Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘A Man on the Inside’ follows the story of a man named Charles Nieuwendyk whose life has fallen into a tasteless routine, especially since the death of his wife. Retired and living alone in his family home, Charles lacks a purpose. But that changes when he finds an ad by a private investigator, Julie Kovalenko, who is looking for an older person who can go undercover in a retirement home named Pacific View. Initially, Charles seems inept at the job of spying, but he learns the ropes considerably quickly. More importantly, he forges the relationships that changed how he looked at life. What makes this heart-felt story even more impactful is that there is a real-life inspiration behind the character.
An Unlikely Real-life Spy Inspired Ted Danson’s Charles
Created by Mike Schur, ‘A Man on the Inside’ is inspired by ‘The Mole Agent,’ the Oscar-nominated documentary by Chilean director and producer Maite Alberdi. It follows the story of an 83-year-old widower, Sergio Chamy, who answers an ad asking for an octogenarian who is familiar with technology to go undercover in a retirement home. A client has concerns about the situation of their mother at the place and they want to know if the environment of the place is good enough, among other things. Sergio’s task is to observe and report if he sees anything untoward happening there. The main focus is on the thief who has been stealing stuff from all residents of the place. While Sergio discovers the identity of the thief, he also gains a perspective on the situation of the residents and comes out of the retirement home with a completely different view of life.
For his job, Sergio Chamy spent three months in the Chilean retirement home. By the end, however, he was desperate to return home and live with his family. That was in 2017. Since then, he has continued to live with his family in Santiago, Chile, and has become even more active than before. The success of the documentary shone a light on his charisma, his ability to act, and his likability on the screen. This has allowed him to pursue a career in acting, leading him to work on a movie, ‘Perra Vida,’ and several TV commercials. Since his departure from the retirement home, he has kept himself busy. When he is not acting, he is traveling and gaining new experiences. Most importantly, he spends his time with his family and friends and makes the most of his life.
Mike Schur was Moved by Sergio’s Story and Found a Personal Connection to It
When Mike Schur saw the documentary, he found a heavy emotional investment in Sergio’s story and the way the documentary focuses on the topic of aging and loneliness. The setting of the retirement home and the focus on the lives of the residents brought all sorts of stories to the surface, giving the audience a lot to think about. Schur found it meditative and moving, especially when he put the situation of his own parents, who are of the same age as the residents of the retirement home, into perspective. The story had such an impact on him that when the idea to turn it into a TV series was proposed, he immediately agreed to it.
Among other things that impressed Schur about Sergio’s story, it was the man’s determination not to let age become a factor that stopped him from doing something new in life that really made a mark. The writer wanted to tap into that aspect of life with Charles, being more invested in the journey of the character rather than the case that puts him on the path. For this purpose, the story needed to be expanded much more as compared to the documentary. New characters needed to be added, and Charles’ backstory and character also required to be delved into further. For this, Schur leaned into the crime aspect of the story, which allowed Charles’ arc as a no-good spy to become someone who has learned from his experience and made it even more meaningful. The only remaining piece of the puzzle was the actor who would play Charles, and it was a no-brainer for Schur.
Ted Danson was the First and Only Choice for Charles
When it came to casting for the role of Charles, Schur had only Ted Danson in mind. He’d worked with the actor on ‘The Good Place’ before. When he thought about recreating Sergio’s charm in ‘The Mole Agent,’ only Ted Danson came to his mind. In fact, Schur revealed that had Danson not agreed to play Charles, they probably wouldn’t have made the show. Fortunately for them, Danson was game to play an old spy. But that was not the only thing about the role that attracted him.
At 76 years of age, Danson is still incredibly active in his field, and he intends to continue working for as long as possible. Working on ‘A Man on the Inside’ allowed him to tap into his own feelings and thoughts about aging, both physically and mentally. He has talked about the thoughts of slowing down that come with age and being inspired by Jane Fonda to keep going no matter what. In that context, playing Charles, who is exploring new grounds in his old age, felt like a natural thing to do. While it was fun, the actor confessed that it could also get very tiring, especially emotionally, mainly because of the subject matter of the show, on top of Charles’ grief of losing his wife.
Another aspect that brings more depth to Charles’ role is the relationship with his daughter. Schur noted that, in the documentary, Sergio’s daughter appears majorly in one scene where he explains to her why he needs to take the spy job. It felt like a very potent moment for Schur, and he wanted to expand upon that while making the show. Danson, too, found Charles’ relationship with his daughter more enriching to the character, allowing the actor to present different layers of the character. With this, he brought an acute sense of realism to his character, making the story even more heartwarming.
Read More: Sergio Chamy: Where is the Mole Agent Now?
