Actor Gavin Lewis is Netflix’s newest star- and newest prince! His show, “Prince of Peoria”, premiered on Netflix this month. Gavin plays Emil, a prince who goes undercover to live life as a normal kid. And when real life meets royalty, things don’t go according to plan. Gavin spoke with us about his new comedy series and what it’s like to play a character from royalty!
Young Entertainment Mag: Your new show “Prince of Peoria” premiered this month on Netflix! Tell us about the show.
Gavin Lewis: In “Prince of Peoria,” my character Prince Emil wants to leave his country of Buronia and go to America to make a best friend. His father, the king, grants him this wish for his 13th birthday gift. He heads to Peoria, Illinois incognito as a foreign exchange student. Emil is thrilled to be staying in America with thirteen-year-old Teddy, and can’t wait to make him his new best friend. It turns out, however, that they are complete opposites in every way. But, through some pretty crazy adventures they come to learn how the things that make them different also make them great friends.
YEM: Your characters is a prince! Was it cool to play a royal character? How did you prepare for the role of Prince Emil?
Gavin: It was a lot of fun to play a royal character. Emil has a ton of cool outfits, and who doesn’t love wearing a crown? I also liked that he hails from an imaginary country. I got to spend some time working through a few different dialects and figuring out how someone from Buronia would speak and act. I actually spent a little time studying the royal family of England. Emil is definitely a bit more wacky than most royalty, but I felt he would still have learned how a Prince is expected to act around his subjects. So, it was helpful to study the royal family and some of their gestures and mannerisms.
Joanna DeGeneres
YEM: Are there any similarities between you and your character? Do you have anything in common with Emil?
Gavin: I think my character and I have a lot of similarities. We are both optimistic and look for the good in people. Neither of us takes anything too seriously and we both live in the moment. Emil is probably a bit more extroverted than I am though, he does some things even I might be a little uncomfortable doing in public.
YEM: Your character travels to America incognito. If you could travel anywhere incognito, where would you like to go?
Gavin: I think it would be awesome to go incognito and be able to explore Area 51. I’d like to know what’s really going on there. Maybe see a few aliens and check out a spaceship.
YEM: Emil says he wants to make friends like other kids his age, and strikes up an unlikely friendship with Teddy. How did you create that best friend chemistry with your co-star, Theodore Barnes?
Gavin: Theo and I actually became friends in real life right away. Unlike our characters, we have a lot in common and have a great time hanging out on and off set. We had so much fun acting together and using our character’s differences to create a great on-screen friendship as well.
Netflix
YEM: Finally, if you could guest star in any other Netflix show, what would it be and why?
Gavin: I would pick Daredevil. I am a big fan of the super hero genre and it would be very cool to be part of an action show. I love fight choreography and stunts. And the acting on Daredevil is great! Vincent D’Onofrio is so talented and such an amazing villain. I would love to work with him.
