Pop Culture Principle

What can be better than a crazed killer terrorizing camp counselors at a summer camp? Well, you can find out with the second season of the Netflix series Slasher.

The second season entitled Slasher: Guilty Party follows former counselors return to the remote Canadian summer camp where they committed a crime long ago, only to find that the past isn’t quite dead yet.

Leading the group is the talented Lovell Adams-Gray. The actor, writer and producer was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario and graduated from the Humber College Acting for Film and Television program. He’s appeared in series such as Warehouse 13, Rogue and Dead of Summer.

Today, we sit down with the up and coming actor to discuss the new season of Slasher, why fans still love to be scared by horror films and television and how important it was to not play a stereotypical character in the series.

Pop Culture Principle – What attracted you to the role of Peter and the series Slasher?

Lovell Adams-Gray – I fell in love with Peter the more I dived into my own relationship history. Getting to tell a story like this, in the environment that Slasher: Guilty Party creates, is mostly unheard of these days. I wanted to be the one to tell his story, and tell it truthfully.

Pop Culture Principle – Did you watch the first season of Slasher to prepare for the role and get a feel for the series?

Lovell Adams-Gray – I most certainly did watch the first season. I thought it was amazing. My favorite part was Dean McDermott’s story arch. It was a huge plot point that I didn’t see coming, and it completely blindsided me. Also, watching Brandon Jay McLaren’s work was a huge inspiration for me.

Pop Culture Principle – What do you think separates Slasher from other similar shows?

Lovell Adams-Gray – The diversity of the cast stands out the most, and the fleshing out of certain characters whose stories often go untold. We were able to use the platform of a horror flick to tell diverse, compelling, and realistic narratives under heightened circumstances. This and other factors make Slasher: Guilty Party a show that can be watched by a great multitude of people. They can all find something they like.

Pop Culture Principle – What is the biggest similarity and difference between you and Peter?

Lovell Adams-Gray – The biggest similarity between myself and Peter Broome is that we both like to take control. But in a very inclusive and diplomatic way. And I’d say our biggest difference is that I’ve never been a camp counselor before, spending my summers in a camp responsible for a large group of kids. I normally spend my summers on my PS4 or making music.

Pop Culture Principle – What did you enjoy most about being in the second season of Slasher?

Lovell Adams-Gray – I enjoyed being surrounded by such great talent. It was so inspiring to see masters at work and be able to absorb that into my own artistry.

Pop Culture Principle – What people don’t realize is that there is a lot of physicalities involved with a role like this. How did you enjoy that aspect of the role?

Lovell Adams-Gray – The physicality of playing Peter Broome was the most exciting part of playing him. I got to partake in action sequences and fulfill my childhood dreams. I tripped and rolled down a hill and made it look badass. While in real life, I would have looked like a wallaby.

Pop Culture Principle – How long do you think you’d survive if you were in the same situation as your character, Peter?

Lovell Adams-Gray – I would have made it all the way to age 75 and beyond because I wouldn’t have ever been at the We Live As One campgrounds in the dead of winter. Either that or I would have confessed a long time ago because I believe in spiritual cleanliness and I don’t want to have any demons, ghosts or negative energy dragging down my hopes and dreams.

Pop Culture Principle – Fans are split on how they feel about Talvinder. Some say she was a mean person and some people think she was just misunderstood. Where do you stand in this argument?

Lovell Adams-Gray – I side with the fans who think Talvinder was simply misunderstood. She just desperately wanted friends and she went about it in an immature way. If she were to still alive now, in the real world, she’d probably be an artist in Hollywood. Meaning, she’d take all of her insecurities and shortcomings and put them on screen.

Pop Culture Principle – It seemed out of all the friends, her death affected Peter the most and haunted him these past five years. Why do you think that was the case and why was he basically the only one to truly own up to it?

Lovell Adams-Gray – Peter felt directly responsible for what happened to Talvinder. In Peter’s mind, he is the catalyst for the entire situation because he cheated on Andi with her. If he hadn’t cheated, Talvinder would probably have just had a falling out with the other girls.

Pop Culture Principle – Slasher definitely upped the gore level in Season 2. Did any of the deaths make you cringe when you saw them?

Lovell Adams-Gray – Hell yes! The gore in Season 2 was definitely on a whole other level. Some highlights are the scene with the chainsaw, the auger and THAT torture scene.

Pop Culture Principle – Why do you think there is a resurgence in horror and why do people still want to be scared?

Lovell Adams-Gray – It can be attributed to our desire to experience extreme, heightened situations that mirror our own thoughts. I also think we want to be thrilled. Being scared lets us know that we can still react to something that we can’t control and that keeps our hearts racing. I’m happy to be a part of that in some way.

Pop Culture Principle – The writers for Slasher did a tremendous job keeping the audience guessing who the killer was. Would you agree with that and how important was that to the overall story?

Lovell Adams-Gray – The writers did a fantastic job keeping the suspense up for the entire show. There were points in time where even I forgot who the killer was. That can make or break the story. The killer reveal is such a core plot point and it’s part of what keeps us coming back for another episode. It makes this show binge-worthy.

Pop Culture Principle – Peter ends up being the anchor and somewhat the moral compass for this season of Slasher. As a black character, how important was that to you bringing him to life?

Lovell Adams-Gray – First of all, can we all applaud Aaron Martin for not killing me off first? And shout out to Brandon Jay McLaren for paving that way for us. I was honored to be asked to portray a black character of such moral standing. It was a privilege to tell a story about a young black man who is trying his best to do the right thing. No drugs, no ignorance, no stereotypes.

I look up to artists like Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, Viola Davis, Cicely Tyson, Sidney Poitier, Adrian Walters, and Lupita Nyong’o. These men and women work so hard to ensure we are portrayed with dignity and respect, and I just want to contribute to that in every way I can.

Pop Culture Principle – Diversity is a huge issue in Hollywood right now. Slasher has a very diverse cast including race and gender. How important was the aspect to the overall story of Slasher?

Lovell Adams-Gray – Diversity is the lynchpin of this season. There is a shift in consciousness and we are no longer accepting stories told from one-sided perspectives. Artists like Aaron Martin and Felipe Rodriguez took care of us, especially on set. They allowed us to speak our truths and let our voices be heard.

Pop Culture Principle – What can fans look forward to with the second season of Slasher?

Lovell Adams-Gray – Fans who are coming back from the first season of Slasher can look forward to more gore, more suspense and a very well-rounded and talented cast.

Pop Culture Principle – Now that Slasher: Guilty Party is out, any other upcoming projects we can look forward to from you in the near future?

Lovell Adams-Gray – Now that Slasher is out, I am focusing my energy on learning to play the trumpet. I will also be portraying Levee Green in the August Wilson play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It will be mounting at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre in 2018. In the meantime, I’ll be spending my days in LA for pilot season, bumping my ‘West Coast playlist”, and chasing the sun.

A big thank you to Lovell Adams-Gray for sitting down and talking with us! Slasher: Guilty Party is available now on Netflix. If you would like to keep up with all of Lovell’s latest news and projects, you can follow his official Facebook page here. You can also follow his official Twitter and Instagram accounts @lovelladamsgray.

**Main photo courtesy of Lane Dorsey**

**Slasher: Guilt Party photos courtesy of Netflix**