Method or not, this was intense acting

There are plenty of right-now, ripped-from-the-headlines stories.
And then there’s the “East of Eden” tale. “It is ancient,” said Joseph Zada, one of the stars of the seven-part mini-series now on Netflix.
Or semi-ancient. It’s known from a 1955 movie … it’s based on John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel … its story is set in the early 1900s … and its inspiration is Cane and Abel, which goes way back.
At the core of the final two episodes are twins who have been groping for the love of a physically absent mother and an emotionally absent father. Cal (shortened from Caleb) is played by Zada, 21; Aron is Joe Anders, 22.
It’s an intense story and the ’55 film was a showcase for people who preferred “method acting” — submerging deeply into a character. That included director Elia Kazan and actors Jo Van Fleet (who won an Oscar as the troubled mom) and James Dean (who was nominated as Cal).
And these new guys? They’re not method-actors, but have nothing against it.
“It gets a pretty bad rap,” Zada said, but maybe “we’re all a little bit method.”
Anders says he can seem that way sometimes, due to the fear of working with top actors in tough roles. That can “force me into a very intense head space.”
He’s around gifted people here, including Hoon Lee, who plays the man who took care of the twins when their family fell apart. Lee, 53, has drawn raves, ranging from the 2013 “Banshee” (in a splashy role as a drag queen and computer whiz) to the current “Your Friends and Neighbors.”
And Anders has always been around imposing talent. His parents (now divorced) are Oscar-winners — actress Kate Winslet and director Sam Mendes.
And now there’s the steep task of Steinbeck’s epic story. “It was on my list (to read some day) — as every other book is,” Zada said.
He read it at the time of the auditions; so did his colleagues. “I knew I had to immerse myself in the work,” Anders said. “I read the book and also listened to it and scribbled notes.”
Adds Lee: “It was one of those books that completely captured me and swept me away and instantly leapt to my top-five of all time.”
Zoe Kazan was also impressed with the novel, apparently. Her grandfather’s movie only covered the latter part; she wrote a script that goes back to the beginning, focusing heavily on the mother, played by Florence Pugh.
The result is eternal, Lee said. “The biology of humanity doesn’t change nearly as quickly” as technology. “We’re dealing with the same problems we’ve always dealt with.”
They’re the ones that let a mini-series be both new and ancient.