Ike Talbut on Building Simon's Inner World in Netflix's Lord of the Flies

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For much of Netflix's Lord of the Flies, Simon exists on the periphery. He watches more than he speaks, understands more than he reveals, and often sees truths that the other boys fail to recognize. Yet through actor Ike Talbut's nuanced performance, Simon emerges as one of the adaptation's most emotionally resonant characters.

Speaking about his experience bringing Simon to life, Talbut reflected on a casting process that was unlike anything he had experienced before. While the auditions stretched across multiple rounds, he initially had little more than the pages in front of him to guide his understanding of the character.

"I think you have to try and find similarities between your character and yourself," Talbut explained. "So that you can portray that character with a sense of realism."

That emphasis on authenticity became central to the entire production. Rather than searching for young performers who could simply imitate the characters, the creative team focused on finding actors who naturally embodied aspects of who these boys were.

Following casting, the ensemble traveled to Malaysia, where they spent three weeks rehearsing before filming began. While some rehearsals involved working through scenes, much of the process centered on conversations about the characters,their motivations, relationships, fears, and instincts.

"You walk away from some of those rehearsals thinking, 'I understand who this person is a lot better now,'" Talbut said.

The preparation extended beyond traditional acting exercises. Working with choreographer Polly Bennett, the cast explored physical movement as a way of understanding character dynamics. One exercise asked the boys to channel their frustrations with Malaysia's oppressive heat, humidity, and constant insects into a series of movements performed with a partner. Those movements eventually became the foundation for the dances seen throughout the series.

Another exercise proved particularly influential for Talbut's understanding of Simon's relationship with Jack. Actors imagined a ball of energy existing between two characters, with one person exerting dominance over the other. The shifting control of that invisible energy helped reveal power dynamics that could later be translated into performance.

"You find these moments within that that can then be translated into the actual script," Talbut explained.

Nowhere was that more important than in Simon's complex connection with Jack. While Jack often appears to hold all the power, Simon possesses something none of the other boys do: genuine insight into who Jack really is beneath the bravado and aggression.

"Simon is the only one who really knows who Jack is," Talbut said. "He knows why he attempts to prove himself."

That relationship forms one of the emotional cores of the series. Simon desperately wants Jack's approval, yet simultaneously recognizes the pain and insecurity driving his friend's increasingly destructive behavior.

Adding another layer to Simon's perspective are the diary voiceovers that run throughout the series. Interestingly, Talbut revealed that many of those passages were added later in post-production rather than existing in the original scripts. While Simon's diary was always part of the story, the expanded narration gives audiences access to thoughts and emotions that the character rarely expresses aloud.

"It's a reason why the voiceovers were a very good idea," Talbut said. "You get that in-depth look at what he's thinking and why he does what he does."

That inner life becomes particularly important as Simon repeatedly finds himself ignored by those around him. Several of the series' most heartbreaking moments come when he tries to share what he has learned, only to be dismissed by the other boys.

"The couple of times that Simon attempts to tell people what he's learned, it just goes badly," Talbut observed. "You understand why he doesn't do it more often."

As Simon becomes increasingly isolated, movement once again becomes a vital storytelling tool. One of the series' most striking sequences involves Simon's encounter with the dead pilot, a moment that blends spirituality, emotion, and physical performance. For Talbut, the scene represented a rare opportunity to externalize feelings Simon normally keeps buried.

"Simon doesn't do it through dialogue," he said. "That's not who he is."

Director Marc Munden encouraged him to push the physicality further and further with each take, resulting in a performance that feels both unsettling and deeply moving. The sequence also reflects Simon's unique spiritual connection to the island.

"Mark made a big deal out of the fact that the area where the dead pilot is is a church for Simon," Talbut explained.

The actor also recalled crawling through mud, navigating dense jungle terrain, and trying not to laugh during sequences where dozens of cast members were required to pretend they were asleep under the blazing Malaysian sun. Those lighter moments offered some relief from the emotional intensity of Simon's story, particularly as filming approached the character's tragic fate.

The final sequence, in which Simon's body drifts out to sea, required an unexpectedly complex setup involving flotation devices hidden beneath Talbut's costume and scuba divers positioned underwater to guide him through the shot.

"Acting dead is harder than you would think," he admitted.

The scene was especially meaningful because Talbut's parents were present during filming. They had specifically requested to watch the sequence being shot, wanting to see firsthand how the production worked before eventually watching Simon's death onscreen.

Though the scene marks the end of Simon's journey, it was filmed midway through production, meaning Talbut still had weeks left in Malaysia after saying goodbye to one of the show's most beloved characters.

And just when it seemed there were no more secrets left to reveal, Talbut shared one final surprise.

The mysterious voice of the Lord of the Flies itself?

That's him.

"I voice the Lord of the Flies," Talbut revealed at the end of the conversation. "I whispered it into a microphone and they sent that to Mark. That's what they used."

It's a fitting final detail for a performance that quietly permeates every corner of the story. Through observation, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence, Talbut transforms Simon into the moral center of Lord of the Flies as a character whose silence often speaks louder than anyone else's words.

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Host Mara Webster sits down with Lord of the Flies actor Ike Talbut to talk about the Netflix series