Having established himself as the new face of one of the most iconic book characters from Jonathan Stroud’s worldwide best-selling supernatural book series ‘Lockwood & Co.’, Cameron Chapman is currently under the spotlight for his brilliant portrayal of ‘Anthony Lockwood’ in Netflix’s recent offering. 

The live action adaptation of the book going by the same name took no time taking the number one spot on the streaming platform mere moments after its launch. The series which is still garnering a sensational response from around the world and is trending in several countries stars Cameron Chapman, Ali Hadji-Heshmati and Ruby Stokes as Anthony Lockwood, George Karim and Lucy Carlyle respectively. 

Chapman who was offered the role when he was still in his final year of college has without a doubt showcased his absolutely impeccable acting skills through his surreal portrayal of the cunning, enigmatic protagonist. Cameron plays the role of ‘Anthony Lockwood’; an 18-year-old boy possessing the ability of exceptional psychic sight who is also the founder of a supernatural, psychic detective agency. 

We recently had the wickedly talented Cameron Chapman join us in order to discuss all things “Lockwood & Co.”.

Hi there, Cameron. Thank you for joining us on ReVamp! How are you doing? How’s 2023 going for you so far?

Cameron: Thank you for having me! I’m well, thank you! 2023 has treated me pretty well so far!

Firstly, massive congratulations on your involvement in Netflix’s recent offering “Lockwood & Co.” Your portrayal has been absolutely brilliant. I obviously have to begin the interview by asking if you were a fan of the wonderful Jonathan Stroud’s work before you were casted as Anthony Lockwood? How did you perceive the worldbuilding and characters as when you first dived into this supernatural world?

Cameron: Thank you very much, very kind of you to say. I was aware of the books but didn’t get to read them until I was auditioning for the role, I fell in love with Jonathan’s characters, the world and was scribbling notes and drawings all over the pages. I had to get more copies because mine looked like a 4 year old’s homework!

I’d love to know what your overall creative process was like before finally getting to portray Anthony on screen. Did you have any scene studies/discussion with Jonathan Stroud himself? What was your primary source of research when it came to learning more about this character?

Cameron: We were really fortunate to have a period of time before shooting, dedicated to rehearsals (stunts & script work). Jonathan was very supportive, as were the production team, we were given space to ask questions, provided glossaries for the world’s terminology and of course scripts/the books to pull from. It was an exciting challenge to step into this unique world, aside from working on the script, I watched ghost documentaries, read ghost folk tales and studied the Victorian photography that Joe Cornish often used as a reference.

Anthony definitely possesses an enigmatic personality which sets him apart and establishes that sense of intrigue towards him in both the characters within the show as well as the viewers. I’d love to know what your personal perception of Anthony was when you first started reading the books/script?

Cameron: He’s a dream of a character to play, that much was clear as soon as I read the first few scenes in the script. Whilst you have all this amazing support in prep, you have to find the character for yourself, otherwise the character will never translate on screen as a recognizable, layered human. I remember imagining the character through certain scenes in the script, and what I thought he needed to bring in those scenes, being able to find that with the help of others was a joy.

What was it really that drew you closer to this project? Would you say there was any kind of similarity that you found between Anthony’s personality trait as well as your own real self?

Cameron: Lockwood has a love and care for those close to him, which resonated with me. I think you have to find parallels to assimilate yourself and the character, but the negative aspects of character need to be left on set, luckily I think I found that balance pretty easy, he’s a bit more interested in the public side of his work than I am! He’s very physical, his body language and movement style was an amazing challenge, I worked with Jen White (a movement coach) on how he walks, sits, fights, even how he sips his tea haha! Having loved sport all my life, it was a nice way to settle into his character.

Even though Anthony Lockwood is a youth, his manner of conducting himself is quite mature and embodies an extremely calculating mindset. I’m very curious to know how you prepared for your role in terms of his conversational and behavioral patterns. Did you seek out any real life/fictional examples as a source of inspiration?

Cameron: I try to avoid character inspiration from other people’s performances, because you can’t imitate or replicate others’ work, as much as I’d love to! That being said, Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock and Richard E Grant in Withnail and I were performances that I felt I could look to for the actors’ brilliant use of language and speech patterns. I feel I’m a little older soul than my years, not sure why, and I find it difficult to fein youthful energy, so Lockwood was a perfect match I guess!

Your character has an extremely strong bond with the other two members of the agency (Lucy Carlyle and George Karim). I wonder what was your relationship like with Ruby and Ali offset? Any memorable experience you’d like to share?

Cameron: They’re both wonderful. Such talented, selfless actors, which I think is super rare, it was a dynamic I’ll treasure and really enjoyed translating to the trio’s scenes. We have so many great memories, Ruby got us both a very thoughtful wrap gift, which she spent hours and hours making, which was a printed photobook from shooting. I have it on my bookshelf in my bedroom, it’s very special to me.

I have asked Ali this question as well and feel like I have to ask you now that the show’s almost here. How are you currently feeling within this anticipation period, Cameron? Feeling nervous or excited now that the show’s on the verge of premiering? What sort of response do you aim on taking away from the viewers of the show?

Cameron: We’re all very excited to share it with audiences, it’s been two years’ almost of our lives, so hopefully people can immerse themselves and take a great deal of enjoyment, chills and companionship from the characters and the show.

Lastly, is there any message you’d like to convey to your fans reading this interview currently?

Cameron: Thank you for reading! If you do have a cold, rainy weekend to spare, come join us at Lockwood and Co. On Netflix! Recommend tea and biscuits for ultimate viewing pleasure…

Lockwood & Co. is available on Netflix globally.