Advertisement

'Lisey's Story' star Dane DeHaan says he has managed to avoid toxic fans (exclusive)

Watch: Dane DeHaan on fan experiences and working with Julianne Moore

Dane DeHaan might play a dangerously obsessed fan in new Stephen King series Lisey's Story, but he said he has only had good fan experiences in real life.

The 35-year-old star plays Jim Dooley, who menaces Julianne Moore's title character when she decides not to release unpublished manuscripts written by her late husband — popular novelist Scott Landon (Clive Owen).

DeHaan, who appeared in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise after his breakout role in Chronicle, said his own interactions with fans have been far more cordial than Dooley's unhinged actions towards Moore.

"Thankfully I've only had positive experiences with fans, really," he tells Yahoo Entertainment UK.

"I've never had a Dooley kind of fan. It wasn't based on anything. It was really just this exploration and collaboration between the director and myself and Stephen King and it was a very rewarding experience."

Read more: JJ Abrams says King fans are as scary as Star Wars devotees

Dane DeHaan plays an obsessed fan of Clive Owen's deceased novelist in the Stephen King adaptation 'Lisey's Story'. (Apple TV+)
Dane DeHaan plays an obsessed fan of Clive Owen's deceased novelist in the Stephen King adaptation 'Lisey's Story'. (Apple TV+)

Read more: Stephen King explains why The Dark Tower flopped in cinemas

Adapted by Stephen King from his own 2006 novel — and directed by Pablo Larraín — the series focuses on Moore's character dealing with grief as buried memories of her husband resurface.

DeHaan's character enters the story when he is recruited by a university professor (Ron Cephas Jones) to encourage Lisey to hand over some of her husband's unpublished work.

Jones says: "I think, for me, it was based on this idea of power and ownership, working from the inside out.

"This feeling like [fans] deserve something. This feeling that we all have when someone either takes something away from us or someone else has something that we feel like we deserve more than they do."

Julianne Moore is grieving the death of her husband (Clive Owen) in 'Lisey's Story'. (Apple TV+)
Julianne Moore is grieving the death of her husband (Clive Owen) in 'Lisey's Story'. (Apple TV+)

During one of the early episodes of the show most of the first half is devoted to a tense encounter between Lisey and Dooley — and DeHaan says filming it was a great experience.

"One of the things that's truly amazing about this series is that Julianne Moore is the lead of it," says DeHaan.

He adds: "Her career and her work speaks for itself and she's obviously such a talent, but also just such a pleasure to work with and such a nice, caring person.

"[She] really was easy for me to trust and talk to and created this on-set environment that I think really alleviated any pressure I would've felt working with such an amazing actor.

"She shows you who she is as a person and as a human and lets you in in a beautiful way so that, when the cameras are rolling and you have to go to all of these weird, dark places, it's easier to do that."

Read more: DeHaan says he won't be in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Dane DeHaan as Jim Dooley in 'Lisey's Story'. (Apple TV+)
Dane DeHaan as Jim Dooley in 'Lisey's Story'. (Apple TV+)

Read more: Hollywood stars who survived major accidents

Lisey's Story also features Joan Allen and Jennifer Jason Leigh, who play Lisey's siblings.

The source novel was released in 2006 and was inspired by King's experiences after he was left seriously injured in a collision with a people carrier in 1999.

Jones says the story has the trademark, unique tone of King's writing, comparing him to renowned jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.

He adds: "When you hear Miles and all of the plethora of sounds, when you hear his sound you know it's Miles. That's how Stephen King strikes me.

"It's like when you read or hear or see his stories, like Hitchcock in a way as well, he has a touch and it can reach around the world, the fan base and everyone like that."

Lisey's Story premieres globally on 4 June, exclusively on Apple TV+.

Watch: Trailer for Lisey's Story