Josh Hartnett learned how to tie fishing nets from local fishermen while preparing to play Calvin Penney in Netflix’s Below. The actor’s research went beyond wearing a fisherman’s clothes or memorizing maritime dialogue: he spent time with people who understood Newfoundland’s working-waterfront culture, listened to a local radio program, and studied the region’s fishing history.
In Netflix Tudum’s October 8 interview, Hartnett said he got to know local fishermen and learned to tie nets. It is a small detail, but it helps explain why his character is rooted in the everyday work of fishing rather than only in the series’ supernatural mystery.
What did Josh Hartnett learn for Below?
Hartnett learned to tie fishing nets from local fishermen, according to his interview with Netflix Tudum. The report does not identify a specific knot or suggest that he became a professional fisherman. It confirms that he spent time with people who knew the work, building a more grounded understanding of his character’s job.
A fishing net is not just a prop: it is equipment that must be handled, repaired, and managed correctly. Small physical choices—how someone grips a line, checks a net, or moves around a boat—can make a performance feel more lived-in. Hartnett’s preparation gave him real-world reference points rather than relying only on a script’s description of a fisherman.
Why net tying helps make Calvin Penney believable
In Below, Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a Newfoundland fisherman facing a threat from the sea while trying to hold his community together. Fishing connects Calvin to the harbor, to local history, and to the economic pressures shaping the town.
Learning a practical skill can help an actor understand the rhythm of a job, not just its appearance. Net work involves repetition, attention, and familiarity with equipment. Even when viewers never see a close-up of a knot, those experiences can influence posture, timing, and how a character responds to a boat and the people around him.
Hartnett also studied Newfoundland’s culture and fishing history
Net tying was one part of a wider preparation process. Tudum reports that Hartnett spent time with local actors, listened every day to The Broadcast, a long-running local radio show, and learned about Newfoundland’s fishing history. He spoke about how industrial overfishing damaged local cod stocks and how fishing restrictions affected people whose livelihoods and identities were closely tied to the sea.
Those details connect directly to Below’s setting. The series is not only a creature thriller; it also follows a community worried about its future and the loss of a way of life. Hartnett’s research helped him approach Calvin as a person shaped by a specific place, rather than as a generic television fisherman.
Learning from local fishermen instead of guessing
Newfoundland’s fishing communities have their own vocabulary, routines, and regional knowledge. For an actor arriving from Minnesota, those details cannot be reproduced convincingly through costume alone. Hartnett’s approach—listening, asking questions, and learning from local people—gave him a way to understand the culture behind the character.
His preparation also extended to his onscreen family. In the same Tudum interview, Hartnett discussed building connections with Charlie Heaton, Ruby Stokes, and Rohan Campbell. The cast shared a dialect coach so their speech would sound consistent as members of the same family. Physical research and character work can support each other: the more an actor understands a place, the more specific the performance can become.
Watch the official Below teaser
The official teaser gives a look at the coastal world Hartnett was preparing to inhabit. The fictional threat is extraordinary, but the boats, working harbor, and close-knit community are central to the story’s realism.
Did Josh Hartnett really learn to tie fishing nets?
Yes. Netflix Tudum says Hartnett got to know local fishermen and learned how to tie fishing nets while preparing to play Calvin Penney. The interview does not identify a particular knot or claim that he became a professional fisherman.
Was Below filmed in Newfoundland?
Yes. Netflix says the series was filmed on location in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The real coastal setting and local community helped shape the show’s atmosphere and its depiction of a fishing town.
What else did Hartnett do to prepare for Below?
He spent time with local actors, listened to the Newfoundland radio show The Broadcast, studied the region’s fishing history, and learned from local fishermen. He also worked with the same dialect coach as his onscreen family to help their accents feel consistent.
For another angle on the actor’s preparation, read our related story: How Josh Hartnett Transformed Into a Real Newfoundland Fisherman.
The takeaway: Hartnett’s net-tying lessons are a concrete example of the research behind Below. They do not turn a scripted role into a documentary, but they help connect Calvin Penney’s fictional life to the skills, history, and people of Newfoundland’s fishing communities.
Sources
- Netflix Tudum: “In Below, Josh Hartnett Found New Meaning Under the Sea” (October 8, 2026)
- Netflix Tudum: Below trailer, cast, filming location, and production details
- iHorror: New Below production stills
- Wikimedia Commons: Josh Hartnett at TIFF 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
By Shivam Das
