Graeme Thomas King Talks Being the Shady Brit of ‘PLL: The Perfectionists’ (VIDEO)
Q&A
Come on, if they’re in the world of Pretty Little Liars and they have an accent, they are not to be trusted. Wren (Julian Morris) was totally shady. Spencer’s twin, Alex Drake (Troian Bellisario)? A monster.
So when we first met The Perfectionists‘ Jeremy Beckett (Graeme Thomas King), our Spidey senses went off. Yeah, the secret beau of Caitlin (Sydney Park) is jacked and clearly capable of doing “cozy morning coffee” action. But with that Downton Abbey sound coming out of his pretty little Eddie Redmayne face, he’s gotta be hiding something, right?
Turns out, Jeremy and his portrayer are good at keeping secrets, because no matter how we grilled the guy about tonight’s big reveal/tease, he gave us nothing!
Congratulations, you are now the latest in the line of British shady guys in the PLL universe.
Graeme Thomas King: I think I’ve been in that line since I started, since we did the pilot! As soon as they heard my accent, before anyone even knew there was a murder. They just said, “Oh the English guy did it.” Whatever it was. [Laughs] I’ve been told continuously that you cannot and should not trust the Brits. Which is a new concept for me, because I happen to think we’re very trustworthy.
Well let’s talk about this guy. Because it has been a slow burn. I mean, they wasted no time getting you undressed but they’ve taken a long time letting us know what is going on underneath the surface.
I know. That’s a good point. Maybe they’re just drawing the audience into a false sense of security by getting me undressed. “Oh, he’s a nice guy!”
But tonight, things definitely change in a single scene. How much of Jeremy’s secret have you been told?
You know what, I didn’t get told that much that night [of filming] but then Marlene [King, PLL‘s creator) came up to me and actually told me a lot of stuff. Since we’d first started, with the whole cast, you know, everyone is very suspicious. So I certainly felt a level of suspicion about Jeremy myself but I didn’t get told anything then, so I kind of had to use my imagination which is quite fun. Eventually, when I was told, it wasn’t too far away from what I had imagined.
Interesting, OK. I’m assuming that because we’re getting pretty close to the end of the first season, more is going to be revealed about this guy?
Oh, yeah a hundred percent. A lot happens in episodes eight, nine, and ten. It’s a big bang in the last three.
And because of the nature of your secret relationship with Caitlin, you didn’t really get to interact with much of the cast. Have you actually been able to shoot scenes with other people?
Yes, and it’s been so nice. I felt very isolated until the last stages. We all get more incorporated actually. In episode nine, in particular, so you have to watch that because there’s a big [moment]. Jeremy is going from this very isolated character to suddenly being enmeshed with all the other characters. But it certainly doesn’t help me feeling less suspicious about myself.
(Freeform/Kurt Iswarienko)
Had you watched the original PLL?
No I haven’t, so all my information has come from the fans and social media. That’s been interesting. [Laughs] I’m learning like all the time about all these characters and this stuff gets crazier and crazier every time I hear it! So I came into the show with no preconceptions of who everyone was and seeing Mona’s journey, I was like “She’s actually really, really nice. You know, she’s just a normal person.” And then all these people would tell me what she did in the original series and I’m like, “Nah…what? This is crazy!”
Jeremy needs to be careful, though. If you get into anything with Mona [Janel Parrish] she’s going to read you and figure out that you’re hiding something ’cause she’s the master at this.
Yes, it’s true. Yeah well maybe I’m in cahoots with her, you never know. [Laughs]
Hayley Erin as Taylor Hotchkiss, Kelly Rutherford as Claire, Graeme Thomas King as Jeremy, Janel Parrish as Mona, Sasha Pieterse as Alison, Sofia Carson as Ava, Eli Brown as Dylan, and Sydney Park as Caitlin on PLL: The Perfectionists (Freeform/Kurt Iswarienko)
Who in the cast is the one who is always coming up with the theories?
We all kind of band together and have these chats after the table reads. We have a group text and there are constantly theories banding about there. Sydney’s pretty good at the theories. And Janel pretty good herself. She’s been part of them for many years.
Oh yeah, she’s had to keep some of the biggest secrets throughout the run of the shows.
I can’t imagine. I have to as well and I feel for her. I’m certainly keeping my lips sealed.
I know and it’s so frustrating! Since you can’t tell us about what he’s up to, can you at least hint at how fans may feel about this guy at the end of the season?
[Laughs] I think they’ll feel very differently than what they feel now. Unfortunately. So much happens in the next three episodes, it’s going to change how people feel for him. But then I’ll continue to sort of root for him! I mean, I still like him. [Laughs]
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, Wednesdays, 8/7c, Freeform
