Matt Fraction explains how Kurt and Wyatt Russell worked together to develop their shared business. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters character. Jumping between timelines, the Apple TV+ series shows the aftermath of Godzilla’s attack on San Francisco and sightings of massive unidentified terrestrial organisms in the 1950s. The father and son play Lee Shaw, an army officer and member of the organization of the same name, at different stages of its life. Along with Kurt and Wyatt Russell, the cast of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters includes Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Elisa Lasowski and Anders Holm.
In a recent interview with Men’s healthFraction revealed how Kurt and Wyatt Russell developed their character for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. He explained how the father/son duo rehearsed together and sometimes slightly mirrored each other. Fraction also praised his ability to fill the same role, noting that “It was more than a trick for us.“Read Fraction’s comments on Kurt and Wyatt Russell’s performances below:
They would make lines together [ask] ‘How would you do this?’ They came and went. They read each other’s parts. They really worked all the time to make this. As much fun as it is to write that, to bring it into the world of acting, it’s just a pleasure, you know? I think it is certainly a risky idea. But is fun. Man, they were willing to play. We had really active collaborators in the Russells. It’s a great relationship and it’s fun to hang out with them.
Then watching them do these things, there will be moments where Wyatt would do some sort of Kurt impression. It’s like, ‘Oh, it’s Lee pretending to be Shaw, but he’s not there yet.’ He’s trying to be a tough guy. Then there would be other moments where Kurt, despite all the Kurtness, would find something beautiful and tender and human in Cate or Kentaro or May, and would suddenly soften. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, look at that!’ good? Thank God Kurt and Wyatt understood. It was more than a trick for us. [We told them] ‘We want you guys to build this together,’ and they absolutely wanted it and they tried.
Why Casting Kurt and Wyatt Russell in the Same Role Works
As Fraction mentioned, having Kurt and Wyatt Russell play Lee Shaw, at different ages, is entertaining, and his comments about their ability to work together on the character suggest that the actors’ performances may be similar throughout. It’s rare to find father-son pairs taking on the same role, and audiences familiar with both Russells will likely enjoy seeing them in this part. Matt Shakman, who directed Monarch: Legacy of Monsterspreviously revealed that the show was looking for unrelated actors, but casting Kurt and Wyatt Russell presented an exciting opportunity.
Previously, Wyatt Russell appeared in 1998. Soldierplaying the younger version of Kurt Russell’s Todd.
During the show’s first two episodes, the younger version of Lee Shaw encounters multiple terrifying creatures, and it’s worth wondering what else he’ll experience as he progresses. In 2015, it is revealed that he is connected to Cate (Sawai) and Kentaro (Watabe), and after they meet, he begins to tell them about Monarch and his father. With actors who look and can behave similarly, Lee Shaw’s role feels more real, which helps bridge the generation gap of the story at hand.
Considering the Monsterverse’s existing audience and the dearth of father/son actors playing their counterparts, this series could attract an even larger audience thanks to the intrigue of seeing Kurt and Wyatt take on the same role. It will be interesting to see how the father/son duo continue to portray Lee Shaw, as the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters The timeline is explored further.
Fountain: Men’s health