As Netflix releases The Whisper Man, Mashable executive producer Mark Stetson spoke with stars Robert De Niro and Adam Scott, director James Ashcroft, and author Alex North about the thriller’s central themes. Their discussion covered generational trauma, the complicated relationship between fathers and sons, and the challenges of adapting North’s acclaimed novel for the screen.
Generational Trauma at the Heart of The Whisper Man
Alex North explained which themes from the book were most important to bring to the film: “This is a book that I wanted to write because it was about fathers and sons, and grandfathers and fathers and sons. And different iterations of the way that plays out in terms of generational trauma. How we respond to things that have happened in our childhood, how we protect our children from things that have happened in our childhood, how we pass things down and how we don’t.”
Adam Scott was particularly drawn to North’s exploration of inherited trauma and strained family relationships. “I thought it was a really interesting part of the script, this horrifying trauma that they are both going through while simultaneously trying to repair their relationship.”
De Niro also identified the father-son relationship as a key reason he wanted to join the project. “It was one of the things that attracted me to the script, that relationship.”
Robert De Niro’s Advice for Young Actors
At the end of the interview, Robert De Niro offered candid advice to young actors who experience imposter syndrome while working alongside performers they admire: “If it manifests in a such a way where it gets in the way of working on a scene, I’d say, ‘It’s ok, don’t worry. In two days, it’s all going to go away. It’s just us.”
The Whisper Man is now streaming on Netflix.
Source: mashable.com