For All Mankind proved that no one is safe by killing off a main cast member three episodes into the season.
During the Friday, April 10, episode of the Apple TV series, Ed (Joel Kinnaman) died with his grandson Alex (Sean Kaufman) by his side. While the show’s cast has gone through many changes over the years, Kinnaman, 46, has been the lead since season 1.
Kaufman, 26, spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about being in the room for the crucial moment, saying, “My favorite part about this show is that as much as there’s all these stunts in every episode — and it’s so expansive in the nature of the solar system and constant exploration and CGI and planets — it’s a really grounded drama. It focuses on familial relationships and platonic and romantic relationships and just everyday human life. Being able to focus on that was truly my favorite part.”
Fans saw the beloved character meet his end during episode 3, when he succumbed to lung cancer. It was a tragic development after Kelly (Cynthy Wu) pleads for him to seek treatment, which he declines.
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For All Mankind, which premiered in 2019, introduces an alternate version of history where the Soviet Union lands on the moon before the United States. The series explores the consequences of the continued Space Race, drawing inspiration from the lunar plaque left on the moon by the crew of Apollo 11.
The show features historical figures including astronauts, NASA officials, American presidents and other politicians. For All Mankind originally starred Kinnaman, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, Wrenn Schmidt, Sonya Walger, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Edi Gathegi, with Toby Kebbell, Tyner Rushing, Svetlana Efremova and Daniel Stern rounding out the cast.
“Ed’s death was a very emotional moment. I had the pleasure of working with Joel and being with him for that scene and it was very powerful,” Kaufman shared with Us. “I watched this man who spent a chapter of his life doing this show — and who clearly had a connection and was family to this cast and this crew — and it literally came to a close. It was so emotional. I had no choice but to feel overwhelmed.”
Kaufman, who joined the show in season 5, felt “the passing of the guard.”
“It felt so impactful for me to be able to be there in that scene — and for him to pass it on to me,” he noted. “There was a scene we did before where I was a little nervous. We were talking about it. At the end of the scene, after my coverage, he just looks at me silently in his old man makeup and he just nods and gives me a thumbs up. I’ll never forget it.”
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He concluded: “Because to me, that was the moment I knew he trusts me. It was a very powerful thing that I really used a lot in the show because it was like, ‘Well, it’s on me now to shape my future in the show. I have to trust myself in the way that he trusts me.’”
Kaufman was thrilled to be trusted with the next chapter of the series, telling Us, “I’ve been telling everybody that the only thing that I want to do in this career is things that scare me. I want to do complete 180s.”
He added: “Anything that I don’t know or anything that I am unaware of how to do [is something I want to try]. If I ever know how to do something, then I shouldn’t do it. I love being uncomfortable. I love uncomfortability. I love not knowing what a joy that is, what a privilege that is and to be able to learn.”
New episodes of For All Mankind air Fridays on Apple TV.
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