Tarun Keram takes on the apocalypse in 'CBS All Access' adaptation of Stephen King's “The Stand”
Tarun Keram currently stars in the CBS All Access (now Paramount+) miniseries “The Stand,” based on the epic novel from horror author Stephen King. This show hits especially close to home right now, amongst the surrounding circumstances of this global pandemic. Tarun chatted with Rival about what initially drew him in to consider taking on the role, the storyline of the series, the resources he turned to in preparation for the role, and insight of his character Steve (who didn’t even appear in the 1978 novel! The role was specifically written for this new TV adaptation).
“This role was pretty interesting because I had no idea what was happening. I got the audition for a vet technician, but that's all the info I had. I didn't even know it was a Stephen King novel!
It's a post-apocalyptic world where a super virus kills 99.6% of the population. I think that it's oddly relevant today.
This version of "The Stand'' takes place in the 21st century. I think Stephen King really wanted this story to reflect the multiculturalism that exists today. For Steve, he's a little in over his head. He used to work with animals, but now has to become a doctor's assistant since... everyone else was wiped out from the virus. The only thing I can relate to is his love for animals!
The first thing I did was get the audiobook. I realized pretty quickly that Steve doesn't exist in those books! I think this was great for the preparation as this means it's a blank slate. I can do whatever I want with this character, without being tied to what the book would have said about him.”
“The Stand” features an impressive cast, consisting of Alexander Skarsgard, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Marsden. Tarun has already cultivated bonds with some of his fellow cast members:
“I can't wait to work with James Marsden again. I just finished ‘Westworld’ when I met him for the first time. He's awesome and a fantastic actor! The other actor I spent a lot of time with is Olivia Cheng. Love her in ‘Marco Polo’ & ‘Warrior’! I still stay in touch with Olivia and we're planning a movie night to showcase our films that we just directed.”
He went on to share particular highlights from filming and details of a fun moment that happened on set:
“I think the last scene of the final episode was special for me. I got to work with Josh Boone, all these fantastic actors.. and it was the first scene I shot for the series! I had to quickly build relationships with everyone and picture what the last 9 episodes looked like. It was tough, but so much fun!
There's a part where I'm DJing in the last episode at a park. I convinced these people to start dancing to the music, but didn't realize they weren't a part of the production! They had a lot of fun and were super confused when they realized it was a television set!”
The premise of “The Stand” is scarily relevant to our world today. Tarun gave his responses to a two-part imagined scenario.
Q1: Imagine you’re living in the gritty conditions of the apocalypse — what’s your best survival strategy?
Hit up the grocery store with allies! Grab rice and all non perishables. If you think the water is going to be cut off then fill all your bathtubs with water at home. Be nice and hopefully you can work with others to survive.. I watch a lot of survival shows!
Q2: Rushed for time, you can only grab 3 items to store in your survival arsenal. What are your selections?
Quinoa! Rice! One of those Britta [water] filters.
Tarun talked a little more about his background, discussing his childhood in British Columbia, and how his dad will forevermore be his role model.
I'm born and raised in Surrey, British Columbia. About an hour's drive from Vancouver. I grew up in a sort of ghetto neighbourhood, only to move to one where there was more gang violence. I definitely stayed away from those crowds though. My role model growing up is and always will be my dad. He was an artist and such a hard worker. He was the one who convinced me to follow my dreams and pursue acting initially. We always used to watch a movie every Sunday and the best times I had were going to the movie theaters. I think in some way that had to have inspired little old me.”
So many actors have inspired Tarun along his acting journey: “I have so many I look up to for different reasons. In one of my acting classes, I ended up doing a scene from an Idris Elba show called ‘Luther.’ I ended up falling in love with the script and watched the show shortly after. Not even a month later, I was cast in ‘Star Trek Beyond.’ Who was the villain in that movie? Of course, it was Idris Elba! The universe definitely works in mysterious ways.”
Tarun has an extensive list of credits in television series that includes SYFY’s “The Magicians,” The CW’s “Supernatural,” and ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.” He shares that he loves all of these characters for different reasons:
“I think the main thing I take away from these characters is that they are always way cooler than I am. One's a world famous DJ. One's a leader in a post-apocalyptic world where Angels are the bad guys. And Prince Amir shows up on horseback, only to get turned to dust by Jafar.”
Speaking of his experience on “Supernatural,” he talked about what it was like working with the rest of the cast and a memorable moment from the series set:
“That show was awesome! I grew up dreaming to be on that show one day and it happened to be my first guest star role! The only cool story I have is about the fandom. We were out shooting in the pouring rain and there were fans just waiting there to say hello to the cast. That's dedication!”
For Tarun, the most difficult aspect of being an actor today is being cast on self tapes with no callbacks.
“The first day back from the new year was a bit of a challenge because everything I did in the room was so different from what I did on set. It was a great exercise on staying on your toes.” And the most rewarding part? “The most rewarding thing I've felt in acting in a while is just being on set and having fun. Not thinking of my next line and just being present with the other actor.”
Tarun shared the best piece of advice he’s been given — “There are no small roles. Only small actors. Every actor has a part to play in a movie, including the background. If you keep taking those away, the movie will end up like Jenga.”
If he wasn’t an actor, he would consider pursuing another profession in the great wide open:
“I briefly dabbled in environmental studies. I think it would be awesome to be in the outdoors, and taking care of national parks and wildlife.”
So what’s next for Tarun? What types of roles would be like to pursue in the future? “I wanted to do a comedy next and I just filmed one actually. Maybe one where there are a lot of stunts?”
With his busy schedule, Tarun enjoys directing, producing, and writing in his free time. He’s even been hard at work on some passion projects! “I just finished a project actually and am hoping to put it out there pretty soon!”
He states that anything Zelda related invokes a lot of nostalgia for him and that he finds great inspiration in film.
“Anytime I see something Zelda related. I used to just beat ‘Ocarina of Time’ for the Nintendo 64 every Summer. I still do that with my friend, but obviously this year it has been from a distance.
I get inspired after watching a good movie. Something that I could see myself in. It reminds me that there's still so much out there to explore.”
Tarun concluded our conversation with some advice for aspiring artists.
“Always be in the mindset of learning and being curious. I see too many new actors thinking that they did one project so they are owed another. It doesn't work like that. This industry doesn't owe you anything and the only thing you can do is keep training until one day CBS or Warner Brothers knocks on your door asking you to be in their TV show. Worked for me!”
Follow Tarun on socials to keep up with his journey:
https://instagram.com/tarunkeram
And be sure to check out “The Stand” now streaming on Paramount+!
Meet the Author
Bri Rodriguez is a writer and photographer from Tallahassee, Florida. Always passionate about the arts - she’s been an avid reader and writer ever since she was a young girl - finding solace in books, exploring literary worlds, and the ability to express herself and tell stories through the written word. Her education in Commercial Photography Technology opened new doors for her artistry; she is currently in pursuit of her bachelors in English to further her studies in literature and creative writing and hone her craft. She aspires to forge her own path as a content creator and delve deeper into the entertainment industry. Bri contributes her writing to multiple publications and actively seeks out new opportunities, which led to her joining the Rival team.
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