‘The Midnight Club’ Star William Chris Sumpter Anticipated the Series Being Wildly Different
The new Netflix horror series, The Midnight Club, dropped just in time for Spooky Season on Oct. 9. Director Mike Flanagan was inspired by author Christopher Pike’s novel of the same name. Starring horror icon Heather Langenkamp, Samantha Sloyan, and a handful of newcomers, the show follows a group of terminally ill teenagers living at Brightcliffe Hospice. The Midnight Club star William Chris Sumpter plays Chris Spencer (“Spence”) in the series, and he was expecting something wildly different than what Flanagan produced.
[WARNING: This article contains detailed spoilers regarding The Midnight Club and the character Spence.]
Sumpter’s character, Spence, is a teen diagnosed with HIV
Sumpter has quite a meaty role in The Midnight Club as Spence. His backstory involves him contracting the AIDS virus from one of his partners. His mother refuses to accept his lifestyle as a homosexual teen and never visits him at Brightcliffe. Spence’s father makes excuses for her absence, but Spence knows the truth.
Sumpter’s character finds solace in his group of friends at Brightcliffe, along with a male nurse played by Zach Gilford. Spence’s story for the Midnight Club combines science-fiction with a heartfelt message about acceptance, and it eventually gives him the strength to confront his mother. Once he lays his heart on the line, his mother has a change of heart and admits that she loves her son regardless.
‘The Midnight Club’ star Sumpter didn’t expect the series to turn out the way it did
At the 2022 New York Comic Con, Showbiz Cheat Sheet had a chance to sit down with the cast of The Midnight Club, including Sumpter, and discuss the series. Sumpter admitted he was nervous once he got the audition for the role of Spence and was anticipating something completely different than what Flanagan had in mind.
We asked Sumpter what he anticipated for the series, and he replied, “I got this audition, like, peak Euphoria cinema, so I was like, ‘Oh, God, are they going to make me go naked? I’m just an 18-year-old boy, but it wasn’t too scary, I guess, and it wasn’t as raunchy.”
Fellow Midnight Club cast member Aya Furukawa, who plays Natsuki, chimed in, “Even though it’s a teen show, it really focuses so much all at the heart of the relationships. It’s not a dramatized version of what you’re going through. It’s honest and dedicated. And yeah, there’s no glorification of anything.”
Sumpter says he and Gilford became close during ‘The Midnight Club’
Sumpter’s character stars in several scenes with Flanagan-favorite, Gilford, and he raved about his time with the star on set.
“I spent a lot of time with Zach Gilford, and he just honestly became like my best friend on set,” Sumpter said. “In one episode, I cut my finger, and he stitches me up. And I remember that day I actually was bawling. I was so sad. And Mike was like, ‘Make him laugh,’ to Zach. And Zach just actually made me laugh. He’s telling these jokes about Armando. So, yeah, that was a plus.”
Check out all 10 episodes of The Midnight Club, streaming exclusively on Netflix.
