Khobe Clarke Talks About His Journey as a Young Actor, How He Prepares for a Role, and Firefly Lane

Khobe Clarke is a rising young actor to keep your eye on. This year, he captivated audiences with his breakout performance in Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series, Firefly Lane.

The hit show follows best friends Tully and Kate who support each other through good times and bad, and have an unbreakable bond that carries them from their teens to their 40s. Khobe shines as Coop, the All-American jock, who is trying to come to terms with his own feelings and identity.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Khobe about his journey as a young actor, how he prepares for a role, finding hobbies outside of his craft, and his recurring role in Firefly Lane.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting and storytelling?
Khobe: That’s a good question. As a kid, I liked to play pretend. I grew up in downtown Calgary, but we were very lucky to have quite a big backyard and I would create these worlds and inhabit these characters there. I used my hockey stick as a prop, whether it was a sword or a gun, or something else depending on if I was going to war or winning game seven of the NHL playoffs. It was that setting that allowed me to escape. Then I realized that there were people out there that are just as weird as I am. I took that to the theater and I grew up doing that in my high school and local places around Calgary. It took off from there.

PC: What was that transition like going from the stage to the screen? How do those mediums differ?
Khobe: They’re similar in a lot of ways. But the screen is much smaller. It will catch you, whereas the theater is grand. Filmmaking is all about connecting with people. Film and television create this large connection with the entire world if they choose to watch it. Theater is about creating smaller connections because it’s much more intimate. It’s a one-time experience. Those people are going to see that version of the show and only those people. It’s unique for them. It’s a smaller, shared experience. It’s definitely different, but it’s all about connection.

PC: You’ve been really open about the ups and downs of being a young actor in this industry. During those more challenging times, how were you able to persevere?
Khobe: That’s the trickiest thing. When you do get a job, they’re not paying you to act. They’re paying you for the however many months or years of anxiety. [laughs] Jason Bateman said, “Never quit your day job.” It’s keeping a level of consistency in your life and discovering hobbies so you don’t spend all of your time waiting around. Fill your life with things that you wouldn’t get to do if you were on set. Discover your other passions outside of work and stay busy.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Khobe: There have been so many people. I moved to Vancouver kind of blind and alone. Mentor-wise, I have two great coaches:, Bob Frazier and Deb Podowski. They’re Vancouver locals who taught me everything I know. I have an endless appreciation for them. Also, my agent Melisse [Kelly], who took an absolute stab in the dark with me and gave me a chance when she hadn’t seen any of my work. I’m very appreciative of them. Also, the young actors’ community here. Everyone roots for each other. We see each other’s successes and we’re cheering for one another. It’s less competitive in nature. It’s one big movement of wanting to see everyone succeed.

PC: Speaking of success, you have a recurring role in Firefly Lane. What should audiences know about your character? What was it about him that resonated with you?
Khobe: Coop is a kid from the ’70s. He’s the sporty jock and the most popular dude in school. He explores more of a sensitive side of himself that he didn’t realize he had through a Shakespearean play and a relationship with one of the other characters in the show.

I related to Coop because there are a lot of conflicting interests within himself. He doesn’t really know how to be honest about his feelings because he doesn’t know how to identify them. I feel like any tumultuous teenager who’s having trouble finding their way can relate.

PC: When you’re preparing for a new role, you like to know the material inside and out, and not only from your character’s perspective but all those around him. How have you been able to find that balance between being prepared but also flexible enough to find those more organic choices on the day?
Khobe: That’s a great question. It’s something that I actually haven’t figured out yet because you do want to stay loose. I believe the greatest performances are from instinctual talent acting. If you can just be that’s the secret. There are so many great performances of people just being and getting raw emotions and reactions from each other. But at the same time, you owe it to the set, story, yourself, and the character to know it. My approach to it is that if I know it inside out, not until I can get it right but until I can’t get it wrong, then I can go in there and I’m never thinking about the lines or what’s next. I don’t have to worry about what’s coming next. Therefore, it’s something that I’ve removed from the equation, which may be one of the keys to freedom. But sometimes it’s not.

PC: Your character goes through quite the journey throughout the season. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to tackle those more vulnerable moments?
Khobe: There was a lot of space created. I got thrown into the deep end of the pool with no floaties, to be honest. I had two scenes that I was pretty nervous for within my first week of shooting. I get there and I have no idea what a call sheet looks like. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. I see that my first scene is the one that I’m most nervous about. The second one is the one right after. [laughs] I had no time to be freaked out about it. They were like, “We’re doing those scenes.” I had to step up to the plate. I think I might have. I hope I did anyway. But being vulnerable, Roan Curtis is the most lovely, talented human being. She really coddled me through that scary experience. It was all the good people around me. I had no time to think about it. It was, “Lights, camera, action.”

PC: You’ve also said in previous interviews that this project was a huge learning experience for you. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest lesson you learned that you’ve been able to bring to future projects?
Khobe: Another wonderful question. The biggest thing was how crazy and different all the jobs are on a film set from the actors to the producers to the directors to the electricians to the gaffers. All of these people are working so hard, and they’re very good at what they do. It’s weird being in a room with so many different professions, but everyone is so good at what they do. It’s all in this effort to make this one thing. It was strange that you’re in a room of 80 people and they’re all doing these different jobs that work together to materialize one product. There are so many teams around the set. Seeing them work together with each other and with everyone else in the other departments was really cool.

PC: With this being one of your biggest roles to date, is there a particular scene that you’re excited for people to see?
Khobe: Oh boy. The one that I think people will get a kick out of the most, speaking in terms of what my family and grandmother thought, was when I had to sing Barry Manilow’s “Mandy.” I think people will get a kick out of that for better or worse.

PC: This is such an exciting time in your career. As you look ahead to the next five to ten years, is there a dream role that you’d like to bring to life on the stage or screen?
Khobe: There are so many. I don’t think there’s any specific one, but I’d like to do something that takes me out of my comfort zone, both physically and mentally. I want to work on something that tells a story like Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nightcrawler. That was visceral, meaty, and heavy. It requires a real change to your personal being. A lot of the times when you’re starting out, you play yourself. Once you’ve earned the right to play somebody else properly, that’s when the real creative elements come in and you get to explore all these different kinds of people within your work.

To keep up with Khobe, follow him on Instagram. Watch Firefly Lane on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Elijah Silva