Gossip Girl stars on how reboot explores impact of social media
Gossip Girl is back. And it’s still a source of scandalous stories, but by way of social media updates.
The new-generation version of the hit 2000s show about an anonymous blogger spilling juicy details about the privileged but problematic lives of rich and beautiful New York highschoolers, recently premiered on HBO Max. (The streaming service is not yet available in the Philippines but the show is accessible via HBO GO.)
Gossip Girl reboot is developed by showrunner Joshua Safran, who was also the writer and executive producer of the OG series. As an extension of the pop-culture classic, it transports viewers back to the Upper East Side, where a new set of young elite is subjected to social surveillance nine years after the original blogger’s website shut down. This time around, the show explores how much social media — and the landscape of New York itself — has changed in the intervening years.
The series stars Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Zion Moreno, Whitney Peak and Savannah Lee Smith. It is based on the best-selling novels by Cecily von Ziegesar and the original show, developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
True to Gossip Girl fashion that “you are no one until you’re talked about,” the show appeared to be off to a good start after its premiere date became one of the Top 5 trending topics worldwide on Twitter and resulted in 15 billion TikTok impressions, according to US news outlets. It’s been reported as the most-watched new series of HBO Max since its launch last May.
The STAR recently joined a virtual presscon with two of the show’s hotties, Scottish actor-singer Thomas Doherty and Fil-Hawaiian actor-model Evan Mock. No spoilers here, but it is through their characters that the show is presented as more diverse, gender fluid and liberated in terms of sexuality.
Said Thomas, “I think it was really, really important to do that because it’s very honest. And it represents some of what’s going on, how people feel. And it’s nice for people to be seeing that they identify differently from what is convention.
“And I find it very, very, very liberating. It definitely forced me to question all my preconceived notions of sexuality, sexual identity and gender identity, which I really loved. And I just hope that people out there feel represented and feel seen, and can relate to something on screen.”
Asked how the predecessor and its well-loved characters affected how they approached their roles, Evan (who is marking his acting debut on Gossip Girl) said he was more focused on making his portrayal fresh than comparing himself to anybody.
“Obviously, it’s a continuation. But I wanted to go into it as a brand-new show that no one’s ever seen before or heard about. I just wanted the character to be fresh and new, and have someone that, you know, the fans who watch the original could see the continuation and fall in love with just like they did the original,” said Evan.
“So it was important for me to kind of just make my character who I thought it should be and who obviously the writers thought it should be and just kind of, you know, keep it fresh and not compare myself to anyone else.”
As for any similarities with their onscreen personas, Evan said that in real life, he’s also a young person still trying to figure things out.
The 23-year-old added, “I relate to him in the sense that, you know, we’re just kids figuring things out. And it’s okay not to know. And it’s also amazing to have people around you to kind of understand that as well. Yeah, it’s been actually fun…It’s challenged me to really kind of deep dive down into, you know, figuring things out, which is my personal life.”
The show also somehow allowed the actors to experience “high school drama” for the first time.
“Personally, I never went to school. I was homeschooled my whole life and also didn’t graduate which my mom is not proud of. And I told her, I was going to get my GED (Graduate Equivalency Degree) but I never did,” said Evan. “But I just told someone else that I had never put on a school uniform ever, so this has been quite the experience because I never dealt with high school drama, at a school at least.”
Almost the same experience with Thomas. “I just went to a public school in Scotland. It was nothing like this (show) at all. I think it’s a testament to how much social media has changed how young people operate and more in their life. I just missed the social media thing, which is amazing. I just did the normal things unlike now... I feel like teens are growing up so quickly,” the 26-year-old said.
Meanwhile, the most marked difference of the remake is that it’s set in the age of social media. To recall, the original series had a sensational run from 2007 when social media was practically non-existent, to 2012 when social networking sites were just gaining traction.
Evan said, “Social media didn’t exist when it was out before, so the difference has completely engulfed us.”
Thomas also said, “In the technological age, it’s really affected the way people think, and the exposure people have, the information people have, so I think, back with the original one, that wasn’t really there. (Social media) didn’t really exist. But it has been integrated nicely into the show. It’s not in your face. It’s a nice reflection of what it genuinely is like.”
Apart from mirroring the power of social media, Gossip Girl also exposes its ugly side and the consequences when abused.
It’s a theme that Thomas can relate to given his aversion to social media in real life. “I hate it. I think it’s terrible. I think it’s still bad for the world. And for society. I think it creates these unbelievably unattainable expectations. I think it makes people feel insecure. I think it makes people feel quite greedy. They see they want more like, I want to count on that, on that one more. And, I mean, it’s fun, the deals, memes and stuff. And (while I’m) in America, it’s nice to be able to see what my friends and family are doing back home occasionally. But for the most part, no, I don’t know if it’s a great thing.”
Evan said, “I mean, I think, it’s helped a lot of local businesses. I think it’s helped spread the word about a lot of good positive things. But I think it has also spread negative things. It’s definitely brought awareness to everything. So, you can choose to pick the positive or the negative things about it.”
The interview didn’t end without having Evan discuss his being part-Filipino. It was the acting newbie himself who volunteered the information upon knowing that there were two Filipino reporters inside the virtual room.
“My mom has been there a bunch of times. I haven’t been able to make it over there but I need to get there as soon as possible. But half-Filipino thing right here,” he proudly said.
Evan then shared more about his Pinoy roots on his mother’s side. “My mom’s grandparents came over to Hawaii to work in the sugarcane fields. Back in the day, Hawaii used to be the biggest distributor for pure cane sugar. So, there were a lot of people, you know, coming over to work from the Philippines until it became cheaper in other places.
“But yeah, there are more Filipinos in Hawaii than there are Hawaiians in a way now. When I think about Filipino culture, I think about the food instantly. I think about, I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, chicken fighting. And that’s carried on into the Hawaiian culture as well. It’s just been a thing that I’ve grown up around, you know, my whole life.”
(You can stream or download Gossip Girl on HBO GO, which is downloadable from the App Store or Play Store on your device. You can also access HBO GO via Cignal or at https://www.hbogoasia.com.)
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