YOUNGER KHOBE CLARKE SPENT DAYS RECITING MONOLOGUES AS A RADIO BROADCASTER, FIGHTING ALIENS ON THE GOLDEN DESERT PLAINS OF TATOOINE, TRIUMPHANTLY SKATING TOWARD A STANLEY CUP WIN, AND RIDING MOTORCYCLES ACROSS MONGOLIA FOR A MONTH WITH HIS DAD—YES, HE REALLY DID THAT ONE! HE’S INSPIRED BY ANTHONY BOURDAIN, WHO ONCE WROTE, “I WANTED THE KIND OF MELODRAMATIC THRILLS AND CHILLS I’D YEARNED FOR SINCE CHILDHOOD. I WANTED TO SEE THE WORLD—AND I WANTED THE WORLD TO BE JUST LIKE THE MOVIES.” WE THINK KHOBE WANTS THE SAME. HE TALKS ABOUT THE CINEMATIC MOMENT HE FELT “ALL WAS RIGHT IN THE WORLD” WHILE TRICK-OR-TREATING FOR THE FIRST TIME. AMONG COSTUME, HE FOUND THE UNMASKED AUTHENTICITY OF COMMUNITY. AGAIN AND AGAIN.

WE ALSO DISCUSS HOW IMPORTANT CAMARADERIE IS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GIVEN ITS DISCOMFORT AND FEAR—BOTH FEELINGS BEING PRESENT WHILE PLAYING SCOTT IN PRIME VIDEO’S CRUEL INTENTIONS. BUT KHOBE LIKES BEING A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE, WHETHER IT’S SLEEPING ON THE GROUND IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY OR STEPPING INTO A CHARACTER’S SHOES THAT MAKE HIS HEELS BLISTER RED.

AN ACTOR’S ADVENTURE ALWAYS AWAITS.

Cardigan, bracelet & ring **Celine Homme**, jeans & belt **Isabel Marant**, tank **Tom Ford**, necklace **Tom Wood**, sunglasses **Gentle Monster**

Hi Khobe! How are you feeling now that Cruel Intentions has been released?

It’s definitely scary and exciting. I feel super lucky to be a part of something like this, but the internet is so mean. [Laughs] I think staying away from reviews and comments has been challenging because it’s my first big project. It’s all positive things though. I’m glad it’s out and I get to stop doing all the anticipating.

Do you feel a sense of relief or are there still more nerves related to you thinking about audience reactions?

The majority [of it] is a relief, but there are definitely nerves. Sometimes I have these moments at night when I can’t sleep because I think, “Ugh my friends and family might not like my work.” There's always this fear.

If my opinion matters, I thought you did such a great job, genuinely. I watched all of the episodes in one night.

Thank you, Tessa. I appreciate that.

Right Shirt **Dior Men**, watch & ring **Cartier**, vintage pants Yves Saint Laurent at The Smoking Archive
Left Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**, jewelry **Cartier**

Since you’re talking about fears, did you have any fears going into playing Scott in Cruel Intentions?

Yes, of course. For my ego, it was difficult because he is kind of the butt of the joke. His type of character isn’t one that I would usually audition for. So I think going to work every day knowing you’re not one of the cool kids and you’re this goofy, comedic relief where we’re often laughing at him, not with him…that was a fear of mine. It’s a selfish fear that comes from ego probably but it was nice to overcome that and recognise how important a character like Scott is to that story.

Right. The first impression you get of him is that he’s a “no thoughts behind those eyes” character, but it changes. His relationship with control was really interesting. At first, you think he doesn’t need control, but as he struggles with his sexuality, you find he is trying to control that perception of him. How did you feel reading through his arc?

Oh man, I felt great. I wanted more. I still long for that scene that didn’t exist where he tells his dad that he’s gay. I think that would’ve been such a beautiful moment for Scott. There’s so much more to explore with his battle with [his sexuality]. There’s such turmoil in that for him. I think we only cracked the surface of what time he had. Phoebe [Fisher] and Sara [Goodman] did a great job at developing him and I was glad to see that he got some redemption. I feel like every scene was just beating down on him, which got tiring as the actor.

It is interesting because he is a very separate entity compared to everyone else and functions as the pawn in many ways. You hear a lot about Scott through conversations other people have about him, rather than what he’s saying about himself. Did that affect the way you played him?

