2022 Rewind: Actors Discuss Making a 'Queer' Connection on 'Legacies'

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The writers of "Legacies," "The Vampire Diaries" spin-off, knew they wanted queer representation on the hit show, but were waiting for the right character to come along. They found it in the character of Jed Tien, played by Ben Levin, who had expressed to a fellow cast member that he was interested in playing an out character to pay homage to several members of his family who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, according to the Observer.

For the fourth season (currently airing), they decided to frame a queer narrative around Jed. Serendipity came in terms of casting when out actor Zane Phillips came to audition. Price Peterson, one of the show's writers, had written special dialogue for the character Phillips was auditioning for, but he soon saw the actor cast differently. After watching hundreds of audition tapes, he told the Observer he "was immediately drawn to Phillips' physicality and ability to take 'very, very silly' dialogue and give it 'this seriousness and this emotional resonance'" with his "almost paranormal level expressive eyes."

"He was just a very buff and square-jawed sort of guy, and let's just say there's not a big pool of people that are good actors who look like that," Peterson told Observer. "We narrowed it down to a smaller group of people, but there was never anyone else at any point. If anything, the biggest debate was, 'Who is our back-up in case Zane says no?' It felt almost supernatural that he came along at the perfect time."

He said they were looking for a "gay, demigod type," Peterson recalled with a smile. "Well, not only is Zane that for sure, but I actually have willed this into existence. I've always said he should be on The CW, so this is perfect."

The character they created for Phillips is Ben, a.k.a. Prometheus, a 5000-year-old demigod who once stole magic from the gods to save his ailing lover, Ashur, according to the Observer. He came on the show on the March 31 episode, "Was This the Monster You Saw?" where he connected Jed and these demigods.

"From the moment they first meet, Jed finds himself drawn to Ben–a personal connection akin to kindred spirits or soulmates that only seems to deepen as they begin to bond over their experiences with toxic father figures in broken homes. In doing so, Phillips told the Observer, Jed and Ben "unlock a new part of [their] own personalities, and it does speak to this soul connection. Of course there is attraction there, and I adore that, but to discover more about yourself through another person, I think that's one of the best things that can happen in a relationship."

When Levin and Phillips first met on the set earlier this year, they "became instant friends," with Levin telling the Observer he noticed Phillips' "very deep, piercing blue eyes" and "how physically imposing he is."

Peterson saying: "He knew the importance of who Zane would be playing, and he knew this would be a romance. I think he really appreciated just getting to know Zane and talking about what he's bringing to the character."

In the episode Jed, after coming to terms with his past, kisses Ben, marking a turning point in their relationship and allowing Jed to reclaim the power that his father once held over him. "You're seeing him with all of his assuredness going for that kiss," Levin explained.

The kiss was also a first for Phillips, who had never kissed another man romantically in a project before. "We had done the wide shot [for that scene] and Trevor [E.S. Juarez], our director for that episode, was like, 'Hey, you guys don't have to do the kiss for this if you want to keep it fresh.' [But Levin] fucking planted it on me regardless, and I think every single take I made a little noise–a little 'uh,'" he recalled with a laugh. "It is this sort of release between these two characters, and I think this relationship in the show is this constant tension and release, because we are seeing these guys both with a lot of trauma, both not having unwrapped themselves in this way ever before."

Phillips see the kiss as one step in defining queer characters on television. "There's still so much room for us to broaden the definition of what queer characters onscreen should look like, and I'm coming at this as a cis[gender] white man who presents a certain way. So hopefully, I'm just a jumping off point when I'm in things," said Phillips, who noted how much this storyline would have meant to his closeted 12-year-old self. "But it does mean a lot to me that I can do these projects and still bring who I am to the table. It's a very powerful sense of freedom, and I think to be able to empower queer creatives is a huge accomplishment."

Levin, who is straight, said he was initially wary of overstepping or portraying a character that could contradict over three seasons of characterization. But when he learned of his character's backstory, Levin felt like the introduction of Ben helped to awaken an existing part of Jed that had laid dormant for years. "Jed listens to Ben's story, and I think that very detailed retelling that we see is kind of what really propels Jed to feel that deep connection," he said. For Jed, "now it's about that sliding scale of sexuality and coming into my own and realizing that that the way I've been behaving was because of that repression and trauma."

Phillips added: "The way our patriarchy works, it doesn't allow men of any sexuality to feel the fullness of who they are. It doesn't allow them to explore feelings, intimate friendships or anything like that. ['Legacies'] does pursue intimate male friendship, and it does pursue this sort of coming out–and the trauma to do with coming out isn't from what people would think. That's why I think it's refreshing."

He continued: "After 5000 years of mourning his dead boyfriend, Ben is now all in on Jed, and there is a very singular focus to this character. And there is this idea of, just because he is now all in on this one man, he still doesn't really know how to work in a team setting. There's still gonna be an element of taking things into his own hands, but now it's like the primary motivation is, he is going to keep the man he loves safe . . . There's an element of, like, is this too good to be true? I think that's what you can expect from Ben–it's a total and fervent devotion to this man who has taken him in, who has given him a home, and who was showing him this new part of himself."

Check out these pics from Levin's and Phillips' IG: