SMUS student Arlen So ‘25 was cast in MGM+’s upcoming televised thriller mini-series The Institute, based on Stephen King's 2019 novel. In this eight-episode adaptation, the story follows Luke Ellis, a 12-year-old telekinetic genius who is kidnapped by a sinister organization known as The Institute. Arlen portrays George, the class clown among the kidnapped children, adding a dose of humour to the dark and intense storyline.
From School Stage to Screen
Arlen's journey to landing this significant role began unexpectedly after a rehearsal for the SMUS Senior School musical Something Rotten! last year. Kelli McLeod, a talent agent at Play Management Inc. and spouse of SMUS Senior School drama teacher Morgan McLeod, approached Arlen with an opportunity to sign with her agency. While assisting with choreography for the musical, Kelli saw potential in Arlen, leading to Arlen’s first steps into the world of professional screen acting.
"She came up to me, gave me her card, and that how this all started. I never would have sorted it out otherwise," he reflects on the serendipitous encounter. While he has been involved in theatre since age six, screen acting is a relatively new venture that began just this year.
"Theatre is very big... you want to be seen by everyone who's 20 feet away," says Arlen, comparing theatre to screen acting. "Screen acting is very small and very detailed. The camera is right in your face."
Arlen highlights the precision required for screen acting, describing how directors might ask for extremely small adjustments like moving "half an inch to your left" or opening eyes "just a tiny bit more."
The Audition Process
Despite being ill with strep throat during his initial audition, Arlen impressed the casting team enough to earn a callback.
"I was sure they must have gone to the wrong guy," he says, given his limited screen acting experience. The callback involved a Zoom meeting with the casting director and series director and he was then "pinned" for the role—meaning he couldn't accept other jobs while under consideration.
Just four days later, while house-sitting and walking a friend's dog, Arlen received the all-important call that he had gotten the part.
"It did not sink in," he admits.
Landing a role in a Stephen King project holds special meaning for Arlen, as King had been his favourite author growing up. Though he hasn’t met the legendary writer in person, knowing that King approved his casting makes this experience even more thrilling.
Life on Set
The realities of life on set are eye-opening for the young actor. Long days, multiple takes, and the intricacies of screen acting are all part of the learning curve. Arlen describes a how a 30-second scene took nearly 10 hours to shoot. An added layer is the requirement to balance his school work load while travelling to film on-location in Nova Scotia.
With 12-hour days on set followed by homework for AP classes, Arlen credits his teachers' support and accommodation for helping him maintain his academic standing.
Looking Ahead
While Arlen's castmates assume he'll pursue acting, he's keeping his options open. Currently applying to criminology and social sciences programs, he sees teaching as a possibility but remains open to acting professionally if opportunities arise.
His advice to aspiring actors?
"Don't let one person's opinion define you," he emphasizes, drawing from his own experience with negative feedback early in his theatre career. "Focus on the opinions of those who genuinely care about you. Those are the ones that matter."
The SMUS community eagerly awaits the premiere of The Institute, with filming set to conclude this December. Arlen's journey from school productions to a major television series serves as an inspiring example of where talent, opportunity, and the courage to try something new can lead.
