Warning: Spoilers for Under The Bridge!

Summary

• Under The Bridge is a true crime miniseries based on the tragic 1997 murder of Reena Virk in British Columbia.
• The show explores the violence and rage simmering in the youth involved, delving into their backstories and circumstances.
• Cast members reflect on their experiences working on the show and the importance of treating others with kindness.

Hulu's Under The Bridge is a true crime miniseries that takes place in British Columbia and follows the tragic 1997 murder of Reena Virk, whom fellow teenagers murdered after an aggressive bout of bullying. Showrunners Quinn Shephard and Samir Mehta based their adaptation on Rebecca Godfrey's book of the same name but also took inspiration from Manjit Virk's memoir about his daughter.

While Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone lead the Under The Bridge cast, spearheading the murder investigation as the book's author and a cop respectively, several teenagers make up the ensemble. Vritika Gupta plays Reena herself, while Chloe Guidry plays her tormented Josephine and Euphoria's Javon "Wanna" Walton plays Warren, one of the teens directly responsible for her death. The violence and rage that simmers within the show's youth is terrifying to witness, but the story takes care to explore their backstories and circumstances as well.

Screen Rant interviewed Guidry and Walton about how they stepped into their Under The Bridge characters, what they learned from working with Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough, and why they think true crime stories are so fascinating to audiences.

Understanding The Real Life People In Under The Bridge

Screen Rant: What was it that really stood out to you about Under The Bridge, Chloe?

Chloe Guidry: I've always gravitated towards deep roles, and when I read this, it was very deep and very real. It was vulnerable for Rebecca to even write this, and I feel like that really showed through the characters. People go through a lot and everyone has their past experiences, so I feel like this script definitely portrayed that. The reason why we treat people the way we do was what really stood out to me.

Javon, outside of the tragic events that kick off Under The Bridge, how would you describe Warren? What do you think was really driving him?

Javon Walton: Warren did an awful thing, but I really believe in his heart of hearts, he's a charming guy and has definitely got a nicer side to him. He comes from a very troubled background, and I think that played a big effect on him that night. He was also not in a great state of mind. He was drunk, but at the same time, there's no taking away what he did. He did an awful thing.

Learning From Riley Keough & Lily Gladstone’s Performances

You both get to spend some quality time with Riley Keough as Rebecca. Can you talk about that experience, and maybe what you took away from working with her as actors?

Chloe Guidry: It was an honor to work with her. I've looked up to her for so long, but she was honestly just such a genuine and kind person to work with. Chemistry is really important, and I felt like we really had that. I know Javon did too.

Javon Walton: Working with her was great. She was very good people to be around. She was super cool, and I'm glad I got to work with cast members who were kind and also great actors on camera.

Warren and Rebecca especially have this surprisingly deep bond that they develop. Can you talk about from his perspective, what he sees in her, and why he is drawn to her?

Javon Walton: Yeah. I think they definitely have a brother-sister kind of relationship. I feel like he needed her as much as she needed him, and I felt like their dynamic was really, really good on camera, and I'm very excited for people to be able to see that. But Rebecca has a brother who ended up dying pretty early on, and I think she sees her brother [in] Warren.

Do you each have a memory from set of either your most challenging scene or one that you were proudest of?

Javon Walton: Yeah, I don't think I could speak too much on the scene, but there's this one scene I had with Riley where we were rolling for a solid 20 minutes. We kept the scene rolling to get that one take that I wanted because I didn't want to stop until I got that exact moment. I was like, "I need to hit this moment right here," so we just kept that rolling, and that was pretty emotionally draining for me. But it was fun and it was super, super worth it.

Chloe Guidry: For me, it was with Lily in the end. You find that connection, and sometimes it just clicks, and you really feed off of each other and each other's chemistry. Honestly, I feel like it's so important, as I said. That was a moment that really, really hit.

Under The Bridge’s Teens Have Their Own Desires & Romances

Chloe, I am obsessed with Josephine's John Gotti obsession. It's such a fascinating detail. How do you think that shapes her behavior and her outlook? And did you know who John Gotti was?

Chloe Guidry: I did! Me and my dad watched a lot of documentaries about it, actually. But for Josephine, it was definitely more of an idol that she could look up to. Not a good idol at all, but she didn't really have a figure to look up to that was a good example. She lived in foster care. She didn't have that great of a past, so it became an escape from reality for her, and I feel like it was a fascination. It wasn't real, but it became someone she could look up to get her out of the place that she was in.

Javon, we don't get to see much of Warren's romance with Samara, but it's one of the sweetest throughlines of the series. Can you talk about working with Isabella Leon and playing that side of him?

Javon Walton: Oh, working with her was awesome. I felt like she really helped me with the chemistry part, and that was super important for both of us. But they have such a sweet love story in the show, and I wish people got to see more of it. But they're high school sweethearts, they immediately felt a click, and they stayed together pretty strong. Yeah, their little dynamic is awesome.

It's so interesting how Josephine and Kelly are bonded at the hip, but then you have the way that she treats Dusty and the way that she treats Reena. Can you talk about what Josephine sees as her position in this crew?

Chloe Guidry: Yeah. She obviously wanted to be the top dog in everything that she did. She wanted to be in control of everything because she could not be in control of everything

I feel like Dusty and Reena definitely showed that they had the potential to take over, and she treated them the way that she did because she didn't want that to happen. She wanted to put on a front that she was this big mean person, but in reality, she was crumbling.

The Biggest Takeaways From Under The Bridge & True Crime Stories

What would you say is one of the biggest lessons that you learned on this set that you'll take with you on your next project?

Javon Walton: As far as lessons, this TV show was just a learning experience. Every project you have, you get to learn from, and it's just another building block in your career. So, this was a great stepping stone and I'm looking forward to my next projects in the future.

Chloe Guidry: Yeah, I feel like this was one of the [biggest] growing experiences that I've ever had. I mean, it was an amazing opportunity to be on this, but for me, it was more about awareness. For others, the takeaway is how you treat people and how kindness means everything.

What is it that you think draws people to these kinds of stories and how can they be used to better our society?

Chloe Guidry: For me, I feel like it really sits with people, honestly. We do things that we shouldn't do sometimes, and I feel like it creates an understanding of why we might do those things, and an awareness of how we treat each other is really important to me. I feel like especially now, your actions and words really do have a deeper meaning. Even if you don't mean them in the way that they come out, they have a meaning that affects people in real life.

About Under The Bridge

Under the Bridge is based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey’s book about the 1997 true story of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and a local police officer (Lily Gladstone), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder — revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer.

Check out our other Under The Bridge interviews with:

• Lily Gladstone & Riley Keough
• Quinn Shephard & Samir Mehta
• Vritika Gupta & Aiyana Goodfellow

The first 3 episodes of Under The Bridge are now available to stream on Hulu, with new episodes airing every Wednesday.

Source: Screen Rant Plus