If there's anything harder than pretending to be chased by gigantic and threatening prehistoric beasts that aren't actually on set with you, it has to be pretending that another actor is from your own flesh and blood. A case in point is the sibling relationship that Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins have in the upcoming film, Jurassic World, which looks to be pretty solid judging by the trailers. Surprisingly enough, the foundation for the camaraderie between the two young actors in the film came just from being on set.
I recently was given the opportunity to talk to Robinson, who made a name for himself with roles on TV's Melissa And Joey, as well as the indie hit The Kings Of Summer, and I was curious as to how he and Simpkins were able to bring a realistic vibe of brotherhood to their performances. He explained to me:
It was mostly in the moment, but we, when we got on set, we had a fair amount of time to get to know one another, because the first, about a month or so filming, was pretty light for us. So we got to basically have a lot of time off, just to get to know one another. We went snorkeling, went on hikes, went to the beach. So, that really helped just to build the [sibling] relationship for when we started filming."
There's an advantage to this sort of approach to building the relationship between Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins, as they start the film as typical brothers in different periods of transition. While Simpkins' Gray is a technical whiz who's more impressed with technology and follows the rules, Robinson's Zach is all about teenage rebellion and a burgeoning understanding of the opposite sex. Both boys have come to Jurassic World to seek out excitement. It's just that they start out with differing interests of excitement. But when it comes time for Gray and Zach to band together and defend each other, the bond between the two young actors is one that is truly believable, and important to the story, overall.
A great example of this strength of performance is a monologue Nick Robinson delivers that speaks to the defense his character has, and always will have, for his younger "brother." It's a speech that sticks the landing, proving to Ty Simpkins' Gray that he'll have his back no matter what stomps their way. Thanks to the time we have with the characters in the first acts of the film, as well as the time that Robinson and Simpkins spent together on and off set, you won't have a hard time accepting the fact that these two young men not only grew up together, but that they'd fight for each other during a very difficult time in their lives.
Jurassic World roars into theaters this Friday, so if you don't have your tickets handy yet, you probably should get on that. As for Nick Robinson, he's got two new films heading to the big screen towards the end of this year, as he'll be in Rob Reiner's Being Charlie this December and The 5th Wave on January 15th, 2016. Stick around with us here at Cinema Blend, as we have plenty more from the cast of Jurassic World in the week to come.
