A nice encounter, it is not. When brilliant, arrogant chemist Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman) first meets brilliant, cautious lab technician Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) in “Chemistry Lessons,” the sparks are practically toxic. But when he sees her again at a work event and then starts vomiting at her feet due to an allergic reaction to another guest's perfume, she takes him home and takes care of him, and her hearts wary. they begin to open.
He teaches her to row. She gives him exquisite meals. They work together on a theory of abiogenesis, as couples do. Life is a joy, until, spoiler, it is cruelly taken away from you. But in the Apple TV+ limited series, based on the book by Bonnie Garmus, his love story continues to permeate his life long after he has left this plane of existence, due in large part to the indelible performance. of Pullman.
Series creator Lee Eisenberg, who wrote and filmed almost simultaneously, remembers seeing the actor's diaries. “When you see Lewis, you think, 'Oh my God, I'm watching a once-in-a-generation talent, and if anyone feels even a fraction of what I feel watching this, he's going to make the decision.” world by storm.' I went back to the writers' room and said, 'How can we find ways to keep Calvin alive in a way that doesn't feel like cheating?'”
First they had Calvino appear to Elizabeth in times of deep need, not so much as a ghost but as a physical manifestation of her pain. “It was cool doing those scenes because I got to experience brief glimpses of what Calvin's existence would have been like if he hadn't passed away,” Pullman says, sitting on an otherwise empty patio at a location in Silver Lake.
“My favorite parts of this entire series are seeing Elizabeth's story after Calvin,” says Lewis Pullman.
(Apple TV+)
They then wrote an entire episode in which Calvino's Dickensian background is revealed. “I was definitely surprised and really grateful when Lee came to me and told me that he wanted to expand on Calvin's story, because he was already having such a good, creatively satisfying time on this project,” Pullman says. “For them to invite me to spend a little more time was very meaningful, and for me to spend more time developing Calvin with this group of creatives was huge.”
Calvin's brief visits “allow the audience to care about what that relationship means to Elizabeth without feeling like they're being derailed too much into a different story. Because many of my favorite parts of this entire series are seeing Elizabeth's story after Calvin,” adds Pullman, son of actor Bill Pullman.
Pullman, who made a good impression as Bob in 2022's “Top Gun: Maverick,” hadn't played a romantic role as such before, but he didn't even read for the part with Larson before he was offered the part. “It seems like a bold move not to do a chemistry test in something called 'Chemistry Lessons,'” Pullman notes wryly. He credits Sarah Adina Smith, who directed the show's first two episodes, for helping him find his way to Calvin's heart. “At first, I played Calvin as much more fussy in appearance. She said, “I think once he falls in love with Elizabeth, something settles inside of him and there's a sense of calm and purpose and confidence that fills him,” and she was absolutely right. “That helped me have a place to go.”
Mastering the other type of chemistry was more difficult. At first, she tried to understand Calvin's area of expertise, “and quickly realized that he would need a lifetime of education to really understand it.” So she learned the ropes and turned to the show's technical advisors to teach her how to say the lines with authority.
He was amazed by Larson's understanding of her numerous jargon-filled monologues: “I think she really understood what she was talking about.” She was also an excellent student of rowing, a hobby of Calvin's that he shares with Elizabeth. “If there was ever a sport where, as an actor, you worry about little details that will turn you into a blatant, blatant fraud, it would be rowing,” he says. But he wanted to do it right, especially for fans of the book. “And besides, at least she wanted to look as good as Brie, otherwise it wouldn't work.” Here he also helped a coach.
He felt fortunate to work alongside Larson, who also executive produced the limited series. “She ran the whole operation stoically,” he says. “And yet it brought this very bright, warm light to the whole set, which makes everyone want to do an even better job, because it feels like you're really doing it with your friends and your family, and you want to bring your best self.” For that”. Even when it is not in corporeal form.
