During an interview withTeen Vogue, Sarah Catherine Hook and Imani Lewis sat down to discuss their new showFirst Kill. It’s aNetflixoriginal based on the short story of the same name by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab, who also created the show. Hook plays vampire Juliette Fairmont while Lewis plays vampire hunter Calliope “Cal” Burns, who fall in love with each other.
Both Juliette and Cal come from two households, both alike in dignity. Hunters like Cal’s family are trained via a guild to take out the supernatural and are punished for questioning what a monster might be. Juliette’s family belongs to a rigid hierarchy where arranged marriages and ritual hunts are common. Something that’s key to the two leas figuring out themselves is understanding what monstrosity is across the series.
“What [Juliette] doesn’t want to be is a monster, she never wants to be perceived as a monster, and she doesn’t wanna behave like one. She doesn’t believe that just because you’re a vampire doesn’t mean you have to behave like a monster. I just really like that given everything that she goes through, that she’s remained true to that,” said Hook.
For Lewis, a monster is all about intentional harm, such as hurting people and causing chaos simply because you can. Not to protect yourself, your family, or merely to find a meal. Hook agreed with that definition of monstrosity but added on Friedrich Nietzsche’s quote about how those who fight monsters should take care not to become one themselves.
“I feel like that rings so true too.Hello, our society and what is going on in the world, and I think we as humans see monstrous acts all the time. I think this show is so eye-opening in so many ways, in so many clever ways, and I feel like not only is it about acceptance, but it’s just about opening your eyes and saying like, ‘Oh, this is not really far off from our own world.’”
First Killis also notable for its depiction of minorities, especially within the urban fantasy genre. There are multiple queer characters. Besides Juliette and Cal, there are also their respective best friends, Ben (Jonas Dylan Allen) and Tess (M.K. xyz). Not only is half the cast black, but they’re also more than the sassy best friend whose parents are never shown onscreen.
“The representation in this show is phenomenal. I think I speak for both of us: We’re just so honored to be able to be in a position to represent such incredible communities of people. It’s really awesome to see that kind of representation, and it feels so good on a personal level,” said Lewis.
Another thing about the representation ofFirst Killis how the show shies away from making any of the different factions into allegories for any anti-queer or anti-black stances. Though it certainly makes othering a key component of the Supernatural community. Also, while the show’s parents certainly don’t like their kids dating, it’s because they’re mortal enemies, and that’s it.
“It’s really cool how Calliope and Juliette have parents who don’t question their sexuality. They’re very accepting. That’s never a point of conflict for them in this story. And there are parents out there, thank God who are similar to Jack and Talia, Sebastian and Margot. But there are also still parents out there who kick their children out of their house for being queer. So I think it’s amazing that we are having this kind of story where it is normal, and it’s not necessarily… It’s not a coming-out story. We are just normalizing this queer relationship,” said Hook.
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The Actresses Themselves Dealt With Monsters
Both leads on the show have dealt with monsters before in their careers. Hook played a character who had to deal with her brother and her boyfriend getting possessed by a demon inThe Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Lewis hasfought vampires beforeinVampires Vs. The Bronx,which is also a Netflix original. The two of them have also learned things about themselves and the characters they play during the show.
According to Hook, while Juliette is introverted, awkward, and anxious when trying to figure out her identity, she was more extroverted as a teenager. Part of what drew Hook to the role was that difference in personality. Lewis resonates with Cal because of the character’s strength. While both actor and performer are diligent and tenacious, Lewis admits that Cal is braver than she is.
An area where the actresses differ was their interest in the vampire genre. Besides readingCarmillato help prep for her role, Hook was a massive fan ofThe Vampire Diariesfranchise, though her first brush with the undead was one of, if not the, most famous of them all, Dracula. Lewis, by contrast, was never a big horror fan, but she did love the 1998 Marvel filmBlade.
“If I’m being completely honest, I am not a scary movie kinda girl. Scary things scare me, so I just stay away from horror. ButBladewas always so cool to me, so badass and so strong. And it felt so good to see [a vampire] that looks like my relatives, that looks like me, so I was like, that’s dope,’” Lewis says.
According to Stitch, the writer of the Team Vogue article, the bond between Hook and Lewis is obvious even over Zoom, given the way they bounce off one another and set each other off into fits of giggles, recalling things they loved about the show while filming. Listed examples included ukulele, singalongs, power naps, fruit snacks, and Fritos.
“We spent so much time even just sitting in silence or just talking regularly, almost like we’re not even on set, talking about things [and] connecting with each other. I think my favorite moments were when it’s real quiet, and then I’ll be like, ‘You okay?’ [It] just came out of nowhere. It’s just these random check-ins. We’re like, ‘You okay?’ ‘Yeah. I’m okay.’ ‘You sure?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Okay. I’ll be right back then.’ And I’ll come and get us some LaCroix or something. These little check-ins with each other to make sure that we’re okay or just laughing in between takes, we had so much fun.”
Right now, Lewis is in the middle of filming for her current project while also working on her music career and preparing for a fashion project. Hook, meanwhile, is also busy prepping for “a Broadway situation,” which would be a chance to use her music training and be able to sing on stage.
