Ben Barnes: Fallen hero Tim wants new start in 'The Institute'

UPI

7 days ago

1 of 3 | New episodes of Ben Barnes' "The Institute" air Sundays. Photo courtesy of MGM+
NEW YORK, July 20 (UPI) -- Prince Caspian, Westworld and The Punisher alum Ben Barnes says Tim, the character he plays in the new supernatural drama, The Institute, is a troubled man seeking redemption.
"We meet him at quite a heavy moment in his life. He's looking to kind of press re-start on his life. He used to be a police officer and he's made some decisions which weigh really heavily on him and he feels very shameful about," Barnes, 43, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.
"He's lost a lot, including a marriage, because of it and I think he's trying to find some peace in his life, and finds himself near this Institute, and something starts to not add up for him about this new community that he finds himself In and, so, he starts snooping and uncovering things and realizing, eventually, the full horror of what's happening."
Based on the book by Stephen King, new episodes of the MGM+ show air Sundays and follow Luke (Freeman), a teen genius, who is kidnapped and awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did, possess unusual abilities and are told they are needed to save the world.
Goodbye front half for you! Don't miss the latest episode of #TheInstitute now streaming on #MGMplus pic.twitter.com/fffwMKhvKW— MGM+ (@mgmplus) July 20, 2025
"Luke is sort of at a crossroads," said newcomer Freeman, the 19-year-old son of British acting royalty Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington.
"He has MIT calling and a future ahead of him, but, also, he has everybody back in Minneapolis and he doesn't want to let anybody down," Freeman said of Luke. "So, I think he's sort of living his best life as a 14-year-old. He's got a brilliant opportunity ahead of him and, I'm sure, in his head, he's thinking it will work itself out."
While they find themselves navigating unusual circumstances, Tim and Luke seem authentic, three-dimensional and easy for viewers to relate to.
"It is probably easier for Tim at the beginning because he's grounded in very real things. It's sort of a quiet beginning for Tim," Barnes said.
"For Joe, to play a character who is sort of snatched up into such a horrific environment, to be so unsettled so fast into the show [is more challenging]," Barnes added.
"But I think you're always going to be rooting for the person who's being treated in an unjust way and rooting for the person who's trying to help that person and support that person, so I think we were helped by the structure of the story in that way."
Barnes went on to say the fact both characters have firm grips on their moral compasses also make them likable.
"They know which way True North is and they know what's right to stand up for and those are the things that they kind of really have in common," Barnes added.
"They can't help but stand up for the things they think are right and I think once you start to sense that in someone, when you're watching a show, you can't help but be on their side."
King is famous for telling stories that are not just entertaining or disturbing, but that also explore important existential issues.
The Institute, for example, takes a deep dive into concepts such as free will, authoritarianism and sacrifices required for a greater good.
"There are lots of scenes where there are questions being asked that are not being answered and I think Stephen King is such a master of allegory -- like using telepathy to signify communication or telekinesis to signify those sort of hidden powers that we all have, even the most vulnerable of us, to kind of be hopeful and to fight against unchecked systems," Barnes said.
Barnes, who has been professionally acting for more than 20 years, was ready to help Freeman if he needed anything, much the way Tim wanted to be there for Luke.
"He's just born to do this," Barnes praised his co-star.
"But [I wanted us] to be able to work through things together and discuss dynamics of the story or if he ever felt uncomfortable about situations, or committing to moments or whatever it might be," Barnes added.
"We became a good source of support for each other, through the course of filming, being the two Brits out there [in Nova Scotia], away from home for those months filming the show together."
The show co-stars Mary-Louise Parker, Robert Joy, Julian Richings and Martin Roach.