Connie Britton, Taylor Schilling, Colin O’Brien hope that ‘Dear Edward’ helps people move beyond grief

The lead actors of ‘Dear Edward,’ Connie Britton, Taylor Schilling, and Colin O’Brien, narrate their experiences while working on bringing the unique story of the Apple TV+ show to life

In working on Apple TV+’s upcoming series,  Dear Edward, its lead actors have strived to tell a story on how to “meet life on life’s terms,” as Taylor Schilling puts it. Created by Jason Katims, the show is adapted from the novel of the same name and follows the aftermath of a plane crash. The script follows the life of Edward Adler, a 12-year-old boy who is the lone survivor of the crash, and weaves his story into the lives of other families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.

Colin O’Brien, who plays Edward in the show, says that though the book and show share some themes and the general message remains the same, Jason Katims’ work focuses more on the hope and the connection aspect of it and “how we find new ways to live our lives through other people and connections.”

“Something that I learnt from working on this story and project is that life isn’t always what you expect, there are different things that will happen and you will have to adjust,” he adds.

Edward’s parents don’t survive the crash and he ends up in the care of his aunt, Lacey, played by Taylor Schilling. Grief-stricken with her sister’s death, Lacey is also forced to navigate the role of sudden motherhood thrust upon her. “The notion of really, bravely letting life be what it is, I love that about her. She is very bravely encountering herself,” Schilling says of her character.

“A very human, raw story that Jason is telling,” is how Schilling, who is collaborating with the showrunner for the first time, describes the show.“It’s part of the human condition, to really have no idea where life is taking us, and as much as we try to have the best laid plans, things change. The bravery of finding love, connection, and joy in the present moment and life, exactly as it is. That is what I think so much of us are navigating right now.”

Colin describes it in a similar way, as a show which reinforces the idea that “there are different things that will happen and you will have to adjust.”

“His scripts are so layered and detailed. He really paves the way for you as an actor, he’s a really down to earth person, and easy to talk to,” Colin says of his experience of working with Katims for the first time.