Khylin Rhambo came onto Teen Wolf in season 4 as Mason Hewitt, human best friend to newly bitten werewolf Liam Dunbar. Mason quickly became a fan favorite and now in season 5 is in the know of the supernatural and part of the pack. I got the chance to talk with Khylin about this season of Teen Wolf, binge watching and more! Here’s what he had to say.
You just came onto the show last season and already seem to have a pretty large following. Coming onto the show did you expect Mason to have such an important role?
“It was hinted when I was confirmed for the role. Jeff told me my character would be a part of the main group in time. So I knew it would take a little bit of development. Season 4 I was kind of introduced. Now I’m actually just really thankful that Jeff and the other writers are allowing my character to develop more. In season 5 I’m a lot more involved and the audience seems to be liking him pretty well.”
I’ve seen so much excitement on twitter like when we found out Mason’s last name everyone was just so excited to know a little more about him. What do you want for Mason in the future?
“Honestly, right now I’m really enjoying watching him develop. I’m letting myself be surprised to see what’s going to happen next. I know how Teen Wolf works, the stakes are constantly getting raised higher and higher. Since Mason’s becoming part of the group, I think that something crazy is bound to happen. So I’m mostly just excited to let the surprise factor take over.”
Mason JUST got in the know about all of the Supernatural stuff going on in Beacon Hills and he had a pretty great reaction to it all, do you think you would react the same personally or would you be a little weirded out and hesitant?
“The answer that I want to give you is that I’d be totally cool; I love the supernatural and super heroes and all that stuff. But, realistically I think I would definitely be weirded out at first I mean those teeth just look so intimidating. It’s pretty crazy. I think I’d be lying if I said it’d be all gravy at first, but I’m sure I’d warm up to it eventually. I mean it’s my best friend.”
I saw on the “After After Show” that you want Mason to become supernatural. Do you think Mason will ever join in with the supernatural world, or do you think he prefers to stay human like Stiles, so far at least?
“It kind of goes both ways a bit. I think given Mason’s curiosity and his excitement about the new world he’s entering in, it wouldn’t surprise me if one day he becomes supernatural. I mean I honestly think that if that doesn’t happen, he’s still around them and he’s going to be a lot more involved. Once you’re a part of something that extraordinary in your life it would be really hard to go back to normal human every day living.”
Is there an actor on Teen Wolf that you’d like to work with more in the future that you haven’t had a chance to work with this season?
“That’s a tough question, I know this is kind of cliché but I honestly wanted to work with every person on the show just because I have a cool relationship with all of them. I think going back to what you said earlier I think Mason and Stiles kind of have some similarities as the humans of the group. I think it would be cool to work with Dylan [O’brien], in a one on one scene. I think Stiles and Mason provide comic relief. I think it would be a funny little scene going on. I think that’d be cool.”
Liam and Mason’s relationship is super important and strong, and I think the reason it translates so well on-screen is because you and Dylan Sprayberry seem to be close in real life too. Are you guys as close as it seems?
“We’re definitely close in real life too. We were actually friends before we found out that we were going to be on the show. I actually feel really lucky to have something like that because when you have natural chemistry with a person it just reads that much better on-screen. He actually helped me because we were both the new kids on the set. He kind of provided me with like an anchor or something to lean on. It was just nice to go through that with someone who you already know. He just makes it more enjoyable. We joke around all the time so I feel really blessed to be acting with a good friend of mine.”
Tyler Posey passed the torch to you and Sprayberry on Wolf Watch. That segment seems like a lot of fun.
“It’s actually a lot of fun! I’m just really happy that I actually get to do so much this season. Doing all that stuff is fun; me and Dylan [Sprayberry] have some really crazy stuff that we did. The segments were a blast to film. They kind of broke the monotony of things sometimes. We got to mess with people and make jokes on set and just really be ourselves on camera. I’m actually really excited to see all of those come out. We have a lot of content so hopefully they end up showing it all.”
Do you watch the episodes every week as they air? Is it easy for you to fall into the storyline like the rest of the viewers or do you find it difficult to separate because you’re there on set daily and you see all the behind the scenes stuff?
“Yeah I watch them every week. It’s actually easier now for me to watch it, I know some actors can be hypocritical of their work. But for me I kind of just see myself as an instrument to the directors and writers of the show. It’s nice to see the finished product. That’s really my favorite part, to read the script and then see the finished product and the CGI and the fight scenes and even the music. I feel like a fan of the show, when I see myself up there I just see an actor. It’s actually really cool for me to enjoy the show like everyone else can.”
