Pop Culturalist Chats with Lost in Space’s Mina Sundwall

At just 16, Mina Sundwall is one of Hollywood’s most exciting up-and-comers. She’s delivering an out-of-this-world performance as Penny in Netflix’s adaptation of the ’60s classic, Lost in Space, and she makes this iconic character her own. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Mina about Lost in Space, its season two renewal, and the challenges of working on a sci-fi series.

PC: Can you tell us about Lost in Space and your character?
Mina: Of course! Lost in Space is a story that follows the Robinson family as they flee a deteriorating Earth. I play Penny Robinson. She’s the quick-witted, sarcastic middle child of the family. What drew me to her and what continues to draw me to her is that she’s so genuine and real. She’s very straightforward. She doesn’t try to hide behind any kind of mask for anyone else’s benefit. She’s the only non-science person in a science family, so she doesn’t always fit in. But even then, she’s always true to herself and she has a lot of qualities that I aspire toward.

PC: What drew you to this project?
Mina: The first scene that I read for my audition was between Judy and Penny on the glacier. I was immediately intrigued by the whole setting and the idea of them being on a lost planet reading Moby Dick. As I continued to read the script, it was amazing to see this ordinary family in an extraordinary situation. I was hooked from the first time I read the script.

PC: How did you prepare to step into Penny’s shoes?
Mina: It’s interesting because we didn’t get all the scripts at once. We were given the first couple of episodes and the rest during filming. So, I only got a small taste of Penny. I looked back and tried to think of how much of myself I could relate to this character and I had to think about what I would do in this situation. A lot of what you see with Penny is very much me because I relate so much to her.

I also looked through the original series and the movie to see the different versions of Penny. I think what’s important and something that the producers emphasized is that this is a re-imagining, so I knew I could make this version of Penny whomever I wanted.

PC: Congratulations on the second two renewal! What are your hopes for your character next season?
Mina: I am very curious to see what teenage troubles the writers are going to think up for Penny. It will be exciting to see her grow into her skin but at the same time, I am also pretty sure that it won’t be painless…every time Penny gets in trouble we discover something new about her, and it adds another layer to her character. She’s caring and head-strong, scared and brave, which is an interesting combination. As she grows I think the complexities of her character will become more evident, and I am looking forward to playing her through every step of her journey. I expect us to travel to new worlds and hopefully, we get to meet other life forms…Maybe other teen-boys in new planets? There are plenty of fish in the sea, even more in the universe.

PC: How is this adaptation and your character different?
Mina: We keep a lot of the core values from the original series like the themes of perseverance and the strength of the family. That said, it’s been updated both in terms of the script and the social setting. We’re a mixed family with an international dynamic. For Penny, she’s an updated version of today’s teenager, as opposed to the stereotype of a child when the original show came out.

PC: The show relies heavily on special effects. What was it like working with so many green screens? What was your initial reaction when you finally saw the final product?
Mina: Amazing! I have never been in an environment which relied so heavily on special effects. In the end, what we were filming with was completely different from what we saw on screen. Being able to watch it now, it’s like seeing the show for the first time with everyone else.

PC: With the series out now, what was your favorite scene to shoot and what was the most challenging?
Mina: With the series out now, I can finally say it! [laughs] It’s a tie between the whole sequence with Vijay and episode four where Judy, Penny, and Will are in the forest. The dynamic between all the kids was so much fun to play with. We really created this family dynamic between us.

The most challenging scene to shoot was in episode one when Judy and Penny are on the ice. The glacier set that was built in the studio was very complex and required a lot of adjustments. When we were filming, we would get one angle and one take, and they’d tell us that they would adjust and shoot another angle in about twenty minutes and that I would go to school. In this super emotional scene, I’m crying, bawling my eyes out and have to switch my brain back and forth between work and school. That whole day was stressful but so rewarding! I am so happy with how it came out.

PC: How do you find the balance between work and school?
Mina: I feel very lucky. I go to a regular high school. It feels like I get to have one foot in both ponds. When I’m working, I’m fully dedicated to being on set. When I step off and go back to regular high school, no one knows about set life. I live the best of both worlds.

PC: If you were lost in space, how would you fare?
Mina: Not well! I don’t think I would last a minute in space. [laughs]

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Mina: Guilty pleasure to a lesser extreme is Riverdale. But to the ultimate extreme it’s The Kardashians.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Mina: Sixteen Candles

PC: Favorite book?
Mina: That’s a tough one! Right now probably Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Mina: That’s so hard. Les Miserables.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Mina: Eden

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Mina: Black Mirror

PC: Hidden talent?
Mina: I can wiggle my ears.

Make sure to follow Mina on Twitter and Instagram, and binge-watch the entire first season of Lost in Space on Netflix today!

Photo Credit: Netflix