Exclusive Interview: Miles McKenna Discusses ‘Goosebumps,’ Infusing Levity into James and the Series, Universal Struggles of All Characters, and More

Miles McKenna, a versatile storyteller, is best known for his performances in projects such as Guilty Party, Nocturne, and All Night. His undeniable ability to infuse vulnerability and humor into his characters has set him apart among his peers.

Currently, he’s starring in Disney+’s chilling new series, Goosebumps. Inspired by R.L. Stine’s worldwide bestselling book series, Goosebumps follows a group of five high schoolers as they embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle – while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents’ past. Miles captivates the screen with a perfect blend of comedic timing and profound emotional depth in his portrayal as James.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Miles about Season 1 of Goosebumps, how he’s brought levity to James and the series, the characters’ universal struggles, and more.

PC: There were so many different directions that Rob [Letterman] and Nicholas [Stoller] could have taken this series. However, it strikes the perfect balance of nostalgia and brings something that’s new, fresh, and exciting. At what point during that process did you realize that you were all creating something so unique?
Miles: First, we have to give Rob, Nick, and the whole executive writing team their flowers because this is such an amazing show, and it was such a great environment to play in. For me, I realized we were creating something special during the auditioning process. I originally only saw the scenes that I had to come prepared for on the day. It wasn’t until I was in the mix and starting doing chemistry tests with other actors that I got to read the entire pilot. It was so funny. It was very different from what it ended up turning into, but it was the same tonally. It was so cool to read something and see it in my head. It was all these stories that I had grown up loving, but it was like they aged with me. It felt like the same way you read it as a kid. You’re uncovering things and it felt like you were communicating with a friend who was having these experiences. It was so cool. It’s one of those things that’s cool to see as an actor when you’re like, “I hope I get this, but if I don’t, I know I’ll be a fan of the series.” It was like added pressure like, “If I don’t get this, next Halloween is going to suck.” [laughs] Because I will still be watching it.

PC: The creative team gave you all the freedom to make these characters your own. What did you bring to James that wasn’t initially on the page? How did that trust allow you to take agency over his journey throughout the season?
Miles: They actually told us that the core five of us had all improvised in our auditions and in our chemistry reads. We all threw different things at our partners that weren’t initially on the page. From the start, they really wanted us to bring ourselves to the roles and have it be a collaborative effort. I mean, the scripts, like I said, from the initial pilot, were so good. It was so easy to fall in love with this world, understand what’s going on, and really want to be a part of it even more. We were all like, “What if we did this? What if we tried this?”

A lot of the dialogue-heavy scenes, all the different directors like Erin O’Malley or Rob Letterman were like, “Okay, we got the shot. Now, let’s just play and have fun.” It was really cool to see a lot of those takes where we were having fun and improvising with each other and actually being friends and grounded in whatever experiences our characters were going through ended up making it into the show.

It was this really cool because we really felt a part of the series, even more so than if we just read what was on the page. We really got to be there with everyone else.

PC: There’s such great chemistry that comes off the screen between all of you. You really do believe you’re all friends, particularly that friendship between Isaiah and James, but you and Zack [Morris] didn’t have a lot of time to build that bond. How were you able to do that so quickly?
Miles: I love this question because I love all the people so much. There hasn’t been a week that’s gone by that we haven’t had contact with each other either through FaceTime or texting one another. We are all genuinely friends. That was the feedback that we kept getting during filming from all the older actors. They were like, “You all really seem like you love and know each other,” because we did. We spent so much time together and really clicked.

I wish I had this heady, actor answer, but it’s mad props to Disney Casting for giving us friends. That’s literally what just happened. The first night that I ever did with Zack on camera was in the pilot, in the scene where James sees Sam (Aiden Howard) for the first time. That was the first scene that I ever did with Zack. Half of that scene was just improv. We just immediately clicked. There wasn’t anything that we did or didn’t do. That’s just how the cards played out. That’s thanks to Disney, Sony, and everyone for giving me these friends.

