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Spoilers below forChilling Adventures of Sabrinapart two.
There are few TV characters as immediately beguiling as Ambrose Spellman on NetflixsChilling Adventures of Sabrina.
But nothing so trite as mysterious distinguishes Ambrose from the slate of delightful personalities that romp across Greendale.
Ambrose doesnt conjure so much as emit from every sly movement, every lolling turn of phrase.
Apparently it was super, super close.
And then he was like, Im going to keep this kid in mind.
So its mad, its mad.
Can you tell me about thatRiverdaleaudition tape?It was the initial narration whenRiverdaleopens up in the pilot.
Its a moody, film noir narration on the kind of town Riverdale is and the people in it.
When I watched the pilot, I was like, Ah, I kind of know this!
There were no words for it!
David Rappaport, the casting director, sent me a text with all-caps saying.
And then my managers called me and said, Youve been here for, like, ten minutes!
I called my mother and she was like, What?
And then she pulled over and I heard [mimics retching noises].
She was so overcome with emotion she had to pull over because she was heaving.
Thats sweet, in a weird way.Yeah, it was a beautiful moment!
One of my favorite moments Ive ever had.
We were both crying together on the phone like idiots.
And the second thing was, I want to be onBarney.
I was about 17 when I figured, This could be a legit thing.
Its not just school plays or theater groups anymore.
Theres this theater in Southampton called the Mayflower Theater.
As I was doing my law degree, I was doing a show in London.
I was like, Thats it!
After the show, I heardnothing.
It was radio silence for a year and a half.
But I didnt let it deter me.
They kind of specialize in young, black British actors.
As soon as I accepted their philosophy, I was getting role after role, and thenSabrina.
It felt like a long process, but then suddenly when it came, it really came.
Im glad it came because I really love your performance as Ambrose.
The people whove suffered the consequences of her actions [are] her aunties and Ambrose.
Theyve been taking the brunt of whatever shes caused, imposing her will or justice on others.
And that has consequences.
To me, it speaks to a loneliness within the character.
He always seeks a powerful father figure.
He looks for powerful figures because he doesnt necessarily feel powerful himself.
Hes always battling his past, and that manifests in an icky way.
Especially now that hes on probation from being under house arrest.
How can he move on and become a functioning member of the witch society?
You see his past coming into the fray.
You see the kind of torture in his eyes.
At the end of episode four, were told that Ambroses boyfriend Luke has died offscreen.
Im not even sure I believe it, to be honest.
Father Blackwood lies like everybody else breathes air.He breathes lies!
But still, were they any conversations on set about theBury Your Gays trope?
Or does it play out in a way that subverts the usual trope?It will definitely subvert expectations.
Id definitely like him to be able to use his necromancy as well.
Those are two key things.
I mean, we have a graveyard on the mortuary premises!
Lets talk about Ambroses style before you go.
Every character really has a distinct sense of fashion that reflects who they are.
Thats one of his key elements, right?
Its his quiet rebellion.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