That’s a great question. People ask me about my “prep” and I’m fairly new to this so I can’t give some veteran answer. When I got the scripts, I read them, but I tried my best to not know what they were shooting on any given day. I didn’t want to have a scene in the morning with Blaise where I was signing fraudulent checks for the frat and know that after lunch that day he and Sarah Catherine [Hook] were talking about manipulating him into presidency. Since he is so in the dark, I wanted to have some aspect of that where I also separated myself from it.

Left Jewelry & watch **Cartier**
Right Vintage coat Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni at The Smoking Archive, vintage pants Yves Saint Laurent at The Smoking Archive, necklace & watch **Cartier**

That’s really interesting! I didn’t even think of it that way in trying to live in that “ignorance is bliss” mindset on set too.

Thank you! I mean, it was easy, it’s not like it was difficult to not know. I just didn’t look. [Laughs] It just made it feel a little easier to be blind to it.

On that “ignorance is bliss” topic, sometimes in creative fields, I think it’s easier to feel more creative freedom the less you know about the workings of the industry. I know you’re very green in a way, but have you felt that?

Definitely! When you start doing this, your ceiling is so high because it’s a pipe dream. Then you get the ball rolling and it’s getting close to a job in the audition process. That’s what kind of created this cynical being in me. You can go audition for this big job that could set your career up for life and then not get it and you just have to be okay with that as if you did one audition. I think starting, I would see an audition come through my inbox and think, “I have a high chance of getting it.” It was this blind optimism that got me to this spot in the first place. But now that I’ve reached this next tier, I know the system more. So now, when I get an audition or a callback, I'm like, “They still have ten guys, then they have to eliminate five, and then they're gonna do another round and then there’s a chemistry test…” So the more I know, the less confident I feel about getting the call that I got the gig.

It’s also a form of rejection that I bet must be so difficult. And that’s just the name of the game. Do you feel that will eventually be something you feel more at peace with?

Rejection is so hard. It’s thickened my skin tremendously in all aspects of life. I used to take it so personally. But I realised that none of this is personal. There’s a great line in one of my favourite books by Mathew McConaughey called Greenlights where he talks about his journey in the industry. He writes, “They will pick you up in a limousine and send you home in a taxi.” That’s so true to this. It’s not because you did badly or they don’t like you, it’s just that your moment shines brightest when it is your moment, and then when it isn’t, it’s someone else’s. They’re not rejecting you, you’re just not the solution to their problem.

Full **Loro Piana**, jewelry **Cartier**

Right. It’s good to work towards not taking it personally. It could have to do with someone’s mood on a certain day too. You really can't control it in any way. What is your relationship with control in the acting industry?

As an actor, you control very little, even down to your performance. There are scenes in Cruel Intentions where I finish the scene and I’m like, “Oh I did a really good job.” They're on my coverage which means they're shooting over my scene partner’s shoulder onto me and I think, “Man, that’s gonna play so well.” And then they decided that my scene partner listening was a better moment than me talking. I’m watching it and think, “Why wouldn’t they show me when I’m speaking?” It’s very trivial because the audience doesn’t know the difference, but you control very little. You don’t control what you say, you don’t control what you wear, and you don’t control the edits. The more you serve the story as a whole and less yourself as the performer, the happier you’ll be. That’s really your job—to serve the story.

Absolutely. I really liked the way you played Scott’s mannerisms. That’s the first thing I noted when I was watching it. The way he moves brought me into the frat environment. Can you tell me more about physically embodying Scott?

Honestly, I let my inner monologue guide me. I thought a lot about how he felt. I think confusion is very telling and when someone’s confused, you see it on their face. It’s the same for excitement especially for Scott being so animated and goofy. I didn’t have to hold anything back. The reins were loose in terms of my physical choices. I remember this one scene where I signed over a check for a really big pig to Blaise, and the director didn’t yell cut. [Laughs] I was walking around the room and I saw a baseball bat and just decided to swing it as if I hit a home run and threw my hands in the air. That’s not something I ever expected to make the final cut but they left it in. They let me find that freedom with him.

I remember that scene! It felt so authentic, I’ve seen many imaginary golf swings in real life. [Laughs] A lot of the show is about first impressions so what do you think is the first impression you give off? How do you differ from that?

