Netflix is giving TV fans a surprising present this holiday season in the form of the second season of You, the buzzworthy psychological thriller that hit the platform last year. The series, which originally debuted on Lifetime before being rebranded as a Netflix original, follows Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a serial killer who quickly becomes obsessed with Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), a woman who visits his bookstore. After making his way into Beck’s life (and eventually ending it), Season 2 will see Joe relocating to Los Angeles, and drawing his attention to an aspiring chef named Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti).
Given the new locale, Season 2 is set to introduce a pretty wide array of characters into the world of You, including Calvin (Adwin Brown), a manager at a trendy grocery store where Joe ultimately works. Brown is certainly no stranger to fan-favorite television, with a filmography that includes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Fosters, and the Heathers TV series. While fans will have to wait and see what twists and turns await Calvin and the rest of the characters of You Season 2, it sounds like the journey will definitely be an epic one.
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Ahead of You‘s Season 2 premiere, we talked to Brown via email about what fans can expect. He teased how his character fits into Joe’s twisted world, what he’s most excited to see fans respond to, and what he considers himself to be nerdy about.
Calvin
ComicBook.com: To start things off, I was wondering if you could describe your character on You, and the role he plays within the world of Season 2?
Adwin Brown: I play Calvin, the manager of a trendy upscale grocery store in Los Angeles, who ends up interviewing Joe (played by Penn Badgley) to be a cashier. Initially, Calvin feels Joe isn’t qualified for the job, but the two end up bonding over their similar interests of literature and Calvin end up hiring him to work in the book section. Calvin has a playful sense of humor, and although he has to constantly deal with his overbearing boss, he tries his best to remain a loyal and dedicated employee.
Getting the Role
What was the process of auditioning for Season 2 of You?
When I had my first initial audition, casting was seeing a very wide range of different people. They were seeing men and women for the role, and they were looking for people who had a background in any type of comedy–so they were seeing stand-up comedians, UCB/Groundlings alums, social influencers, etc. Casting was adamant that we didn’t have to be married to any of the words on the page and that we were free to improv and play around with the material, which usually never happens, so I was just excited to have fun. About a week later I ended up getting a callback to audition again in front of the producers/creators of the show and it felt great. They put me on hold by the end of the day, and booked me by the end of the week!
Were you familiar with the fandom and the popularity of You before going into the project? If so, how did that impact your performance?
Yes! I was actually in the middle of watching the show when I got the audition, which is pretty crazy. In my opinion, the best kind of marketing is word of mouth, and everyone was talking about the show…my friends, my Twitter feed, my coworkers. So if anything, the popularity of the show just made me want to book it! I was already a fan.
Surprises
What was the biggest surprise of filming Season 2 of You?
I can’t say too much or Netflix will kill me, but you may see some familiar faces from Season 1 pop up in Season 2.
Without getting into spoilers, is there a scene or sequence in Season 2 that is your favorite?
I’d say for Calvin, there are some really fun moments where he’s trying to teach Joe how to date via apps on your phone! They have a fun rapport together. But looking at the season overall, I’d honestly say my favorite sequences are the scenes actually shot on location around LA. When a lot of people think of Los Angeles, they think of the Walk of Fame or the Hollywood sign…but this show really gives some insight on what it’s like to grow up a native Los Angeleno. It’s definitely a love letter to LA in a way.
What are you most excited to see audiences respond to with Season 2?
I think I’m most excited for the reactions to Joe vs. Candace…I can’t wait to read all of those tweets! That’s about to be an epic showdown.
Geeking Out
What are you nerdy about?
In true millennial fashion, I’m really nerdy about things that make my life easier. And along with that, I also love technology, so I’m really into apps that make your life run smoothly. I have so many apps on my phone and they all range from music, working out, managing stocks, scanning photos, sleep cycles, etc. You can do everything from your phone these days–there’s an app for everything!
What would be your dream role? Is there a certain franchise or character that you’d love to play?
I think it would be dope to be a part of the Marvel Universe at some point in my career! Those movies are so epic. I’m sure it’d be a challenge, but I’d gladly accept it.
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The second season of You debuts on Netflix on December 26th.
