Young actors Ike Talbut and Winston Sawyers look back on their unbelievable journey on Lord of the Flies.
Picture Credits: BBC / Getty Images
We recently caught up with Lord of the Flies stars Ike Talbut (Simon) and Winston Sawyers (Ralph), who walked us through their globe-trotting adventures and life-changing experiences working on the hit Netflix series.
For a young actor, filming a series with the scale and physical demand of Lord of the Flies is truly a baptism of fire — from filming in Malaysia’s tropical climate to the complicated logistics of island production. That’s not to mention the inherently complex and intellectual depth of the source material by William Golding, which is widely regarded as one of the most unsettling novels in English literature. Two of the show’s young stars, Ike Talbut (Simon) and Winston Sawyers (Ralph) made it look easy through their powerful and emotional performances. When I recently sat down with the duo to discuss the series, I was initially blown away by their level of confidence and professionalism; it felt like they’ve been doing interviews for years, not doing press for their first major roles.
Of course, 2026 has gotten off to a busy beginning for Ike and Winston. They first saw the release of Lord of the Flies in the UK back in February. With its release on Netflix US in May 2026, they’re now getting used to the busy world of press. “This… LA, Netflix, top tier. It’s great,” Winston said with joy.
“It’s amazing,” Ike Talbut added. “Obviously amazing in Malaysia for that experience on a tropical island. But you know, there was some really hard work going on. It’s really gratifying to see that sort of pay off, that people can relate to the characters, that people are having such a positive reaction to it. It’s really good to see.”
Picture Credit: Netflix
Before they embarked on island-hopping filming adventures, the cast were give three weeks of rehearsal in Kuala Lumpur. “That was really instrumental in learning the characters and, learning how they think, who they are,” Ike explained. “Sometimes you would just come out of rehearsal, and you would just know that something clicked. It was so eye-opening. You learn how this character behaves, how they walk, how they think. If we had just gone straight into filming, then we probably would’ve learned that along the way — but we wouldn’t have known it from the start.”
Filming in tropical islands wasn’t as lovely as it may seem; in fact, it was one of the most demanding elements of the gig. “On some of the days, you would wake up at, like, 5:30-,” Talbut recalled, “and have a quick bath, have a quick shower, and then just put some clothes on and wait outside your house. All of the Lord of the Flies cast were in the same hotel, and we would be standing outside waiting for someone to come and pick us up. We would all get in this buggy together.”
That was the first act of a very long day of commuting. “If you were lucky, you’d be able to have breakfast from the buffet. Then you get in the car, 40-minute drive, roughly, to base. And it was at this other resort, and there’s a marina there. So you get your costume and makeup on. Then you put on a life jacket. Then it’s a 20-minute boat journey to the actual island where we shoot. Then you go back into costume and makeup because the life jackets have messed everything up.”
“Then more costume and makeup, just to make sure everything’s working,” Sawyers added. “Then we’ll do rehearsal. And then finally start shooting.”
The young cast would be on set all day — hoping for director Marc Munden to call out ‘check that,’ which signalled a perfect take — and then they’d do the trip in reverse. After days of filming, they were able to switch off and have some fun. “Before we had a shower when we got home, we would get on the van to the hotel lobby, and we would all just run down and get in the pool. Get in the sea.”
In embodying their characters, Ike especially found relatability in Simon. “I think about two years before [filming], before secondary school, certainly, I was completely Simon, you know? I was so nervous, which I don’t necessarily think Simon is. People call him nervous. He’s not nervous, he’s just… different. I was just so nervous that I would just watch. I wouldn’t talk. I wouldn’t put my foot forward. I wouldn’t say my opinions.”
Picture Credit: Netflix
“I think having that experience just like helped me embody Simon so much,” Ike added. “I was a bit more confident in myself. I think having that experience just allowed me to sort of understand how Simon thinks.”
For Winston, he initially thought Ralph would be a difficult character to portray. “I thought it would be a little bit tough to play because Ralph is on the back foot more. I think of Ralph more as the group therapist. Piggy tells him his problems. Simon tells him his problems. Even Jack. I thought it’d be fun to play that kind of listening character.”
If one thing is for certain, Winston didn’t completely see himself in Ralph. “I take care of myself more than Ralph because he lets himself be pushed around, Jack takes control of him. And he doesn’t want to be the leader at first, but if I was in that position, I think I would’ve stuck up for myself more.”
Having both been involved in such an adventure, Ike and Winston have not only developed as actors, but grown into upstanding teenagers. Looking back on the project, Winston Sawyers is infinitely grateful for the experience. “Just appreciate everything, you know?” he said. “When the audition came in, I didn’t realize that we’d be doing all of this. It’s just crazy. This project just keeps on giving. I’m just soaking up every little bit I can get. What’s the phrase? Stop and smell the roses. Just appreciate it.”
“Best five months of my life,” Ike Talbut concluded. “It was an amazing experience. I wanna continue acting. Keep riding that wave.”
Lord of the Flies is now streaming on Netflix. Read our interview with writer Jack Thorne and director Marc Munden here.