Oh, man. I think my first impression is that I seem very extroverted. When I meet new people or I’m in a new group, I want everyone to feel like they’re heard and engaged. So I like to ask a lot of questions and get to know people. But as much as I love doing that, I think it drains my battery. I honestly prefer not to say anything. In reality, I think I’m quite introverted.

Left Jewelry & watch **Cartier**
Right Cardigan, bracelet & ring **Celine Homme**, jeans & belt **Isabel Marant**, tank **Tom Ford**, necklace **Tom Wood**

I can relate, I ask people questions all the time as you see, but I am quite introverted too. On a set, do you feel more energised after the day or drained?

It depends on what we’re shooting, for sure. But most of the time, I’m energised. A set is my favourite place to be—it feels like a home. In the green room, I try not to say anything. I have the Calm app. Are you familiar with it?

Yes!

I’m from Alberta in Canada so I spend a lot of my summers fly fishing with my dad. On the app, there’s an audio of this dude, a flowing river, and the sound of a fly fishing rod. I would just put that in my earbuds and try to read and not say anything. So, there is a social aspect that exhausts me on set because there’s so much downtime between scenes so you’re in the green room just chatting away. There are often five to fifteen people in there. I like saving my energy for the work and kind of separating myself. But if I feel good with my work by the end of the day, I am so amped. It’s one of the greatest feelings.

Your talking about going fly fishing with your dad just made me think of a memory-related question. Cruel Intentions is a remake, so if you could think of a memory to relive in the present, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

That’s good! I remember so vividly the first time my dad took me trick-or-treating. Obviously, I was dressed for Halloween, but I didn’t understand the idea of trick-or-treating. He took me around my neighbourhood and said, “Go knock on that person’s door and say ‘Trick or Treat.’” When I said it and they opened the door and gave me candy, I was like, wow! It felt like everything was right in the world. [Laughs] It was the first time I believed in people and felt this sense of community, camaraderie, and friendship in strangers. That was a very powerful moment for me, as trivial as it is. I would relive that shock and wonderful surprise of trick-or-treating.

That’s such a good answer! I don’t know how you thought of that so quickly! [Laughs]

[Laughs] I haven’t even thought of that in I don’t even know how long.

I love that answer because that says a lot about you too in terms of a want for community, maybe. It's so important to have people who support you in any creative field.

Community in the film industry is everything. My long-term goal is to write and direct my own projects. I can’t do that by myself. It takes more than one person. It takes a village. When you have a close-knit group of creatives working towards one project, it’s a magical thing. It’s a very dog-eat-dog world and it’s super competitive. Having a group of people who have your back is a really nice feeling and relieves some of the daunting nature of it.

Left Jewelry **Cartier**
Right Vintage coat Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni at The Smoking Archive, vintage pants Yves Saint Laurent at The Smoking Archive, necklace & watch **Cartier**

That makes me think of one line I wrote down from the beginning of the show during the hazing incident — “so young, so supple, so eager to be tortured.” When you’re young, you’re so eager for that community too to be a part of something. Do you relate to that in any way, to a lesser extent?

Yeah, when you want something so bad you’re kind of blind to the negative consequences of something. I’m willing to let this torture happen to get to a place I want to be in. It’s a great line. I think John Harlan Kim said that.

I think so! I wanted to get back to you having a hard time with Scott being the butt of the joke. There are so many goofy lines where I can’t imagine how you had to be totally serious saying them. Were there any lines you could barely get out?

Yeah, you nailed it on the head with that. Scott’s very funny on the page—Sara and Phoebe did a great job at writing jokes that are so dumb and funny. I had to take a very simple question that I would have a very simple time answering, and then say something so ridiculous. For that to be funny, I had to deliver it with the utmost sincerity. Scott needs to believe it, so a portion of me has to believe it for it to land. There's a scene where the fraternity gets audited and they come in and say, “We need to take a look at your records,” and I’m like, “Well, we just use Spotify.” And that’s so ridiculous to me but I had to say it in the same tone as I would say, “Yeah the financial records are in the basement. We reported them last week.” I had to know how I would say that and just use the same tone to say something so ridiculous. I didn’t work with everyone else a ton, but John [Harlan Kim], Zeke [Goodman], and I had some times when we could not keep it together!

You said in a past interview that you really want projects to take you out of your comfort zone. Do you feel like Cruel Intentions took you out of your comfort zone in any way?

