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Justin Theroux Warns Not to Be Misled by The Leftovers' Dark Premise: "It's About Love"

Exclusive! Justin Theroux, Max and Charlie Carver and Chris Zylka preview their new HBO series

By Chris Harnick Jun 27, 2014 7:30 PMTags
Watch: Love Springs for Justin Theroux at "Leftovers" Premiere

What happens next? That's basically the story of The Leftovers, HBO's new drama set a few years after 2 percent of the world's population disappears with no explanation.

"Although it's a show that's ostensibly about the Rapture, very quickly it moves away from that and sort of becomes kind of a meditation on grief, wanting and yearning, the splintering effect of a massive loss," The Leftovers star Justin Theroux told E! News at the premiere.

"It is about love," he said. "Everyone has an array of such genuinely human emotions in the piece, it wasn't that hard to relate to."

Watch: Max and Charlie Carver Like to Keep Things Light

Theroux plays police chief Kevin Garvey in the drama from Lost's Damon Lindelof and novel writer Tom Perrotta. He said he never read the book before getting the script, but once he got the scripts he couldn't put it down. His character is central to the story and the actor has become the face of the series, appearing in the poster campaign.

"It's a little strange, I was driving next to one today and I gotta say it took me by surprise," he said.

The cast of The Leftovers also includes Liv Tyler, Ann Dowd, Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Emily Meade, Chris Zylka, Max and Charlie Carver, and Margaret Qualley.

Watch: Chris Zylka Counts His Lucky Stars

Despite being about the people left behind, dealing with the loss of loved ones, Max Carver said he doesn't consider the show "dark."

"I think some people have been saying the show is dark, to me it's not dark, but we're certainly light. I'll put it that way," he said. "We just have a good time, we're about friendships, community, a little bit of weed, a little bit of ping pong, it's all good."

Zylka, who starred in The CW's short-lived The Secret Circle, plays Tom, Kevin's son. He called the series a "dream come true." "You couldn't ask for more," he said.

The Leftovers premieres Sunday, June 29 at 10 p.m. on HBO.