An accident in space leads to a questioning of two families’ entire realities in Constellation. The Apple TV+ sci-fi drama revolves around an astronaut who narrowly returns home after an incident on the International Space Station, though when she finds the world she returns to is different in subtle ways, she uncovers a deeper conspiracy with larger ramifications than anyone can fathom.
Noomi Rapace leads the ensemble Constellation cast alongside Better Call Saul‘s Jonathan Banks, James D’Arcy, Julian Looman, Lenn Kudrjawizki, William Catlett, Barbara Sukowa, Carole Weyers, Rebecca Scroggs and Henry David. Packed full of shocking twists, emotional performances and gorgeous direction, the drama continues Apple TV+’s success streak in the world of sci-fi.
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Ahead of its premiere, Screen Rant interviewed stars James D’Arcy and William Catlett to discuss Constellation, the emotional arcs of their characters and shooting in a zero-gravity environment.
James D’Arcy & William Catlett Talk Constellation
Screen Rant: I’m so excited to talk about this show, it is fascinating, it is emotional, it has so many great things. James, we’ll start with you, and then William. What about it really attracted you both to be a part of it?
James D’Arcy: I mean, for me, it was every facet of it. I think the script is unique, it almost defies description. But the word unique is not a word that I think I’ve ever really been able to use before in conjunction with something I’ve been involved with, except maybe Cloud Atlas. But, you know, it’s genre-bending, it’s not quite sci-fi, but it’s maybe a sci-fi, it’s maybe a thriller, it’s maybe a conspiracy drama, and might be a domestic family thing.
And, actually, it’s a very intimate meditation on the nature of being a human being, which is incredible, because you could see it as this big, huge epic entertainment, or I think, actually, it’s probably going to force you to ask some really deep questions about who we are. Then, we have Noomi Rapace playing the lead, and Michelle MacLaren is directing it, there’s just no part of it that didn’t make me jump up and down and say, “This is amazing, great.”
William Catlett: For myself, I believe there were two things that really drew me in with Paul Lancaster was regret and grief, and how do you move through life when you’re hanging on to those things? I thought Peter Harness did a great job of studying the human experience and human psychology, and how does the viewer move through those things. Because although you’re watching a big epic show, you’re going to go on a ride within yourself. Are you still dealing with grief? Are you still dealing with regret? Are you still dealing with unforgiveness? And how do you overcome those things? Paul is faced with that at every turn, it’s almost like the writer is just turning the screw just a little bit each time, every 15 minutes, putting your mind and putting you in a place that you really don’t want to be in.
And it’s fascinating the way it plays out, I can’t get into spoilers, but especially with how the show sort of evolves. William, I wanted to turn to you next. You got to be part of the ISS section of filming. I just got through talking with Michelle, and she was talking about how challenging a lot of the zero G stuff was, how was that for you filming in that atmosphere?
William Catlett: Well, we had two weeks of training, a lot of core work, you had harnesses. It’s my first time putting on a harness and being in wires, and I’m just thinking about it now, the balancing was so hard, because you have to be so graceful in your movement. If you tip over too much, and you don’t squeeze your core, you go down, and well, Michelle can’t use that shot.
So, when they brought in Scott Kelly, a real astronaut, he gave us his experience, and he would tell me all the time, “Just make sure you’re graceful, less is more, less is more, less is more.” So, not only did I use that for the physical work, I used that also for Paul’s character that less is more, less is more, and it really paid off.
That’s amazing, it’s amazing how practical effects can still capture something as exciting as that. James, I wanted to turn back to you. You go through quite an evolution throughout this show, as you deal with changing events. What is it like for you balancing these very two different sides of this character as the show progresses, especially with its nonlinear storytelling?
James D’Arcy: It was wonderful, and it actually sort of reflected a little bit of how I feel life works inside my head. I feel like I’m not always in this reality, but sometimes, if I’m worrying about something, well, I really am there, I’m in that place, I’ve invented a future, and I’m living in it, you know? Or if I’m excited about something, same thing, I’ve invented something, and I’m living in it.
So, I feel like as human beings, we’re quite often living in several different realities at the same time, and it’s great to be in a project where, actually, in ways that I obviously can’t really get into, we’re able to explore different facets of what might be the same reality or might not be.
It’s such a tightrope to walk, but you do it so well. I love how both of you interact with Jonathan Banks in the show, you have, again, very different relationships with him. What was it like for each of you playing against him and building a rapport with him for your various scenes?
William Catlett: Well, Jonathan Banks is a legend. He’s a historic treasure to work with, he’s so giving, he’s so graceful, and he brings it, what a joy to work with. For Paul’s thing, Paul looks up to Henry, he wants to be Henry’s replacement, in a way. Everything that he is trying to do, Henry taught him, and so, without giving any spoilers, the person that you look up to is no longer looking at you the way that he looked at you before, so now you’re questioning everything. We go through that, you know, having a mentor, and it’s not the same mentor anymore. Now, you’re taking the reins, there’s a thing that you kind of go through and so, like I said, Peter does a great job of just poking at the bear.
About Constellation
Constellation stars Noomi Rapace as Jo — an astronaut who returns to Earth after a disaster in space — only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing. The action-packed space adventure is an exploration of the dark edges of human psychology, and one woman’s desperate quest to expose the truth about the hidden history of space travel and recover all that she has lost.
Constellation
Constellation is a sci-fi psychological thriller written and created by Peter Harness for Apple TV+. After facing a crisis in space, Astronaut Jo returns to Earth only to discover nothing is quite the same – and that her sanity may be slowly slipping from her grasp.
- Release Date
- February 21, 2024
- Cast
- Noomi Rapace , Jonathan Banks , James D’Arcy , Lenn Kudrjawizki , William Catlett , barbara sukowa , Carole Weyers
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Peter Harness
- Writers
- Peter Harness
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
- Directors
- michelle maclaren
- Showrunner
- Peter Harness
