The Kollective’s Gregg Sulkin Enjoyed Deceiving Audiences with a Major Twist

Gregg Sulkin’s latest series, The Kollective, allows him to astonish the audience with an unexpected twist.

In the opening episode, which aired on Tuesday, June 10, Sulkin stars as Joshua, a journalist delving into a perilous investigation abroad. However, his inquiry leads to his demise by the end of the episode, which caught viewers off guard since Sulkin is featured prominently in the show’s credits.

“For me, it was definitely a perk. I’ve never had the chance to mislead the audience before,” Sulkin, 33, shared exclusively with Us Weekly about the Hulu series. “Knowing that you’re about to mislead the audience is incredibly fun — which means you have a brief window to make an impression.”

Feeling the pressure to engage viewers with Joshua within a limited timeframe, Sulkin added, “With the guidance of the director and writer, I believe we achieved that and I was thrilled. Naturally, I enjoyed working with the cast and would have loved more time with them. But honestly, I think I moved on to another project right after, so it turned out perfectly.”

The Kollective picks up following a tragedy that drives young journalists to unveil government corruption and deception through a perilous investigation. Alongside Sulkin, the show features Natascha McElhone, Celine Buckens, Felix Mayr, and Grégory Montel.

While Joshua’s death serves as a catalyst for the season, Sulkin returned for a scene depicting his character’s graphic demise. Reflecting on this challenging moment, Sulkin admitted to feeling conflicted.

“It’s a strange experience. I’m not going to lie. My parents, understandably, found it devastating to see. They’ve always believed that no parent should have to witness that; it should be the other way around,” Sulkin described. “So lying there in the morgue was quite surreal.”

He navigated a whirlwind of emotions.

“I’ve never really feared death as I know it’s an inevitable part of life. I hope it doesn’t come for a long while, but I’ve come to terms with that reality,” he mentioned. “It’s the one certainty in life, unfortunately. I wasn’t overtly emotional about it, but for those who know me, it’s undoubtedly a peculiar and sad sight.”

Before shooting the scenes featuring Joshua’s lifeless body, Sulkin asked his parents to stay at the hotel instead of coming to the set. The postmortem scenes were new territory for him, and he found them “more difficult” than anticipated.

“You try to hold your breath. Plus, there’s the pressure of maintaining stillness while Celine, for instance, delivers a powerful performance,” he explained. “An actor has limited stamina, and out of respect, when it’s a close-up, you must avoid mistakes during that person’s coverage. Especially when they’re giving an emotional performance.”

Sulkin elaborated: “For me, it was incredibly tough to not breathe for three minutes while she was crying heartily. Then the director just said, ‘Don’t worry about it. We can easily keep you still in post-production.’ I was like, ‘Why didn’t you say that earlier? I was about to pass out!’”

Reflecting on The Kollective, Sulkin expressed his appreciation for the project.

“It’s so unique. The scripts were excellent. The show tackles something we can all relate to: the prevalent corruption in our world,” Sulkin mentioned to Us. “We’re all fascinated by ensuring that stories are accurate and fact-checked.”

He called The Kollective “a very timely” endeavor, adding, “I knew this team would execute it superbly, and thankfully, it has turned out that way. I’m genuinely excited for people to see it.”

The Kollective is now streaming on Hulu.