Bastard Son & The Devil Himself's Emilien Vekemans on Gabriel's fashion and *that* kiss (2024)

Rainbow Crew is an ongoing interview series that celebrates the best LGBTQ+ representation on screen. Each instalment showcases talent working on both sides of the camera, including queer creatives and allies to the community.

Next up, we're speaking to The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself star Emilien Vekemans.

It's rare for a character to show up three episodes in and instantly steal the show, but that's exactly what Emilien Vekemans does when Gabriel first appears in .

With his bleached hair, tiger-print fashion and underground witch vibes, Gabriel opens up the world of this show into something far more seductive and dangerous than you'd ever expect from a YA teen fantasy on Netflix.

By the end, Gabriel becomes as intrinsic to the core story as Nathan and Annalise, his newfound friends-slash-lovers (if those poly vibes and that bed scene are anything to go by).

Digital Spy caught up with Emilien Vekemans to discuss Gabriel's fashion sense, that kiss, and his season-two hopes.

Talk us through how you won the role of Gabriel.

It was through my agent in France. I got the audition, and I did a tape. To be honest, it was one of my first proper English auditions. I hadn’t done anything at that time. So I didn’t really believe in it when I did the tape. When I watched myself – you know, you have to choose. I was like, "This is weird." [laughs] It was weird to me.

Then I got a call back. And after that, I met the director, Colm McCarthy, who did the first eps. We started to talk a bit more about the character. And I could see myself more in it. I started to believe in it a little bit more.

Gabriel has a really striking look with the tiger prints and the bleached hair. How did his appearance help shape the role for you?

His look is very important, I think, for shaping the character, because you immediately know that he comes from this underground witch gang. You’re like: OK, he’s different from the Fairborn witches that we’ve seen before in the show.

But with the look, we worked with Hannah Edwards – she was the costume designer. She really tried to find this witchy, cool, underground mix between everything. I got very lucky with the look, because I had so many necklaces and so many rings. It was really nice to work with her.

The show incorporates queerness so organically, especially with Gabriel and Nathan's relationship as it evolves throughout the season. Can you talk us through that slow-burn chemistry you shared with Jay Lycurgo?

About the relationship, it was really to try to connect the two characters in a very truthful way. It was really about two characters that… you don’t think at first sight they’re going to end up together. But little by little, you get a feeling that they can relate to each other, because they have the same weakness, and there are things they can relate to each other.

Like, they’re both kind of orphans. They both have been abandoned by their parents in some way. That’s really something that we worked on with Jay. We talked a lot about it when we were in prep, like: what’s really the thing that they have in common? It’s really this thing about feeling alone in their story.

So that was really interesting, to go into the romance through something that is very pure. That was one of the goals, and I hope we reached it.

Gabriel and Nathan's chemistry culminates with that kiss on the roof, right before Nathan pushes Gabriel off into the portal. Can you tell us more about filming that pivotal scene on set?

It was something so important in the story of our two characters. We had talked about that a lot before it happened. And we became, also, good friends during the whole process. So this moment came very naturally, I would say, because… I think it was meant to happen in their story.

When we had to do this scene, it was a great moment, and was kind of my best memory of shooting, because we were on this roof. It was all locations – natural locations. And it ended with this nice stunt at the end of it – you know, Joe Barton’s signature of ending a scene with a stunt.

That was so cool. It was actually one of my favourite days on set.

Throughout the season, and especially towards the end, we picked up on some polyamorous vibes between Gabriel, Nathan, and Annalise. What are your thoughts on that?

It's the central vibe you have at the end. We end up really together as a trio. We talked a little bit about that. But it appears way more now, I think, when we look back at the series and the story, we’re like: there’s really something between the three of them that is very interesting, and is now organic.

I wonder, if there’s a season two, if it’s something that’s going to be developed. I’m sure. I’m not sure – but I am.

The season ends with a big cliffhanger moment for Nathan. What do you think this means for the show moving forward?

For Nathan, it’s really about the decision of if he wants to have the powers by eating this powerful heart. It's really a choice of: do I want to face this kind of destiny?

In one of the scenes at the end, he says, "I want to watch TV, and have a nice thing…" And then it’s like: now you have the heart with the most powerful powers right there. What do you want to do?

What do you hope might happen to Gabriel in a potential second season?

I think it’s the relationship between [Gabriel and Nathan] that’s really interesting. Where can it go? What’s going to be…

I really wonder how it goes. Also, in the books, my character doesn’t end very well. I hope it’s not going to happen. [laughs] Everything, but not that, please.

What do you hope fans take away from the show when they finish season one?

I really love the idea of identity that Nathan’s character is going through, for the whole story. And that he opens up to this new world, and this new identity, and discovering things about himself, and feeling secure about it.

I hope, especially for a teenager that would be watching the show, that they could relate to that, and say, "OK, this is something that I can feel free to feel, and to discover other parts of myself."

The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is now available to watch on Netflix.