Earth Abides, which premieres tonight on MGM+, is based on the novel of the same name by George R. Stewart. In the post-apocalyptic miniseries, a virulent plague spreads across the globe, nearly eradicating the human population. As the remnants of civilization gradually deteriorates, a small group of broken survivors struggle to navigate their new existence and resist the looming threat of extinction.

Recently, Alexander Ludwig, who stars as Ish, and Jessica Frances Dukes, who stars as Emma, spoke with SciFi Vision about working on the series, including approaching roles that span a large number of years, what the experience taught them, and more.

Watch the interview below, and check out Earth Abides, on MGM+.



SCIFI VISION:   To start off, you both play characters over a span of quite a few years. Did that change your approach to how you played it? Because, obviously, you know, they're altered by each experience that they have. Whoever wants to go first.

JESSICA FRANCES DUKES:   Absolutely. When I found out that she goes through the course of years that she goes through, I wanted to know where she was at the beginning and where she was at the end. And not necessarily making a firm decision of it, but having an idea.

But I couldn't truly plan anything before until I met my Ish. And I think that once you meet that person, and you're able to see how they begin, you can kind of see in the future of how it's going to operate. Also, each scene, each script, each moment we got together, it just informed the next, and every day was just sort of just like it would be in life. You know, you learn something about that person every single day, and it informs the next moment.

SCIFI VISION:   What about for you?

ALEXANDER LUDWIG:   Absolutely. I mean, as time goes on and he slowly starts to physically deteriorate to some extent, and he's suffering the consequences of past wounds and traumas, he's also, in a paradoxical sense, growing and becoming healthier mentally and being able to understand kind of what it's all about.

SCIFI VISION:   This show really makes you think about how we take things for granted and maybe what we're missing with all our technology and everything else. Having this experience, did it change you? Do you think about things differently now, or did you learn anything, I guess, about yourself from it?

ALEXANDER LUDWIG:   That's a great question. Absolutely. I think that I'll certainly never take another actor for granted again, I'll tell you that, [laughs] after the pilot.

But I'll never forget, we did a reshoot, and I did a scene that they had scripted, and we tried one where I just went totally off book, and one of the things I said was, “I can't remember the last time I was in a city, and I looked up and I could see the stars.” I think about that all the time, just like, you know, it's amazing in so many ways, the way our world is growing. But there are so many things we need to be cautious of and careful of and make sure that we remain intact. There were things that they got right back in the day, and more isn't better all the time, at least that's what I learned.

JESSICA FRANCES DUKES:   Absolutely. Wow, so much. There's so much that I learned from it. The idea of what we all are capable of, and for bad or for good, and the choices that we make to be good is just so important, because the other person, you never know what they have to offer. You never know what you're going to learn or have to teach or all of that. These two characters would have just walked past each other in real life or before the virus hit, and now there is no like, “Oh, well, let me figure you out,” or “What do you got?” You know, there's nothing. You are the only person left. I am the only person left. I have to find a way to connect with you. And if we all walked through life like that, imagine what we would gain, like if we knew that everyone had something to give that we needed.

SCIFI VISION:   Give me three words to describe your characters. Each of you, if you can think of it. I know sometimes that's hard.

JESSICA FRANCES DUKES:   Goddess. [laughs] I do believe she's a goddess. She's a goddess to me. I loved her so much. Mother. Community.

SCIFI VISION:   What about you, Alexander?

ALEXANDER LUDWIG:   Stubborn, strong, and ultimately empathetic.