(Featured image by Storm Santos)
From 1965 to 1968, the television series Lost in Space captivated viewers as the Robinson family navigated the depths of space. It’s now a science fiction classic, the catchphrase “Danger, Will Robinson!” becoming especially iconic. There have been various spinoffs and adaptations with varying degrees of success, most notably a star-studded 1998 film with William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc, and Gary Oldman.
In late 2014, the fairly new streaming service Netflix ordered a reboot of the classic space tale. It was a long road from concept to screen, but the first season of an updated Lost in Space went online in April 2018. With a new robot design and special effects that 1960s viewers could only dream of, this was a cinematic Lost in Space for a new generation.
Maxwell Jenkins leads an ensemble cast that also includes Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Taylor Russell, and Parker Posey. Jenkins takes over Bill Mumy’s role of Will Robinson, the youngest of the space colonists who forms a special friendship with the Robot.
Maxwell Jenkins talked with TV Wasteland about the scope of science fiction projects, balancing his acting career with his “normal” life, and more.
Ever since he was born, Jenkins has been involved in performing in some way or another, but he got his start at his parents’ job: the circus. For much of his early childhood, he was “always on the road with circus acrobats,” and as early as three, he was performing in a partner act with his father. He still does acrobatics now, but he began to focus on acting when he was eight.
Jenkins began his career with a recurring role on ABC’s Betrayal, but his big breakout was the role of Young Will on the Wachowski sisters’ cult hit Sense8. He recounted working with the Wachowskis as “a dream come true” for a sci-fi fan. His favorite project of theirs is The Matrix, though he emphasized that “they revolutionize filmmaking with almost every single one of their projects. The way they direct is something you’ve never seen before.” He described their bond as almost telepathic, with an immediate sense of what the other is thinking about a take with just a look. “Not only did Lana open up the acting world for me, she also opened up the city of Berlin” when they went to shoot on location and gave tips on the best places to check out in the city.
While Berlin may have been one of his first experiences with the more intense side of genre filmmaking, it certainly wouldn’t be his last. Location shoots and tennis ball stand-in props would become a normal part of Jenkins’ daily life on Lost in Space. “I didn’t expect [the] green screen to be so challenging.” After one of the early days on set where he had to spend hours turning a blank wall into a spaceship in his mind, he called Parker Posey (who he affectionately calls ‘Aunt Parker’) for advice. She told him to “pretend like you’re playing pretend with your sister… imagine what isn’t there.” It was a strange adjustment, but it was his co-star’s advice that really helped him to see this new task as just a much more professional game of make-believe.
Maxwell really admires the creators of the original Lost in Space for having “the guts to go out and film a sci-fi show that changed the way sci-fi was made.” When the show was created, no one had ever even seen the Earth from space, but they took risks and used their creativity to imagine a new frontier that hadn’t (and still largely hasn’t) been fully defined. Billy Mumy, the original Will Robinson, “has been a super big mentor” to Jenkins as one of the few other people who can discuss insights into the mind of the kid character.
It can be difficult for many actors to play within a family on-screen, to form realistic bonds with people they just met a few days ago. However, Maxwell described his relationships with the rest of the Robinson family as “an instant click.” After work, they would go to dinner and hang out all weekend, and it just became natural for Jenkins to call Ignacio Serricchio “big bro” in texts or spend a weekend in Los Angeles with Toby Stephens and his family. He highlighted being especially proud of Taylor Russell and her recent film projects like Escape Room and Waves (for which she received an Indie Spirit Award nomination). “She’s like my big sister, and I love her.”
When asked about his favorite behind-the-scenes story, Jenkins immediately began telling a story from the very first episode of the show. The cast and crew were filming on top of a glacier where no one had set foot (less likely filmed on) in a long time, which was a cool and exciting experience in and of itself. However, it also happened to be the day before Maxwell’s birthday. The stunt workers asked him, “Do you want an early birthday present?” Jenkins said yes, expecting “a cool hat or something,” only to be surprised by a snowmobile ride down the glacier. He excitedly recounted the experience as “insane [and] so fun… I still remember the feeling of gliding through the snow.”