I have noticed the music is so good this season!
“Especially that scene with Parish, when he’s going through the whole fire thing. It’s really trippy with all those dead bodies around him. I was just like damn that turned out really good! I was actually on the sidelines watching them do that. It was when me, Cody Saintgnue and Dylan Sprayberry filmed the scene where we’re in the hole. Watching outside in the woods there was like no fire around him or anything so seeing the finished product was really cool. It’s like magic.”
Yeah this season is so cool around like with that scene and the scene with Kira and the Kitsune kind of aura around her.
“I loved seeing Kira’s fox it was so cool! The CGI definitely gets better and better. They top themselves each season. When people come up to me and say they love the show they always talk about it.”
It was just announced at San Diego Comic Con that Teen Wolf was renewed for a sixth season, meaning that Scott and Stiles’ group of friends would be older. Tyler Posey and Dylan O’brien have already confirmed that they’re coming back but if the show were to ever continue without them do you think Mason and Liam could have some kind of spin off of their own?
“Honestly I think, going back to the Scott/Stiles 2.0, I think they have some pretty familiar things that people can latch on to. I guarantee you that their relationship is going to get even more interesting based off of how this season is going and progressing. They have a lot of similarities and I think the chemistry between me and Dylan [Sprayberry] would be pretty cool to see more of. It’s cool, anything is possible, and again I think me and Dylan [Sprayberry] would just have to take it head on. Dylan [Sprayberry] is so funny in real life so it’s nice to see that on-screen this season.”
When I first started Teen Wolf, I binge watched the first season in like one day, what’s the last show you binge watched?
“This is probably really weird, but the last show I binge watched was Hannibal. I watched seasons one and two and season three is on now. Actually there’s an episode today so you’re lucky to get me on the phone now [laughs]. I’m kidding, but I really find that show so beautiful, as weird as it sounds. The beautiful serial killer show. It’s so interesting, the dialogue and the writing, I love it I’m so addicted to it.”
It’s extremely cinematic each episode is like a movie!
“It doesn’t make any sense! I don’t know how they do it.”
You did hear the news that it was canceled though right?
“When I read that I did not understand like whatsoever, because it felt like the world was watching with me every week, but I guess not. It doesn’t make sense! I want to like scream at every person and tell them to watch it!”
Same here! I’m like “here watch this show he eats people it’s no big deal”
“[Laughs] Exactly! Like trying to pitch the show is weird. Talking about how beautiful it is the way he kills and eats people but it’s true, it’s true!”
Yeah I’m like just don’t eat dinner during or before and you’ll be okay.
“Right exactly! I did read that Amazon didn’t want it. I think they should just go to Netflix. Netflix is my jam.”
You said you like superheroes, what’s your favorite superhero movie?
“I LOVE all the X-men, I don’t care what anyone says, some people hate on it. But, I also really like Jumper. When I first saw that, it changed everything because my favorite superhero was Nightcrawler and he was the person I wanted to be. I saw that movie and I thought definitely if I had a super power that would be the one. I love that movie to death. It was the coolest movie ever. That power or, Donnie Darko. Donnie Darko didn’t really have a power I just think he’s like the coolest.
I’m not going to lie and say I got Donnie Darko the first time I watched it, because I didn’t really understand it. But then I read about it and watched it again, I was like this movie is just life. It’s the best thing ever. The same thing happened to me with The Matrix when I first saw it I was like “oh that’s so cool he bends all the way backwards!” That’s all I took from it. I was like this is real. The Matrix is real.”
I know you’re not allowed to spoil anything but do you have a favorite scene coming up that you can hint towards a bit?
“Oh yeah I do. My favorite scene, it’s the finale of 5a. It’s so intense, ridiculously intense. It was between…I’m not going to say the characters; I was so close to saying them now [laughs]. It was intense and I think the audience is just going to have their mouths drop down to the floor when they see it. Honestly everyone is like wow, they just agreed with how INTENSE it was. It’s funny I guess that’s my character’s catchphrase now, but it’s so true.”
I’m excited and scared! I heard it ends on a cliffhanger?
“Mmmhm, I’m actually waiting to see what happens next too!”
It was a pleasure talking with Khylin and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this season will unfold.
Don’t forget to tune into Teen Wolf every Monday at 10 on MTV!