In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo flies high for Apple TV+’s Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks-produced series (“Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific”), “Masters of the Air.” The series follows a group of airmen with the 100th Bomb Group that risked their lives in World War II, flying bombing missions in Europe (read our review here). The show stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, Anthony Boyle, Ncuti Gatwa and more.
READ MORE: ‘Masters Of The Air’ Review: WWII Mini-Series Captures Insane Danger, But Struggles To Maintain Altitude
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the prestige mini-series is one of the stars, actor Callum Turner (“Green Room,” “The Boys in the Boat,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”). During the chat, Turner discussed his long, topsy-turvy journey towards winning the role of Maj. John “Bucky” Egan.
“We just sent off a tape, and then I was doing ‘Fantastic Beasts…’ at the time, and Colleen Atwood came up to me,” he explained of his casting process. “Colleen is the costume designer there. She also happens to be one of [Executive Producer] Gary Goetzman’s best friends. And she came in and went, ‘Hey buddy, looking good on that show!” Turner said. “And I said, ‘For ‘Masters…’?,’ and she said, ‘Yeah, looking good.’ And that was an exciting moment, you know? Eddie Redmayne went, ‘That’s a good way to start a Monday morning!’ I say, ‘Yeah, it’s not bad, huh?’ Anyway, I didn’t hear anything for like two months, two and a half months. And actually, I said goodbye to it. Yeah, I said goodbye to it because it didn’t feel like it was happening, but I don’t know what they were doing. I think they were just taking their time. And then I got a phone call saying that there’s this guy, Austin Butler, that they’ve given an offer to. They know they want him in the show, and they’re like, ‘We want you too, but we just don’t know which roles we want for the other, either of you.’ We auditioned for [Buck] Cleven. And I joked I did such a bad Cleven that they were like, ‘All right, well, you’re Egan then.”
Many might assume Turner immediately dove into the real-life John Egan’s background to fully embody the spirit of the man; however, it turns out Turner believes that only clouds the performance preparation process. Regardless, the series seemed to ring true to Egan’s family members.
“I don’t like to speak to family members before I do something. I think that could cloud my own vision of who he was, my interpretation,” Turner shared. “But we met them at the premiere, and it was really sweet because I met his daughters, and they cried, and then I was really emotional because of that. It was just a really wonderful thing to get the nod from them that they saw their dad in the performance.”
READ MORE: ‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’: Carla Gugino Talks Mike Flanagan’s Horror Series, Her Career, & Her First Critics Choice Nomination [Bingeworthy Podcast]
Actors at Turner’s level are often snatched up quickly to play superheroes in the latest Marvel or DC project; however, lately, that tide seems to be turning. When asked if blockbuster roles interest Turner, he had a surprising but excellent role model for his career.
“You know, I’m such a film fan, man. I love all films,” Turner said. “Yeah, all of them, and I think there’s a place for every story, and I actually am one of those people that I want to do it all, you know? I want to try it on some of that—Sam Rockwell is actually one of my heroes, man. And he does it all, so yeah, Sam Rockwell would have been a good Egan, huh?”
A quick Google search of Callum Turner’s name will likely inundate you with article after article on the tiniest details of Turner’s recently confirmed relationship with actress/pop superstar Dua Lipa. When asked how he feels at the center of the likely overwhelming tabloid tornado, Turner had a simple solution to staying sane in the middle of it all.
“I just deleted all my apps on my phone,” Turner said. “So, it’s like really nice not looking at anything online, period. I waste so much time and have wasted in my past so much time looking at pointless shit on my phone. And I just unfollowed everyone and deleted the apps. It feels so free, and, man, It’s lovely.”
Turner can be seen next co-starring in “Atropia,” directed by first-time director Haley Gates and co-starring Alia Shawkat (“Arrested Development,” “Search Party”). The comedy follows an aspiring actress working on a U.S. military base that simulates an Iraqi war zone.
“Masters of the Air” is now streaming on Apple TV+. Listen to the full interview with Callum Turner below:
Bingeworthy is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Deep Focus, The Discourse & more. We can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.

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