Yeah, I did. With acting, I seek to explore people that are far away from me. With Scott, there are many aspects—practising his sexuality was out of my comfort zone. Like I said earlier, it was kind of an ego check for me to be okay with being the dumb, comedic relief. Every day I was on set I felt out of my comfort zone and just a bit on edge about it. There’s a fulfilling nature to that. I would like to explore an unrecognisable place that’s so far from me.

What would you consider an unrecognisable character for you?

[A character who is] challenged and haunted in different ways or gifted in different ways. Stories about people and their struggles are ones we find most entertaining. In my opinion, it lets us forget about our own stuff. The more raw of a nerve you can hit, the more interesting it is.

Left Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**, jewelry **Cartier**
Right Cardigan, bracelet & ring **Celine Homme**, jeans & belt **Isabel Marant**, tank **Tom Ford**, necklace **Tom Wood**, sunglasses **Gentle Monster**

What’s something that you have watched recently that hit a nerve with you?

I just watched Anora, Sean Baker’s new film. Mikey Madison was amazing but what I found the most incredible is how accurate it felt. The dialogue felt so researched and natural. It was mind-blowing to me how realistic it felt for it being such a narrative story. I also watched a documentary called, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. It’s about Jim Carrey playing Andy Kaufman in a movie called Man on the Moon. He went deep into method acting in this project, to the point where it was a problem for the people he worked with. He made people call him Andy and it was insane. Respecting the craft that much and trying to honour this character and going that deep is something I found mind-blowing.

Wow, I want to watch that, it sounds really interesting.

You should! You got to!

Outside of acting, what fulfils you the most?

I like spending time with my family and my friends. I love to travel. I’m a big Anthony Bourdain fan, and his philosophy with travel was to never go to the big resort. Go embed yourself in a culture that you've never experienced before and probably never will again. I like travelling to the point where it’s almost uncomfortable and I’m so out of my element. I never regret it afterwards.

What’s the best travel memory you have?

Me and my dad rode motorcycles across Mongolia.

Woah!

Yeah, it was nuts! We slept on the ground every day for a month. We climbed Mongolia’s tallest mountain at the end of it. The development there is so few and far between. There’s this one city that everyone lives in and then some along the way but you could go a day and a half without seeing a town. It kind of felt like being on a different planet. Untouched nature is so bizarre nowadays.

And you live in Calgary?

Calgary and Alberta are on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains so there’s a ton of open space. I live on an acreage with my family. I can’t see my neighbours out my back window. I can just look at the mountains.

Left Jewelry **Cartier**
Right Full **Loro Piana**, jewelry **Cartier**

Speaking of home, I read that you used to do plays in your living room for your parents when you were younger. Can you remember a specific play you thought up?

This comedian, talk show, and radio host named Stuart McLean would get on the radioand have this thing called The Vinyl Cafeand he would just tell stories. They manifested into these monologues. I would make up my own stories in front of my parents and do my own Vinyl Cafe. He passed away a couple of years ago but he had a wonderful cadence and beautiful voice that I would copy. But other than that I was a huge Star Wars fan. I had a lovely backyard in the home I grew up in and when I was seven or eight, I would go back there and pretend to be fighting aliens on Tatooine with a big stick I found. Or I’d be winning the Stanley Cup. That was the birth of my wild imagination—and those plays. Once I got tired of them, I retired to the backyard to entertain myself.

And you live in Calgary?

Calgary and Alberta are on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains so there’s a ton of open space. I live on an acreage with my family. I can’t see my neighbours out my back window. I can just look at the mountains.

Speaking of home, I read that you used to do plays in your living room for your parents when you were younger. Can you remember a specific play you thought up?

This comedian, talk show, and radio host named Stuart McLean would get on the radioand have this thing called The Vinyl Cafeand he would just tell stories. They manifested into these monologues. I would make up my own stories in front of my parents and do my own Vinyl Cafe. He passed away a couple of years ago but he had a wonderful cadence and beautiful voice that I would copy. But other than that I was a huge Star Wars fan. I had a lovely backyard in the home I grew up in and when I was seven or eight, I would go back there and pretend to be fighting aliens on Tatooine with a big stick I found. Or I’d be winning the Stanley Cup. That was the birth of my wild imagination—and those plays. Once I got tired of them, I retired to the backyard to entertain myself.

Interview by Tessa Swantek

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Nausheen Shah

Hair by Candice Birns

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