“I feel like I have acted most of my life,” Canadian actor Khobe Clarke begins. “My dad exposed me to a lot of stories. Stories in books, stories on screen, stories in songs, stories of his own.” Fast forward, and now he’s the one bringing stories to life. After breaking out in the survival-horror-meets-coming-of-age phenomenon Yellowjackets and appearing in Netflix’s smash hit Firefly Lane, Clarke is stepping into what could be his most significant role yet: reimagining Scott in Amazon Prime Video’s reboot of the 1999 cult classic Cruel Intentions.

“It is as scary as it is exciting to remake something that already resonates with so many,” he shares, reflecting on the experience. “On one hand, you want to honour what has already been done, but on the other, you want to bring original elements to it that new and old fans will appreciate.”

As the series lands on screens today, Wonderland sat down with Clarke to dive into his creative journey—falling in love with acting as a child in an after-school programme held in the basement of a synagogue, being shaped by industry greats, and what’s next for this rising star. Keep scrolling…

Hi Khobe! Thanks so much for chatting with us. How are you today? What have you been up to?
Hi! The pleasure is all mine. Recently I have been living at home with my family in Calgary, Alberta. I just got back from backpacking through Japan with my childhood best friend. I think Tokyo might be the greatest city on the planet.

Before we dive into your new project, let’s go back to the beginning. Tell us a bit about your upbringing and what sparked your interest in acting in the first place.
I feel like I have acted most of my life. My dad exposed me to a lot of stories. Stories in books, stories on screen, stories in songs, stories of his own. I loved Star Wars, Indiana Jones, James Bond, Tarantino and Scorsese films. I was a very insecure kid; I would put myself into the place of these heroes as a way of feeling a sort of comfortable escape. When I was probably 4 or 5, I would put on improvised one act plays for my parents in the living room. There was this Synagogue up the street in the neighbourhood I grew up in that held acting classes in the basement at night. Probably tired of my chaotic performances, my mom signed me up for their afterschool program to help funnel my creative energy into something I could learn from. From there I did plays and musicals at the schools I grew up going to. It was not fancy but whatever size role or project; I always found the most freedom in myself playing someone else.

Do you remember some of your early influences in the industry? What made you fall in love with the craft?
So many. Helena Bonham Carter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jim Carrey, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Sam Rockwell. When I was thirteen, I watched Whiplash for the first time. As soon as the credits began to roll, I rewinded and watched it again back-to-back in one sitting. I remember being absolutely blown away by not only the incredible performances but also the story in general. It was and still is a perfect story to me. I remain so inspired by that movie.

Congratulations on Cruel Intentions! Tell us a bit about the project and what excites you most about this new chapter.
Thank you! Cruel Intentions is about this ensemble of selfish ego maniacs manipulating one another to get what they believe they are entitled to. I feel so lucky to be a part of such an amazing, talented group of creatives. I am super excited to see what the world thinks of this project and all its twists and turns.

Were you a fan of the movie before landing this role? Do you remember your first reactions to the story when you watched it?
To the chagrin of many of my friends and family, I had never even heard of the movie before my first audition. I can understand its cult following. It’s gritty, sexy and pushed the limits for the time.

What excites you most about the idea of remaking such an iconic movie? How did you prepare for this character?
It is as scary as it is exciting to remake something that already resonates with so many. On one hand, you want to honour what has already been done, but on the other you want to bring original elements to it that new and old fans will appreciate. I think it was fun already having such a solid foundation to work vertically with. I have a few buddies in fraternities so I would make a note of the various shenanigans I saw take place in their almost dystopian feeling house. Scott also plays lacrosse so I asked the props department for an extra ball and stick so I could cradle it somewhat believably on screen. Other than that, I just read the scripts, learned my lines and objectives, and trusted our intuition on the day.

Walk us through your character’s arc. What fascinates you most about him, and what were the biggest challenges in this role?
Scott is a charming, intellectually questionable, sexually confused son of a congressman. He is sheltered, kind and for the most part unscathed by most of life’s adversities. Scott puts a blind love and trust in anybody he meets, even if it ends up hurting him. Phoebe Fisher and Sarah Goodman did a fantastic job at writing his dialogue. What makes Scott funny on paper is that he isn’t in on the joke. A lot of punchlines come from him having completely zero idea what is going on. This was a challenge because for that kind of joke to work, Scott cannot think he’s being funny. Which means I cannot think he’s being funny. So, delivering the dumbest answers to very simple questions with complete sincerity was certainly a practice.

How was your time on set? Do you have any favourite memories from that experience?
There was never a dull moment. I would be counting my days off until I got to go back to work. The cast and crew felt like family and the soundstages felt like home. It was simply this collective of wonderful and talented people. A highlight is when we shot in the Shangri-La hotel in Toronto. The scene in question called for Scott to be naked. I got to run around a presidential suite and through the halls in the nicest hotel I have ever seen au naturel. There was something so scary yet so freeing about it and it’s the only way I get away with it without ending up in handcuffs. One of the beauties of this job.

You had your industry breakout with Yellowjackets, followed by Firefly Lane and now Cruel Intentions. How do you reflect on your artistic growth since you started? What’s changed most for you?
Yellowjackets was my first ever film and tv job. It made it feel like my dream might be possible. I was nervous as hell and didn’t know anything, I mean anything. Everyone was so patient and supportive of me. There is nothing like that first phone call with your agent telling you that you have an acting job. Firefly Lane was kind of a sophomore experience. I had a bigger part, with an arc and involvement with the main characters. My scene partners Roan Curtis, Ali Skovbye and Kira Leroux were all my age but had all been in the film and tv game much longer than I had. I remember just watching what they did every day and the closer I could replicate them the better I felt. I have learned so much since then, I look back and laugh at my naivety. I hope to look back at today in three years and think the exact same thing.

Looking ahead, what’s next for you? And what excites you most about the future?
I am looking forward to fishing with my dad, walking my dogs with my mom and drinking beer with my friends. I want to travel more and then get back to work! Thank you!

Cruel Intentions is now available on Amazon Prime Video.