PC: You really got to show off your range and versatility in Episode 3, where you’re playing all these different doppelgängers of your character, which you did so brilliantly. As an actor, what was it like creating the space for yourself to bring these different iterations to life? How did that episode push you as a storyteller?
Miles: Thank you. It was so fun. I grew up watching Doctor Who, which is also on Disney+. My entry into that series was Matt Smith’s portrayal of the Doctor. When I got the script for Episode 3, I was so gagged. I was like, “This is my Matt Smith moment. This is my Doctor Who moment.” I’m on different green screens. I’ve got twelve different stunt doubles. I’m acting with tennis balls and I’m up on wires. There was a lot of physicality that went into creating that episode and making it as dynamic and action-packed as it was. From the beginning, this was such a wish-fulfilled character that I get to play. On top of that, it’s a character that brings a lot of levity and depth. That levity is coming from a specific lens.

For me, creating all those different places where James has to go, it really started with grounding myself in the reality of what James was going through. We see him leave the Biddle house, he’s got the guy, he’s got that movie-moment kiss, and all the other versions of him don’t have that. They’re trapped. They have to sit in this longing and deep envy. For me, it was sitting in this reality of what this kid James would be going through, not having that movie moment and perfect ending. Then seeing how he could spiral out of control and how he could turn on himself and on his friends.

PC: More so than any other character, James brings a lot of levity to the series where everything is so high stakes. How fun is it for you to play in that space? Has comedy always come naturally to you?
Miles: It was so awesome to play. This tonally was so my sense of humor. From reading the initial scripts, I was like, “This is so funny.” But that’s obvious because it comes from the minds of Nick Stoller, Rob Letterman, and everyone. That is so my bag and my sense of humor. Being able to play and grow off that initial base was so easy and effortless. Everyone is so good at improv. It’s just such a fun and perfect environment to understand the story and run with it.

PC: This industry has made really slow progress in terms of representation. So often when you’re playing a queer character, their story is centered around trauma or their coming out experience. It becomes such a focal point in their identity. But with characters like James and series like Goosebumps, we’re seeing a much-needed step forward in terms of diversity and inclusion where these characters can exist in the world and their sexuality is part of who they are, but not their entire storyline. What has it meant to you to play such an integral role in that evolution, especially on a network like Disney+, which reaches so many young audiences?
Miles: That was one of the joys of playing James. He struggles and he’s gay, but his struggles are not exclusive to gay people. It’s really important to have stories that talk about the adolescence of identity and really teaching people what it means to be queer, but it’s also important to have stories like Goosebumps, where we have this character who is struggling with something that’s universal. Regardless of your sexual orientation, you can see yourself in James. Everyone has struggled with confidence, not being sure if they can be themselves especially in high school. Stories like this are super important and they’re going to do more good in the world.

PC: Episode 110 is the perfect bookend to this season. It leaves a lot of doors open for more stories to be told. What was your reaction when you read that final script? How do you think Margot’s decision at the end will impact James moving forward?
Miles: I love the ending. I thought it was so perfect. There are so many different stories that we can explore in the future. There are so many questions that haven’t been answered. All of this started because Kanduu said these magic words and his name became his purpose. So is Margot’s now going to be Kanduu? Is Isaiah going to be Kanduu? Why didn’t Bratt see it in the other room? We saw Kanduu in his prime. We presumably just saw him dragged down to the pits of hell. There are a lot of questions and I really want those answers.

Friends are so important to James because his friends are his family. We see that he doesn’t have a really secure home life and he’s really struggled with his own sense of self. He’s fought with his friends and to potentially lose them, I see everything that happened at the end of Episode 10 fueling James to take on more of a leadership position in the second season.

PC: If we’re lucky enough to get a second season, is there an aspect of James that you would like to delve further into?
Miles: I was asked this before and I initially said it as a joke, but I want to see James on the football field. There’s this clear shift in Isaiah where football isn’t important. He’s opened up his heart. He’s got the girl. Whatever. [laughs] I think it would be so funny if there’s a twist where that is James’ dream, and let him on the field. He’s been the mascot for so long. He’s fought against dupes, for his town, for the city, and technically, the whole world. I want to see him fight for his school and be on the football field. It’s senior year. I think that would be hilarious and such a twist to see James step into himself more and assert himself more instead of taking that sidekick role. This is the direction that I want to go and be able to take on more of a leadership standpoint.

To keep up with Miles, follow him on Instagram. Goosebumps Season 1 is now available on Disney+.

Photo Credit: Rob Mainord