Stark Sands steps into future with ‘Minority Report’

Stark Sands doesn’t need a crystal ball to know that he’ll long remember 2015 as one of the best years of his life.

On the work front, there’s the distinct possibility that the actor and Dallas native has hit the jackpot with his newest TV gig.

He’s one of the stars of Minority Report, which premieres at 8 p.m. Monday on Fox.

In this small-screen follow-up to Tom Cruise’s 2002 sci-fi hit, Sands plays a genetically mutated psychic, a “precog” who foresees violent murders before they happen. His character, Dash, teams up with a homicide detective, played by Meagan Good, in an effort to catch killers before they strike.

“I am optimistic,” Sands says about the show’s chances to entertain viewers and to keep them coming back. “Out of everything I’ve done on television, this has the most buzz, has the most juice, has the most momentum and has the most promotional push from the network.”

Meanwhile, on the home front, back in May, just two days after Fox’s fall lineup was officially unveiled, Sands and his wife had their first child.

“So no matter how long the show lasts,” he says, “I know that this other great thing that happened this summer, my son, is going to be part of my life for much longer, guaranteeing that this will be the best year of my life.”

Delving into Dash

The movie version of Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg, was set in 2054, a time when the police department’s PreCrime task force makes arrests in advance, sometimes before suspects even contemplate committing a crime.

The film ended with the unit being discredited and disbanded and with three pre-teen precogs, the seers who provided all of the PreCrime tips, being sent away to live in isolation.

The new Minority Report is set in 2065. Dash still has visions of murders yet to be. Haunted by what he sees, he comes out of seclusion, hoping to change the future by saving those destined to die.

Because of his extremely sheltered upbringing, Dash is socially awkward, almost alienlike in his interactions with others, creating many humorous situations as he establishes a rapport with Detective Lara Vega.

“I usually don’t get to play characters who are this extreme,” says Sands, whose previous TV gigs include Generation Kill (HBO’s 2008 Iraq War miniseries) and NYC 22 (CBS’s 2012 police drama). “I’m usually cast as the All-American, nice-guy boy next door.”

Sands is perhaps best known for his work on the Broadway stage. The Highland Park High School grad (Class of ’97) is a two-time Tony nominee: for the 2007 revival of Journey’s End and, more recently, for playing the lead role in 2013’s Kinky Boots.

The initial episodes of Minority Report have a murder-of-the-week procedural element. But as the season progresses, the series will explore a more serialized story delving into the lives of the precogs.

It so happens that Dash’s twin brother, Arthur, played by Nick Zano, is also out there among the people — but Arthur might not be using his psychic ability for good.

It’s worth noting that Sands has a fraternal twin brother. When he auditioned for the role of Dash, he made sure to point that fact out to the casting director and producers. It isn’t what got him the part, of course.

“But it certainly didn’t hurt for me to mention it,” he says.

Sense of humor

Sands says it has been fun to play in this world of the future, not only because the writers have imagined remarkable yet believable technological advances for 50 years from now, but also because they have lightheartedly predicted some of our future history.

In the pilot, for example, viewers will meet a character who was MVP in Super Bowl LXXXVII (87). He played for the Washington Red Clouds.

“I think it’s smart of the writers to seize upon the Washington Redskins’ name controversy that’s happening right this moment and to forecast an outcome,” Sands says.

His favorite example of pop-culture precognition is the “classic” concert tour poster that can be seen on Lara Vega’s apartment wall: It celebrates Demi Lovato’s 4Ever Free Tour of 2035.

“The idea that Demi will still be touring 20 years from now is a fun little Easter egg for the viewers,” Sands says.

“I wonder what Demi will think about it.”

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Stark Sands steps into future with ‘Minority Report’."