Of course, with all the special effects needed to build the world of the Robinsons to its full potential, Maxwell grew a steady anticipation for his first viewing of the final cut. After all, none of the cast had any idea what the Jupiter would look like or how the Robot would be designed. When a friend asked him after filming what the show would be like, he admitted that he didn’t think a lot happened because most of what he had worked with was tennis balls on sticks. However, he was blown away seeing it all for the first time, realizing just how cinematic the scope was, feeling like it was “a ten-hour movie.”
Definitely the most difficult part for him to shoot was the scene in the tree with the Robot. The series was filmed in order of the script so it was one of his first times “acting off of something that wasn’t there, which was really challenging.” The scene was also shot about five different times due to various challenges, including rewrites, running out of the right light, and location changes (multiple forests and studio stages were used to create the final project). In the second season, there was also trouble filming the cave scene with the SAR (Second Alien Robot) fight, because “there was a lot of different choreography we had to do,” but the final product ended up definitely being worth it.
As a self-described nerd, it was “a dream come true” for Maxwell to attend fan and press events to promote the show. Netflix went “all out” for the first season’s press tour, sending the cast to cities like Dubai and Tokyo. Some of his favorite celebrity encounters at events like New York Comic-Con include KJ Apa and Milo Ventimiglia. For all the Gilmore Girls fans out there, yes, Maxwell is firmly Team Jess (which, in this writers’ opinion, is absolutely the correct team). However, he said that “the fan reaction is even better.” While the cast and crew put in so much work, he emphasized that the fans are really the people who “make the show what it is,” and getting to meet them and hear about all of their thoughts is the most gratifying part of the process.
So what can we expect from season three? Obviously, everything production-related is up in the air due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, but Jenkins could tease that it will be “insane.” It will be the final season, but “in my opinion, it’ll be the craziest season ever… an epic finale.”
In the meantime, Maxwell will be appearing in the upcoming Good Joe Bell with Mark Wahlberg, Connie Britton, and Gary Sinise. The film (currently in post-production) is based on the true story of fifteen-year-old Jadin Bell, who committed suicide in 2013 after being brutally bullied for being gay. “It’s a really important piece to make right now, especially as we’re alone… it’s hard to be away from friends and support groups, and a lot of people’s mental health might be struggling.” Jenkins plays Jadin’s younger brother, Joseph, and much of the movie revolves around his reaction and the family’s reaction to their devastating loss.
But how does a teenager in such a demanding profession balance work and having a “normal” life? Maxwell’s parents ingrained in him that “what’s important is that you have a childhood, not a career. If I’m going to do something, it has to enhance my childhood and not just build up my career.” He admitted that it can be hard returning to school from set, a world where breakfast is brought to you in the morning and you get a full hour break for lunch, but it can also be more fun to be able to spend more time with people his own age who he doesn’t have to be constantly professional around. (Though he does want to make sure everyone knows that the set life is far from boring, mentioning snowboard trips.) “I can have many different careers, but I only get one childhood.”
In the future, Jenkins would love to work with people like Spike Lee, Stephen Chbosky, and Aaron Sorkin (emphasizing that he would watch News Night with Will McAvoy “every night if it were real”). He also became very interested in cinematography after the photography team on Lost in Space gave him his first film camera for his birthday. His dream is to become a sort of jack of all trades, writing, directing, producing, acting, and creating the music for various projects in the future.
To all the young artists out there pursuing their craft, Maxwell is the perfect example that one audition really can change everything. When he got his first role, he didn’t even have a headshot, coming onto set as a complete rookie. For any actor, he reminds: “Always have an open mind. Always take direction. Never say no. And anyone can act.” He joked, “if you’re a human being, you can act… If you’re living real life and living these experiences, it’ll make your acting better, so make sure you live your life to the fullest. Don’t have any regrets, because if you have no regrets, it’s going to make your acting a lot easier because you’ll have the experiences there.”
Currently in quarantine, Maxwell has been working a lot on his music, writing songs for his mandolin or guitar. He recently got the opportunity to Zoom with one of his favorite artists, Alec Benjamin, who played some songs for Maxwell’s birthday, including “Oh My God” which name-drops Will Robinson (to which Jenkins had the simple reaction: “Oh My God”). Other than keeping a school schedule and preparing for AP tests, he’s been spending a lot of time with family and dogs.
Recently fifteen, Maxwell Jenkins has already accomplished a lot, but he’s only just getting started. Be sure to keep his name in mind, as we’re sure he’ll be exploring many new frontiers (real and imagined) for many years to come.
TV Wasteland 
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