Dig Your Claws Into THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING

At a recent press junket held by Disney, NiceGirlsTV had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable interview with talent from the upcoming slate of returning and new television shows at ABC, ABC Family Channel and Disney. Among the guests were Skyler Samuels, Amy Pietz, Benjamin Stone and Grey Damon – all cast members from the new ABC Family Channel series The Nine Lives of Chloe King.

This new ABC Family Channel drama will debut on Tuesday, June 14 at 9 PM (after the season premiere of Pretty Little Liars). The series follows the life of Chloe King (Skyler Samuels), who – just like every year – is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her two best friends Amy and Paul (Grace Phipps and Ki Hong Lee) and her mom (Amy Pietz). But on her 16th birthday she starts developing heightened abilities and discovers that she is being pursued by a mysterious figure. She soon learns that she is actually part of an ancient race called the Mai, who have been hunted by human assassins for millennia – and she may be their only hope for survival.

Skyler Samuels and Amy Pietz Photo by: Rueben

When asked to describe the show, Skyler, said “I don’t think I could compare Chloe King to any other TV show or movie. It’s kind of its own special package.” She further said that, “in one hour you get drama, you get romance, you will laugh; this show will leave you on the edge of your seat. It (has) a little bit of everything. It’s like the most perfect balance you could want.” Amy joined in by saying she has tried to explain the show to her friends by using shows they can relate to such as Buffy, the Vampire Slayer “with a little bit of Gilmore Girls mixed in.”

Amy also shared that she loves “how the female emphasis on the show is healthy. There is a good relationship between Chloe and her mother and Chloe and her best friends. They’re not bitching (all the time). They’re not talking about money and sex all the time – it’s not Gossip Girl.” In fact, she said “it’s something I would allow my step- daughter to watch. I am proud of this show.” She also shared that “playing Skyler’s mom on TV is making me a better step-mom and being a step-mom is helping me be a better TV mom.”

In explaining about their characters, both Skyler and Benjamin Stone, who plays Alek, explained they are both part of the ancient race called Mai. The Mai are half-cat/half-human with cat-like sensibilities – such as claws and their eyes can change to look like cat’s eyes – and they both have certain supernatural powers. According to Skyler, what sets Chloe apart is that “she is an empath, she is drawn to people because she can share in what they are feeling.” Meanwhile, according to Benjamin, “Alek is there to help Chloe figure out her powers, to train her and teach her the history of the Mai and make sure that she knows she is an important person in our race; she’s going to save us.”

For Amy, playing Chloe’s mom Meredith, and for Grey Damon, playing the new guy in town Brian, they are both unaware of Chloe’s abilities and they are both 100% human. As Skyler explained, “Chloe is nervous about bringing this “thing” up to her mother because it’s like ‘how do I tell her?’ Maybe she won’t love me anymore?” As for Brian, he just wants to be close to Chloe, but as Benjamin and Grey both shared “if any Mai kisses a human, they will probably be paralyzed or could die” so no matter how much Chloe may like Brian or vice versa, any kind of relationship could prove to be deadly.

To make matters even more interesting, Chloe is adopted and unbeknownst to her mother, she is in communication with her adoptive father who has been “out of the picture” for a very long time. This situation as well as Chloe’s discovery of who she really is will make for difficulty with her mother. But, the show isn’t all about the drama, as both Skyler and Amy explained “There are a lot of cat jokes and normal things going on – like doing laundry, homework and normal family ‘stuff’.

In preparing for the role of Chloe, Skyler explained that working on the TV show The Gates last summer helped in terms of it being “the most valuable experience ever (because it taught me) how to work with special effects and (how to deal with) being on (the) sets for long hours.” As for the physicality of the role, Skyler joked that “I was the most uncoordinated, un-athletic human being on the face of the planet. I couldn’t run two feet to save my life, but before the pilot started I got on the treadmill, (I started) running 3 miles a day, practicing boxing and Pilates, doing strength training and I’ve kept up with it ever since. Now it’s like second nature, but it was a complete physical overhaul to become Chloe King, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Grey Damon and Benjamin Stone Photo by: Tiffany Vogt

Benjamin and Grey then shared that while they don’t work side-by-side much, they do share a lot of scenes together and they do work with green screen a bit, but mostly for backdrops in order to show “certain environments”. Ben was then quick to point out there are “no CGI monsters or anything” in the show and “the only prosthetics we have are the claws. There are no contacts – that is all done with CGI.”

In talking about his character, Grey shared that Brian is “a really nice guy. He is quirky, but has to deal with a (somewhat) abusive father who may not be all he seems to be,” which could make viewers wonder if Brian and his dad are good guys or bad guys. Grey did find playing Brian a nice change from the characters he has played in the past, such as his character Hastings on Friday Night Lights.

With so much going on in the world of Chloe King, her friends, and her family, make sure to check out The Nine Lives of Chloe King when it premieres June 14 at 9/8c on ABC Family.