Rohan Campbell brings Cochrane roots to Netflix thriller Below set in Newfoundland

Rohan Campbell, who was born in Calgary and grew up in Cochrane, plays Jay Penney, the eldest of three siblings from Newfoundland, in the new Netflix miniseries Below. The supernatural horror-thriller was shot in St. John's and other parts of Newfoundland and Labrador last year—Campbell's first time visiting the province.

Mastering the Newfoundland accent proved to be one of his toughest acting challenges. "Honestly, I think it's one of the hardest things I've had to do in learning that accent," Campbell told Postmedia. "It's so specific, and I think the interesting thing is that there are so many different dialects within Newfoundland. You can drive an hour, and they talk different. So there was always that moment on set when you come up to someone and say, 'Do you say it like this?' and they would say yes. Then you would walk to the next person, and they would say, 'No, I've never said it like that in my entire life.'" With the help of a dialect coach, all the actors eventually nailed the accent.

The cast is a mix of international and Canadian talent. American Josh Hartnett plays Jay's father Calvin, while Stranger Things alum Jonathan Heaton (born in Leeds, England) plays younger brother Wade. Bridgerton's Ruby Stokes, also from London, plays younger sister Mary. Vancouver's Mackenzie Davis plays marine biologist Fonda, and Newfoundland native Willow Kean plays Campbell's aunt Ruth. Canadian comedy icon Mary Walsh and Stephen Oates round out the cast.

The story centers on a mysterious and deadly sea creature terrorizing the small town of Snook's Arm. Calvin, a hardened fisherman, and Fonda team up to protect the town. Beyond the creature horror, the miniseries explores Newfoundland's real cultural and economic struggles—collapsing fisheries, federal resettlement offers, and the division these issues create in communities. The setting leans heavily into Newfoundland's identity: Celtic music, bar parties, kissing the cod, and screech (the province's signature drink) all feature prominently.

Jay and Mary have moved away to Fort McMurray and Montreal respectively, and the story involves a "Come Home Year" when they return to visit. Calvin, still hunting for ice rather than cod, wants his family to join him in a new venture. Psychological terror gradually afflicts some of the townspeople as the narrative unfolds.

Campbell emphasized the importance of authenticity when telling a Newfoundland story. "If you are going to make something about Newfoundland, you have to understand how much culture and community mean to these people," Campbell said.