Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre’s Chemistry Is Vital to Lanterns. Luckily, They Have Tons of It.

Getty Images; Men's Health Illustration / Jason Speakman//HBO5 min readWITHOUT KYLE CHANDLER and Aaron Pierre, HBO’s Lanterns does not exist. HBO’s new series—the latest chapter in James Gunn’s retooled and rebooted DC Universe—is part dynamic duo superhero story, part True Detective–esque mystery, and part road trip caper. None of which works if your two leads aren’t in total harmony. And, luckily for both Lanterns and those of us watching at home, they really, really are.As Hal Jordan, Earth’s original Green Lantern, Chandler brings a brand of cocky-but-utterly-charismatic bravado. Hal does his job well, and he’s been doing it long enough to know when he can play it fast and loose. As John Stewart, Pierre is his perfect foil. The trainee is cool and methodical, to the point of seeming strait-laced, eager to prove that he’s on this planet to be the Green Lantern. What sets Pierre apart from the typical straight man is the way he lets his own charms and swagger peek through.HBOThe real magic, of course, comes in watching them together. Stewart respects Jordan, however begrudgingly, and Jordan comes to see Stewart as a protégé, even while he sees him as a threat. Chandler and Pierre’s chemistry feels real and lived in, and you can’t help but think that the warmth of their off-screen relationship has seeped into their on-screen dynamic.Talking to Chandler and Pierre in person, the two bounce off each other, shifting gears simultaneously between jocular banter and earnest reflection. When Chandler speaks, Pierre is locked in, eager to hear what the more veteran actor has to say; when Pierre speaks, Chandler encourages him on.As Lanterns continues, Men’s Health spoke to the men playing its titular heroes about mentorship, their own on-set partnership, and the personal fears they’ve learned to push through.MEN’S HEALTH: Lanterns is in part about mentorship. Can you remember a time when a mentor—whether it’s a co-star, a director, or someone else in the industry—changed your life? AARON PIERRE: In my family, I’m the eldest. There are only two people I refer to as “Big Bro.” One of them is Barry Jenkins, director of the Oscar-winning film Moonlight, and many other exceptional, exceptional films. He’s a big brother to me. We first collaborated on The Underground Railroad, the second time was on Mufasa: The Lion King, and I’m sure there will be many more for us in the future. He’s been so generous with sharing his experiences, and imparting his wisdom, and just doing his best to guide me when he can. So, big shout-out to Barry. That’s my guy.Leon Bennett//Getty ImagesMH: Kyle, what about you? KYLE CHANDLER: You know, I’ve got to tell you—I thought you were going to ask, “Who is it that you’ve mentored?” But when you say, “Who is it that mentored you…,” I might be dismissing a lot of people! They’re going to read this and go, “You bum!” [Aaron laughs] I can’t think of a specific mentor I’ve had over the years, but what I can think of are a lot of dear friends—I’ve got a close group of friends that I’ve had for many years, whether it be from high school or college, and also close friends I’ve made since then. And I can certainly think of advice they’ve given me, pieces of advice that changed my life, that have come up while we’ve just been sitting outside and hashing over things.MH: Anything in particular that comes to mind? KC: Ah, hell, I can give you a great one right off the bat. When I was a kid, my pop passed away, and my brother Ed—I came home from school, and he was at the mailbox. He’s the one in the family who said, “Hey, look, I’ve got some bad news. Pop’s dead.” Cut to us on an Eastern Airlines flight, heading down to Florida. And, I don’t know, he just turned to me, looked at me—he was older and a psychologist; I was 14 years old—he turned to me and he said, very sternly, “Listen to me. Out of everything bad in life, there’s something good. And you have to find it.” [Voice cracks] To this day, it gets me. He completely changed a 14-year-old’s life, right there, and opened my world up. You know, you read, “The obstacle is the way,” and you think, Yeah, that makes sense! When I read that, I thought, Oh, my brother told me that! I’m too stupid to listen to mentors, but I’m smart enough to understand a good piece of advice.HBOMH: Can you think of a time you helped each other on set? KC: I’ve got one. I can’t go into detail—AP: Oh, boy…KC: Aaron didn’t come to me much with any problems, and I don’t think I came to you much with any problems either. Generally, Aaron’s pretty cool, pretty calm. But he wasn’t calm on this day. And the way it released itself was like a pressure cooker that had finally reached its boiling point. He like [clenches his jaw], “I’ve got to tell you something. I’ve got to tell you something.” And I felt privileged, like, “Oh! All of a sudden he’s got a problem.” And so I listened. And we discussed something over—I’m not gonna tell specifics! But anyway, Aaron, do you know the day I’m talking about?AP: I think I do, because I think it just happened once. I think I know exactly what you’re talking about [Laughs]KC: Right. Between the two walls. [Both laugh] It was awesome. He was in so much pain!AP: It was just about being there for one another when it was necessary and appropriate. In some ways we’re total opposites, and in other ways, we’re very similar. One of the similarities that we do have is that we both like to just get on with it. And in those moments, we would be each other’s counsel, giving each other guidance. That’s what a friendship is at its core.KC: We both had the same purpose through this whole thing, but we often had different ways of expressing ourselves, and it was fun to get to know each other in that way.HBOMH: Green Lanterns are chosen for their willpower and their ability to overcome fear. What’s something you’re afraid of? AP: I’ll let you go. I’m really interested to hear. [Laughs]KC: There are so many things! I have fear of what people think about me. I think everyone has that. And I certainly have a fear of stepping into a room full of producers, writers, and higher-ups, reading a script for the first time, and finding out if they like what I bring to the table. That was a fearful day—that first day when we read this thing together.AP: I have a fear of getting it wrong. And, obviously, that’s going to happen all the time—because none of us are perfect, and we’re living every day for the first time. I don’t know what it is about the way my brain is wired, but I have this fear of getting it wrong. I’m learning to give myself grace so that I don’t continue what I used to do when I was younger, which is tear myself apart for not knowing those things that only time can teach you.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Watch Lanterns HereEvan is the culture editor for Men's Health, with bylines in The New York Times, MTV News, Brooklyn Magazine, and VICE. He loves weird movies, watches too much TV, and listens to music more often than he doesn't.