Because the script called for a number of Russian characters to appear, the show's casting scouts hired a number of Russian expatriates living in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area. Alex Shostak Jr., a teenage Ukrainian immigrant, was selected to play Dmitri. He worked 12–14 hours a day, much of which was spent applying the elaborate make-up effect that gave the appearance that his eyes and mouth had been sewed up. During filming, he was "literally" blind and guided by the crew members throughout the filming of his scenes. When it came to the dialogue, Shostak provided the Russian translation for his own lines.