With the debut of Season 7 of Black Mirror, beloved actor Jimmi Simpson made a highly awaited return, reprising his dual roles as tech entrepreneur James Walton and his more empathetic digital clone in the new episode, “USS Callister: Into Infinity.” In a recent Zoom conversation with Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, Simpson shared his thoughts on re-entering the realm of Black Mirror — and the experience of blending elements of Cast Away and Oldboy in the process.

While Clone Walton was thought to be deceased following his heroic act in the original “USS Callister” episode, “Into Infinity” reveals that he was actually respawned on a barren planet within the online MMORPG Infinity. Upon discovering him, Clone Nanette (played by Cristin Milioti) finds Walton leading a solitary, survivalist existence akin to Tom Hanks in Cast Away — complete with a blood-smeared smiley face on a round companion.

When asked if he revisited Cast Away to prepare for the role, Simpson noted that it wasn’t necessary. “I saw that film in theaters when it released [in 2000]. I certainly liked it, like everyone else, and I know the writers — Charlie Brooker, William Bridges, Bisha K. Ali, and Bekka Bowling — were aiming for a Cast Away type of homage,” he explained. “It was already established. I didn’t need to go back to it. If I had, I probably would have picked up certain details, but I don’t think it required that. They laid the groundwork. You understand what it is.”

Instead, Simpson sought inspiration from the sci-fi films of his childhood. “There’s this late ’80s film, Enemy Mine, where Dennis Quaid gets marooned on a planet,” he reminisced. “It has that classic ’80s vibe — the lead finds himself on another planet and must learn to survive. I felt like I was living that. I watched those films over and over as a kid. So that was like a dream come true.”

One particularly striking moment in the episode depicts Clone Walton catching and consuming an alien creature — a scene Simpson thoroughly enjoyed. “Eating space octopi was like a dream realized,” he remarked. “Honestly, the production team mentioned, ‘We apologize if it doesn’t taste good.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t care. This is the most exciting thing!’”

And what does space octopus taste like? According to Simpson: “It had a slightly sweet blue dye flavor.”

Black Mirror Season 7 is currently available for streaming on Netflix.