Before season 3 of “Umbrella Academy” began, Min and showrunner Steve Blackman had to decide which elements of Ben would remain the same and which would change in the alternate timeline. They were “playing around with this whole idea of nature versus nurture,” Min explains at a Netflix Geeked Week panel. They concluded that Ben is “at his essence … a very impressionable person,” which meant that a lot of his personality would be determined by his upbringing. “So to grow up in an environment that felt more militant … it really toughened him up in a way that he wasn’t in the previous timeline,” Min adds.
One thing that remained the same between Sparrow Ben and Umbrella Ben was the “large chip on his shoulder,” Min reveals. Sparrow Ben also feels an emotional connection to his Umbrella siblings that his Sparrow siblings don’t necessarily understand. The actor tells Netflix Geeked:
“I think even as Sparrow Ben, he recognizes that the Umbrellas, though they’re dysfunctional, have a sort of connection that the Sparrows never had, and that’s something that he always longs for.”
The actor did a lot of additional work to prepare for his role as the new Ben. He underwent intense physical training, much like the Sparrows, which made him feel “physically” different. He also got a vocal coach to help him work on his cadence. Sparrow Ben would “keep the sense of control and power throughout his vocal registry while speaking,” the actor says, while Umbrella Ben would “deflate” at the end of sentences.
