan at two different ages, he gave me a pretty honest answer. “Well, first of all, I got a paycheck. Second, the catering was really good,” he joked. Aaron agreed with him and praised the catering team.
Kyle then turned to the actual acting aspect and said that working with Aaron and the writing team was great. He mentioned that the series isn’t linear, which means the scenes weren’t shot in chronological order. He played two versions of his character separated by an entire decade. “My character is so multi-layered that you get a glimpse of him back when he was still a bit more put-together,” he said. He seemed genuinely excited that fans will finally be able to see how it all comes together on the big screen.
Episode 3, in particular, is a truly character-driven episode of the series for John
I wanted to learn more about how John’s backstory helped Aaron figure out who his character really is. Aaron told me that it helped him “enormously.” He was really impressed by the younger actors who played John and his siblings. He said, “I really hope they get the credit they deserve, and I really hope they’re recognized for their exemplary work.” He feels that they conveyed the emotional scenes very authentically.
This additional background information really helped Aaron portray John in the years 2016 and 2026. He said that it’s a real gift for an actor to have more details to work with. He explained that after a while, all that research simply becomes part of who you are. “Through osmosis and a lot of hard work, it just flows into every interaction you have, no matter how big or small,” he said. That’s when it became really fun, especially when he was able to start improvising because he knew exactly how John would behave.
Kyle Chandler explains why this Sinestro scene in Lanterns became “very personal”
Hal’s relationship with Sinestro is one of the coolest aspects of the series. I asked Kyle about it, and he admitted that it ran pretty deep. “I don’t want to sound too corny, but I probably will,” he said, before explaining that he really had to make the scenes personal. While filming with Ulrich Thomsen, he thought about his own character’s missing father.
“There were emotional experiences my character went through that I, as the actor playing that scene, hadn’t anticipated at the start of filming,” he told me. It wasn’t exactly a fun day on set, but he said it felt truly fulfilling. It just happened very naturally as they played out the scene. It was a very intimate, personal moment for his character.
Lanterns actor Aaron Pierre reveals that John Stewart is a “volcano” on the verge of erupting
John Stewart has many facets. He’s an architect and a former sniper, which shows that he’s very good at paying attention to the smallest details. I asked Aaron if that made John better at solving the mystery in Rushville. Aaron said that was an excellent question. He explained that John is a mix of great precision and great unpredictability. “John is, as you said, equally precise and direct, but also unpredictable on the inside—a volcano on the verge of erupting and devastating everything around him,” he said.
Aaron was determined to showcase this contrast. He saw precision and rage as two sides of the same coin. He’s looking forward to viewers seeing how John handles things as the story jumps back and forth between the years 2016 and 2026. He said, “It was just a joy.” Kyle even complimented Aaron, saying it’s hard for actors to stay as quiet and focused as Aaron does. Aaron laughed and joked that he’d buy Kyle some popcorn because he was so nice. New episodes of the series air every Sunday on HBO.
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