Luke James Is Scarily Relatable In ‘Them: The Scare’
In a promotional image for Prime Studios’ Them: The Scare shared on Instagram, star Luke James glares with a textured red thread wrapped around his high-top afro, face, and neck. His eyes stare unforgivingly through a pair of vintage silver frames. The red-hued photo introduces his character Edmund Gaines, a complicated man who dually navigates his quest to fame as an actor and the personal journey of belonging.
In reality, the multihyphenate is charming, poised, and excited for audiences to be captivated by the vivid storytelling in the anthology series. On set at VIBE’s music studio in Los Angeles, the New Orleans native is in a familiar space. His career began in the R&B spaces, first as a member of a group before branching off on his own.
Recent years have proved James’ vocal range has matched his acting chops with roles in The New Edition Story, Insecure, Star, Little, The Chi, and more. Now, the seasoned thespian is all smiles as he makes his horror debut.
“I was a fan of the first season. When the opportunity came of course, as a fan and an actor and a struggling, aspiring actor [laughs], I was geeked to be a part of it,” he detailed. “I think it’s top-tier television and also it’s beautifully done. It’s a crazy, amazing horror that’s just grounded. I think it’s definitely expanded. I’m eager to see what people and how people feel about this season. It’s definitely weighted in all the ways that shook people the first time, but different, very different. I’m elated to be a part of it, for sure.”
Them: The Scare premiered on Prime on Thursday (April 25). For its second season, the Little Marvin-created series returns to Los Angeles, this time in the 1990s. The first installment explored the story of a family who moved to Compton, Calif. in the 1950s only to be haunted by their new hometown.
Alongside James, the series stars Pam Grier, Deborah Ayorinde, Joshua J. Williams, Charles Brice, Carlito Olivero, Wayne Knight, Jeremy Bobb, and Iman Shumpert. This season’s new story centers on LAPD Homicide Detective DAWN REEVE who is assigned to a new case: the gruesome murder of a foster home mother that has left even the most hardened detectives shaken.
“The experience working on Them: The Scare was more than I could imagine and comfortable…more than I can even ask for,” said James. “I mean, it was the safest space ever. To do something I’ve never done before, to really dive into the unknown can be quite scary. But Little Marvin created such a space for me to dive deep and unapologetically.”
With eight episodes total, the bingeable thriller is a co-production of Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios. Series creator Little Marvin serves as showrunner and executive producer with Miri Yoon and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment, and Steve Prinz.
For James, Them: The Scare furthers his acting career, allowing him to present a new character that viewers may find more common ground with than expected.
VIBE: With this being a horror series, did you prepare for this role any different than you prepared for any roles in your career in the past?
Luke James: Preparing for it was not much different than anything I’ve done before. It is all the same tools, the work, the words on the page, who is this person, and just diving into who I think they are and who the creator, Little Marvin thinks he is. It wasn’t that much different. It’s definitely the wildest ride I’ve ever been on. Definitely more challenging than anything I’ve experienced. But the same tools, just doing the work, [and] telling the truth.
Do you think there are any similarities between you and Edmund and him being a character and you in real life?
Yeah. I think there’s definitely similarities between me and Edmund. I am an aspiring, struggling actor. I am a big dreamer. I’m a loner. I have a wild imagination. I long to be loved and feel loved in a space in this world. And I long to be seen just as much. So it definitely resonates with me in every aspect that I would say. And the idea of living this life, living in the world, and never to hear someone say, ‘I love you.’ And never to know where you come from and identity, have such an identity crisis. I mean, that scares me. So that really resonated with me just in telling his story.
What part of his story do you think the audience will be able to relate to most?
I think the audience will relate to his story in totality. I think the rage within him, I think it’s not unwarranted. I think as you take the journey for this season, Them: The Scare, you’re on the journey. You understand why he’s where he is, and why he feels the way he feels, and how such a person can fall so low and screaming for help in that sense.
What do you think is the biggest lesson, message, or theme that the audience should be taking away after being scared?
Well, I think the biggest thing people should be taking away after being thrilled and scared [is] this series, this season is more about memories, identity, the known and unknown history, family history that in some ways sometimes can haunt us. And how these things can be embedded inside of us and they’ll show themselves in surprising ways that you didn’t know, [and] how family trauma can be passed on. I think in totality, I think that’s what this would be about.
How do you manage to stay both balanced and inspired creatively with such dynamic talent and being able to excel in different arenas?
Well, you know how I’m able to do this is because I’m a big kid. I’m living the dream. I’m legit living the dream. I’ve always wanted to be a singer, a musician. I’ve always wanted to be in films and movies and act. I think it was a matter of what type of artist did I want to be. I think as a kid you’re looking at the fame of it all, the glitz and glamour of it all. But then as you get older, you start to ask the question of what type of artist do you want to be? Because you can be all of those things.
And for me, I’m grateful that I’ve been blessed to be a vessel and be a part of things that challenge me, and teach me, and deepen my well of empathy. But if everything feeds each other for me, I’m a kid in a candy store. I’m really grateful I get to do what I truly love to do. I’m not doing anything I don’t love or like and I’m living in that barometer. If I don’t like or love it, I’m not doing it. Life is too short and I refuse to go down that road. I’ve been down that road and it doesn’t make me happy. It doesn’t make me a happy person.
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