Instinct Exclusives with the Leading Stars of 'Dead Boy Detectives'

In the shadowy realm between life and death lies the world of Netflix’s new supernatural horror series, Dead Boy Detectives.

Adapted from the comic series by Neil Gaiman and part of The Sandman universe, the show centers on two mischievous teenage ghosts, Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland, played by George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri respectively. Separated in death by seven decades, the duo decide to skip the afterlife in favor of operating a detective agency out of London that helps solve mysteries involving ax murderers, wicked witches, and bloodthirsty sea monsters. The two complement each other nicely, with Edwin describing himself as the “brains” to Charles’ “brawn” in their otherworldly operation.

Along the way, they recruit the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Kassius Nelson) and her friend Niko (Yuyu Kitamura), who is no stranger to the paranormal or macabre. As the group begin working their way through the cases in Port Townsend, they realize the town is much less sleepy than they originally thought.

Dead Boy Detectives was developed for television by Steve Yockey, who wrote the first episode and serves as showrunner alongside Beth Schwartz. Considered not to be a typical coming-of-age story, the pair knew they wanted the series to depict real-life teen challenges. A lot of early buzz was emphasized on Edwin embracing his queer sexuality – thanks, in part, to the appearance of the devious and seductive Cat King, played by out actor Lukas Gage.

Additional cast members include Briana Cuoco, Ruth Connell, Jenn Lyon, David Iacono, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste.

Instinct recently caught up with Rexstrew, Revri, Nelson, and Kitamura to talk more about Dead Boy Detectives and their characters, as well as the bond and chemistry they all shared on and off-screen, and how the show embraces queer themes and appeals to LGBTQ+ audiences.