PopHorror Let's Get Scared
One of my new favorite actors is hands down, Tarun Keram. You’ve probably seen him in several TV series such as Supernatural, The Magicians, Helstrom, and most recently CBS All Access’ Adaptation of Stephen King’s pandemic novel, The Stand. I was lucky enough to chat with Tarun about his career, the character he plays in The Stand, his experience on set, and much more!
PopHorror – Hi Tarun, it’s great to talk with you. How is your New Year so far?
Tarun Keram – Hey, Tori! Great to meet you. The New Year isn’t bad at all. My first day back I was on set, and so far, I’ve been keeping up with my fitness goals!
PopHorror – That’s awesome. Me too [the fitness goals part]. How did you get involved in acting?
Tarun Keram – I took theater in the last year of high school and I absolutely hated it. I remember a year later when I was in University I realized I didn’t want to be behind a desk for the rest of my life and decided to drop out and go to film school! The rest as they say is history.
PopHorror – That’s wonderful. You’ve been involved with a lot of TV series such as Supernatural, The Magicians, Helstrom, and much more. Do you have a favorite series that you played in or a favorite character?
Tarun Keram – The Magicians hands down was one of the best series I’ve ever worked on. Everyone took their craft seriously which really helped me. It’s a bit difficult to get into character when you just kind of show up to this new set where everyone knows each other. It’s almost like going to a party and you see if you fit in or not. Shout out to Arjun Gupta and Rick Worthy! I think Rick was in Supernatural as well?
PopHorror – That’s amazing to hear – I’m glad everyone was supportive. And I looked it up… Rick was in Supernatural among several other TV series. You recently got involved in the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?
Tarun Keram – I love the movie adaptations of his work! I didn’t realize how much of a hand he has in the film industry. There is an adaption of every book of his, and they are actually all pretty good!
PopHorror – Definitely! Can you tell the readers what this show is about?
Tarun Keram – A super Virus called Captain Trips wipes out 99.6% of the human population. The survivors take on all sorts of roles to make a thriving new society, but a dark force from Las Vegas makes their lives a little bit more challenging.
PopHorror – How did this role come about for you?
Tarun Keram – I remember auditioning for a project and thinking there’s no way I’d get the role. I had super long hair and a scruffy beard. Doctors on TV usually are pretty neat and clean cut! I was on set for a movie called The Right One when I got an email saying I got the role! It was only then when I found out it was a Stephen King project called The Stand.
PopHorror – Wow, that’s exciting! Your character’s name is Steve. Can you tell us a little about him and if you can relate to him at all?
Tarun Keram – Steve is way cooler than I’ll ever be. He used to work with animals as a vet technician pre-apocalypse and is now a doctor because the rest of the doctors have been wiped out! I can’t say I really relate to him, but I will say he’s got the best wardrobe on the show!
PopHorror – Haha that’s awesome! Do you have any favorite episodes or scenes so far?
Tarun Keram – There’s a scene later on where Kojak is in it. He’s the dog. I never tried to pet him though, because he was busy working. Such a diva.
PopHorror – I love animals so that would be really hard for me to do! You are working with a pretty great cast. Has it been an enjoyable experience?
Tarun Keram – These are all actors I looked up to before I joined the cast. I still pinch myself, because not only are they all hardworking and talented, but they are extremely nice.
PopHorror – Wonderful to hear. Anything else you’d like to talk about? Or any upcoming projects?
Tarun Keram – I just finished directing, producing, and writing a short film so I can’t wait to get that out there for people to see!
PopHorror – That’s fantastic. Please feel free to send it to me for review when the time comes. I would love to promote anything you do! Thanks for chatting with me and I look forward to all your future projects!
