Gossip Girl's Eli Brown, Whitney Peak, And Jordan Alexander Dish On Their Characters' Love Triangle And What Sets The Reboot Apart From The Original - Exclusive Interview
The original "Gossip Girl" series took millennials by storm in the early 2000s, and now Gen Z is set to get the same glamorous treatment with the reboot series. With an updated Gen Z vibe (and some Upper East Sider self-reflection), the show features "Sacred Lies" star Jordan Alexander (Julien Calloway), "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists" alum Eli Brown (Obie Bergmann IV), and former "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" star Whitney Peak (Zoya Lott).
Amid the characters' privilege, drug use, cheating, and drama, original "Gossip Girl" fans ate up the love triangle between Nate, Serena, and Blair. Now, the reboot is giving fans a fresh spin on the patented Upper East Side love triangle concept during the HBO Max show — while Gossip Girl narrates their sordid affairs. Spicy, right?
During an exclusive interview, Looper spoke to Whitney Peak, Eli Brown, and Jordan Alexander about the pressures of rebooting the beloved "Gossip Girl" franchise, that juicy love triangle, and what surprising political figure the cast would love to see on the series.
Not another teen love triangle
We had a major love triangle in the original series with Blair, Nate, and Serena. It seems like Julien, Zoya, and Obie might be headed in a similar direction. How do you think your characters are similar or different to the original in the love department?
Whitney Peak: Wow. I feel like there's definitely a triangle. I don't know. Julien [or] Jordan, you might have to take this one.
Jordan Alexander: I feel like it's similar pretty much only in the sense that there is a triangle. I feel like the dynamics between the characters and how these types of things happen [are] very different. Obviously, Serena had been Blair's best friend for her whole life. Then all of a sudden, you insert yourself. Whereas [with] the Zoya situation, she is a stranger. Even though they do have this familial bond, familial bonds are made by proximity. She is essentially a stranger. I feel like it hits a little bit differently.
Jordan Alexander, Whitney Peak, and Eli James on the pressure of rebooting Gossip Girl
How much, if any, pressure have you felt to either meet or subvert expectations from the original show, and what do you think is exciting about this show that wasn't really done in the original?
Jordan Alexander: I am excited to create a safer space on-screen in terms of what's being said and what's being shown. Then I'm excited to bring back all the drama and the fashion and the escapism because that is a really valuable resource for people. We all need that little moment of just kind of [turning] your brain off.
Whitney Peak: I think it's also nice because I think in the beginning, I did feel a bit [of] overwhelming pressure to live up to the expectation of the original and the influence that it had on the world. Then when you read the script and then you're on set, and you're filming the episode, it's just so different from what the original was, that you're just bringing a whole new thing to the table with respect to the original and kind of just throwing in little sprinkles of what it was which I think is like you said, comfortable for the—
Eli James: I think when the show comes out, and people watch it, I think that they will realize that there's really no reason to make comparisons at all. It's a different show with the same name.
Whitney Peak: Exactly.
The new cast of Gossip Girl's cameo wish list
The original also had some major guest stars in terms of celebrities and musicians. Is there anyone like that you'd love to work with on the reboot?
Jordan Alexander: I had a day on set where I was like, "I feel like Hilary Duff should come back." I was teaching Zion about Stuff by Duff, which is Hilary Duff's brand, and she was laughing about it. I don't know, that would be fun.
Eli and Whitney, do you have anyone you'd love to see on the show?
Whitney Peak: I just want to see the most unexpected... I don't know who that would be, but just the farthest from the "Gossip Girl" universe. I would think it would be so funny if Kamala Harris was on the show. I think it'd be so hilarious if we just brought in Kamala Harris just to say what's up. I think that'd be so funny.
Jordan: I love that, actually.
Eli Brown: That's really great.
Jordan Alexander: That's really fire. Somebody pick that up.
Fans can tune into the "Gossip Girl" reboot beginning July 8 on HBO Max. If you need to catch up on the original show, the entire series is currently available for streaming on the platform.