At 60, Kyle Chandler looked at an ‘ageing-out superhero’ and saw himself

At 60, Kyle Chandler found himself reflected in the character of Hal Jordan, a veteran Green Lantern grappling with the physical and emotional toll of his long career. The actor, known for roles in Friday Night Lights and Bloodline, agreed to star in Lanterns, DC’s new HBO drama, after seeing a striking resemblance between himself and the aging superhero. The eight-part series, which streams on OSN+ and has received critical acclaim with a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, follows Hal Jordan and John Stewart, two members of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic law enforcement agency powered by magical rings that grant flight and limitless creativity. Chandler, who turns 61 in September, described feeling a profound connection to Hal Jordan, a character who mirrors his own experiences with aging and responsibility. “I’m 60 years old, 61 in September. I’ve got some girls who are now 30 and 24, and there’s just a part of my life that fit right into this character,” he told The National. The show, created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, explores the tension between duty and self-preservation as Hal begins to question whether he can continue his mission. His younger counterpart, John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, is a recent recruit with a military background, offering a contrast in experience and perspective. The story unfolds as the two Green Lanterns investigate a murder in the American heartland, bringing them together at a pivotal moment in Hal’s journey. Despite the weighty subject matter, Chandler admitted being overwhelmed by the demands of the role during his first performance. “I was scared as hell at that read-through because I had no idea,” he recalled. “I’d never read it out loud by myself with the idea of, ‘Oh, I’m performing now in front of these people.’” To navigate the challenge, Chandler focused on the humor embedded in the script, finding comfort in the lighter moments. This approach helped him connect with Pierre, who noted that their chemistry developed during the initial readings. “From that moment, I discovered Kyle and I shared the same philosophy when it came to dialogue and how to engage with it,” Pierre said. “We both enjoy improvisation. We both enjoy adding our own personal little something to it in any given moment.” Their shared instincts for spontaneity led to a dynamic on set, encouraging them to push boundaries. “The room’s response encouraged us to keep taking risks, or, as Kyle puts it, to ‘fall even more forward,’” Pierre added. The script, he explained, was robust enough to support such creative choices. “I love playing the comedy and humour of things. Whenever I can find a chance, no matter how slight, I have to put it in,” Chandler said. “This had the pathology of this character along with the humour in the writing. The writing allowed us to do so much, and the writers and creators expected us to fill those gaps because they had already filled out the most important parts of the relationship and where it was going.” Chandler’s portrayal of Hal Jordan draws from his own understanding of leadership and sacrifice. He sees the character as someone shaped by years of difficult decisions, akin to the struggles faced by figures like his Friday Night Lights character, Eric Taylor, or John Rayburn in Bloodline. “I look at this guy as having a very dark pathology,” Chandler said. “You could say his father died when he was young, and this and that. But he’s also making decisions over the course of his career: do I save these 100 people by letting these other people die? He’s doing the kinds of things firefighters and policemen do, and that we all do in our lives, that are really dark.”