Eric creator Abi Morgan has spoken about Edgar's fascination with the character of Yuusuf.
The Netflix series sees Benedict Cumberbatch star as Vincent Sullivan, a puppeteer who goes on a desperate search for his missing son, Edgar (played by Ivan Howe).
Yuusuf is a homeless man, whose graffiti is spotted by Edgar. Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about Edgar and Yuusuf's relationship, Morgan said: "Well, I think I'm playing with the notion of the outsider.
"And that's where the artists lie. And I guess what the boy sees in Yuusuf is someone who's able to express himself and someone who seems to express himself just for the sheer pleasure of expressing himself."
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Expanding further on graffiti, Morgan added: "I think if you live in any city, graffiti art is an amazing reflection of often a youth, often an underground world.
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"I've just been in Barcelona, where there's the most incredible city filled with graffiti art. And so I guess for me, it was the playfulness of the idea of the city being someone's canvas when you can't afford a canvas or a creative space, then where do you use? You use the bridges and the subways and the walkways.
"There's a message in that and I guess, the relationship between Edgar and Yuusuf is a pebble that's dropped into a deep pond and somehow those ripples ricochet back for Edgar and he kind of follows them."
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Summing up what Yuusuf represents to Edgar, Morgan said: "You used something the other day, the dropping of crumbs. I think there's a kind of Hansel and Gretel story at the heart of this, which is about a boy who has to go deep into the heart of New York and bring his father with him and bring all the monsters with him in a way to find his way out again.
"So I think that's what Yuusuf represents and the attraction to that kind of graffiti art that he sees."
Eric is available now on Netflix.
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