Fans may be ready to jump into the love story of Calliope Burns and Juliette Fairmont when “First Kill” hits Netflix this week, but series star Sarah Catherine Hook is admittedly nervous about entering the world of shippers. Don’t worry though, it’s the good kind of nervous.
Based on series creator V.E. Schwab’s short story of the same name, “First Kill” is like a reimagined “Romeo and Juliet.” Calliope (Imani Lewis) — who prefers just Cal — comes from a family of monster hunters, while Juliette (Hook) comes from a family of, well, monsters. Juliette and her family are vampires, but inevitably, she falls for Cal, and the feeling is very, very mutual.
The pairing has been dubbed “Calliette” on social media, and fans are already obsessed with them. And yes, Sarah Catherine Hook has seem some of those fan edits.
“We already, yeah, it’s kind of insane! People are already shipping us together and like making Caliette posts and stuff,” Hook told TheWrap. “It’s so weird, I feel like I’m always a little bit skeptical. I’m kind of like, ‘Well, I don’t need to think so big just yet. Like, we really don’t know.’ But I think based on how people have already responded, I don’t think I’m ready for what is to come. So I just hope that it’s mostly positive. You know, I’m sure people will be mean, whatever. But I’m like so, so excited. Honestly, and I’ve been saying this a lot, but I’m just really excited for people to have them. Have this couple, and see themselves in these characters. It’s just really special, and it’s so special to be a part of.”
Of course, Hook credits a lot of the magic of Caliette to being so comfortable with her counterpart, Imani Lewis. The two were in constant communication on set, and Hook says they were very attuned to what the other needed. You can watch Sarah Catherine Hook’s full comments in the video above.
“From the beginning, she and I were super open with each other with our communication, especially about the more intimate scenes,” Hook explained. “So we just — it was really nice working with her because I felt like we really had each other’s backs the whole time, making sure that each other were very comfortable with whatever we’re doing. And if we weren’t, then it’s not happening, you know? That sort of thing.”
Hook recalls a handful of moments where Lewis even intervened on her behalf.
“There were a few moments where I maybe wasn’t able to speak up for myself, and Imani totally just kind of like stepped in for me,” she added. “I don’t know, she really helped me break out of my shell as far as confrontation goes, so that was really helpful and inspiring. And it’s cool to have a partner who cares that much.”
The 23 Best Vampire Movies of All Time