Gossip Girl is back. 9 years after the end of the original series, HBO has revived the fan favourite series with a fresh new cast of beautiful and entitled students who attend galas and theatre openings, influence on social media, and don’t ever seem to do any actual studying.
This reboot is lead by two Black half sisters, Julien (Jordan Alexander) and Zoya (Whitney Peak). The former is the “Queen Bee,” popular and gorgeous, with a massive following and a rock star dad. The younger Zoya, on the other hand, is more of a gender-swapped Dan Humphrey – the middle-class and morally pure good girl who gets sucked into this world of unrestrained privilege. There is also a new Gossip Girl in town who seems hellbent on making both these lives even more complicated than they already are.
We caught up with the cast of Gossip Girl 2021 for a conversation about what it was like jumping into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite.
First up… Emily Alyn Lind who plays Audrey, Evan Mock who plays Aki, and Thomas Doherty who plays Max
Umapagan Ampikaipakan: Going to school in real life is pretty removed from what we see on Gossip Girl. What were your experiences like and which social strata did you occupy in high school?
Emily Alyn Lind: I was homeschooled and I graduated when I was 15. So I never went to school. I was working. I’ve been an actor since I was four years old. So I never held any sort of status. But I’m sure if I was in school, because I used to be a little emo kid, I would definitely, probably, be a kinda nerd emo. So I probably wouldn’t have held a very high status. I know I didn’t in the real world. *laughs*
UA: Hey, the geeks will inherit the earth. That’s how it works.
EAL: That’s true!
Evan Mock: I was home schooled on the beach in Hawaii, and I didn’t even finish high school, so I can’t be the one to tell kids to stay in school because I didn’t. But, I would have been in the guy in the water. Our playground was going to the beach and surfing. So it was a pretty unique upbringing…
UA: Now you’re just showing off.
EM: I have no complaints. I learnt time management really well just because the waves are good in the morning. And I did my schoolwork maybe for a week straight, and jumped ahead a week, and then took rest of the week off so I could plan my schedule accordingly to when the waves were good.
Thomas Doherty: For Scotland, I had a very, very normal schooling experience. I left early. Because I got all my grades and was like, I’m just going to waste a year having fun. So I actually went to college a year early. But it was pretty normal. I was a soccer player – as everyone in Scotland is. And I was also like low key doing musical theater because it wasn’t very cool at the time. I used to go to school and I’d have like my bag, and in my bag there were books, lunch, soccer stuff, and then, at the very bottom, were my tap shoes and stuff. Because I’d go from school straight to performing. But no one knew. I kept it very secret because it wasn’t very cool at the time. So yeah, it was very normal. These guys aren’t as cultured I’m afraid. *laughs*
UA: So no 15-year-olds doing drugs and alcohol then. That’s good. Good for you guys.
EAL: Did I not say I was a child actor? *laughs*
Up next… Savannah Smith who plays Monet and Zion Moreno who plays Luna
UA: Did the both of you have any nerves or apprehensions about taking on something that was so popular in its original form?
Savannah Smith: I was nervous because Gossip Girl was such a legendary show, and there are so many expectations that come with reinventing or continuing something that has such a strong hold on so many people. And yet, when it was first announced, you get all of those comments from people saying they aren’t going to watch it if the original characters aren’t on the show, and how it’s never going to be the same. So there’s a lot of pressure that comes with the show and having to live up to those standards.
But you have to ignore the noise and accept that this is a continuation, and that they’re different people, and different characters. But other than that, it really is so exciting. It’s so exciting to come into something that is so high on everyone’s watch list. And that everyone adores. Living here in New York, I definitely feel that pressure and that excitement. So it’s been amazing.
Zion Moreno: I think I was just mostly really excited when I was cast. Especially since I was a very big fan of the original. I think that excitement clouded any sort of pressure, or any sort of nervousness that I might have had. But I think that once the Met steps pictures came out, I understood what a huge deal this was and then the nerves started to creep in. But I try to ignore all the noise and try to just focus on creating something that hopefully stands the test of time and hopefully people can relate to.
And finally, the new Queen Bee herself, Jordan Alexander who plays Julien
UA: Julian is a very different character from Serena, at least when we met her in the first season of the OG Gossip Girl. Julian seems a lot more aware of her power and influence. And I was wondering if you could talk to me about that and how you feel about her as a character.
Jordan Alexander: Yes. I feel like the way Julian moves is very, very specific and it’s been curated by Luna and Monet. But yeah, she knows the kind of power that she holds and she definitely utilizes that to create an image. And I think it’s kind of like a coping mechanism to just deal with the world. She’s like, this is the front, and that’s what she’s presenting. And so that was works for her.
Follow Us