The heart behind the science of Netflix's 'Lost in Space'

The reboot of '60s TV show "Lost in Space" will start streaming on Netflix Friday, April 13.

It's all sci-fi cool: The Robinsons family selected to be among the Colonists hopping on spaceship Jupiter to travel 26 trillion miles to Alpha Centauri, only for a meteor shower to cause their spaceship to crash. 

But even with spaceships and robots and outer space, at the heart of it is family. In an exclusive interview with GMA News Online at the Tokyo media junket of "Lost in Space", cast members gave away tidbits on how they managed connect with each of their characters and the values they deliver to the audience.

Toby Stephens 

Stephens who recently starred as Captain Flint in the Starz series "Black Sails", is taking on the role of John Robinson, the seasoned combat veteran who has grown distant from his family.

In the series, his struggles to revive his relationships with his son, daughters and wife becomes evident.

On how he engaged himself to his character John Robinson

I think what drew me to the project initially was the face that yes, John Robinson, yes he is a soldier, he's been off dealing with these that he's a military man, and he has survived training, executing training and also being in charged of men and expecting them to follow training and then he's back with his family  and you know he expects them to behave like soldiers, you know and that's not gonna work.

It was really that kind of that thing of thinking of how would somebody react,  if they were suddenly powerless in those situations, normally men follow these orders completely, now he's with his family and as we all know children do not follow orders, yes he's a brave guy his real challenge in the series for him is facing up to his own failings as a father and trying to reconnect with his family.

Molly Parker (Maureen Robinson)

"House of Cards" star Molly Parker plays a science genius, with a strong persona. She is an aerospace engineer mother of three, who had to take on the roles of a father and a mother while John was away.

In "Lost in Space" Maureen will do all she can to get her family out of the mysterious "Goldilocks" planet they crashed into, and make their wait for the mothership The Resolute, a bit more bearable. 

On being a mother both in and out of the show

I am a mother, you know. I have an 11-year-old boy so that part I really didn't need to prepare so much. The writing of the show is so good and I feel like in a way it sort of came naturally.

One of the things that I like about Maureen is that she's a fierce matriarch, she's also science-minded and logical and rational and she sorta believes that there's an answer to every problem, if she just thinks hard enough, she [knows she] could figure it out.

[And then] She comes to find that she can't solve every problem. In general, this show for me, has so much heart. The center of what it is, this family and their dynamics, set in this extraordinary circumstances and I think it's really cool."

Taylor Russell 

 

The 23-year-old Canadian actor Taylor Russell portrays Judy Robinson, the eldest among Robinson child, and the biracial daughter of Maureen from her first marriage. She's all that: athletic, determined, confident and a trained doctor among the surviving Colonists.

On how her character breaks the ethnic stereotyping in roles to empower younger women

Something that was really important to me and something that I lacked, growing up watching TV was seeing girls that look like me in roles like that; [girls] who are strong and who aren't typecast as  like the sassy, crazy friend or just a friend, you know, it was kind of a stereotype in a lot of ways.

I've been lucky that I've had the opportunity to play Judy, somebody who's completely opposite of that and I hope that a lot of young girls could Identify with her, and know that they don't need to be a certain way or fit into a mold of what people see them as, because of their appearance. 

Mina Sundwall (Penny Robinson)

 

Swedish-Italian actor Mina Sundwall is a total revelation in her performance as Penny, the middle child. Penny makes the show, which can tend to be a bit too scientific, more bearable, thanks to her wit! 

On how her character's wit can influence the young ones

I think that there are many times especially when you're going through this awkward, awful, teenage phase — that is I'm finally would like to say that I'm getting out of — there are so many times when everything's seems like it's the worst thing in the world. This is the worst heartbreak, this is the most serious situation I could find myself in but every once in a while, lighten up a little bit.

It's important to take everything with a smile at least, and embrace every moment of the best part of the world and the worst parts. Something that Penny does so well is that in the worst situations she'll find that moment, maybe this isn't as bad when you're stuck in the middle of it, it's important especially growing up.

Maxwell Jenkins 

For the 12-year-old actor Maxwell Jenkins, playing Will Robinson, the youngest in the team, is a dream come true because it aligns with his personal interest of wanting to become a scientist and his obsession with robots.

But says Maxwell, he also relates to his character emotionally as an 11-year-old kid who, though he fears many things, still continues to take the risk and explore the unknown.

It is his character who encounters the Robot in a forest. Will Robinsons saves its life and then forms a kind of friendship with the sentient robot alien-like being. It will become his companion throughout his space journey.

RELATED: Netflix is rebooting "Lost in Space". How different is it going to be?

On his challenges with portraying Will

I think that one of the challenges of playing Will Robinson was bringing that anxiety and fear into everything but also having to make this character plot map of him growing up and becoming stronger as the series progresses. It was finding the right balance at that time to really have that emotion of fear and but also feel more courageous during every adventure and scary encounter that we had.

Whether you're a fan of the 1960s series or the 1998 film, keep an eye out for Bill Mumy's cameo. He played Will Robinson in the 1960s version of the show. — LA, GMA News