Christian Wilkins discusses his first acting gig as a LGBTQI+ character in Stan Original series Eden

‘It’s been so refreshing to have this role’: Christian Wilkins discusses his first acting gig as a LGBTQI+ character in Stan Original series Eden

Christian Wilkins has made his acting debut in Stan Original series Eden – which launched on June 11.

During a press junket on the Byron Bay set amid production in September, Christian expressed his excitement at doing so with a LGBTQI+ character in the mystery drama.

The son of Today Extra host Richard Wilkins, 26, said despite being pushed towards a presenting career, he’s always dreamed of pursuing acting.

‘It’s been so refreshing to have this role’: Christian Wilkins discusses his first acting gig as a LGBTQI+ character in Stan Original series Eden

‘I was always very much pushed into the presenting role, because I think that it’s something that I myself have taken to quite easily… But acting has always been my number one goal in life.’

‘This is my first proper acting job and it feels amazing to be part of this cast and crew, that is so diverse and telling a story that feels so fresh. Especially for Australian TV,’ Christian said.

In the series, Christian plays a twin named Leander, which he says has been a great way to have ‘someone to work off’ during scenes.

New gig: In the series, Christian plays a twin named Leander, which he says has been a great way to have 'someone to work off' during scenes

New gig: In the series, Christian plays a twin named Leander, which he says has been a great way to have ‘someone to work off’ during scenes

‘For a long time, I was pushed towards characters that were either straight or their sexuality was ambiguous, which realistically isn’t the characters that I’m ever going to get cast in,’ he said.

Christian added that the constant pressure of what characters he ‘should play’ and what people ‘wanted to see’ affected his own self esteem and made him question his own talent.

‘What I loved about Leander is the fact that, It’s an LGBTQI+ character, but that isn’t his big bust in. That’s not the thing that he’s having to struggle with, because as an LGBTQI+ person, that isn’t always our big struggle in life, you know?’ he said.

Christian, who came out as gay in 2018, never shies away from pushing the envelope in terms of both style and gender stereotypes.

'For a long time, I was pushed towards characters that were either straight or their sexuality was ambiguous, which realistically isn't the characters that I'm ever going to get cast in,' he said

‘For a long time, I was pushed towards characters that were either straight or their sexuality was ambiguous, which realistically isn’t the characters that I’m ever going to get cast in,’ he said

‘It’s been so refreshing to be able to have this role and just really kind of sink my teeth into it, where it feels like a really authentic fit,’ Christian said.

He joked with a cheeky laugh: ‘He’s very unapologetic in his ways. He’s a privileged white, a feminine gay boy. So it wasn’t exactly a deep reach either.’

Christian first debuted his bleached white hair and eyebrows for his character in August on Instagram, while filming the Stan Original series.

‘I honestly can’t remember another Australian TV show, especially, where it is so diverse in terms of race, age, and sexuality… and it’s not because of tokenism. This is just a very authentic series,’ he said.

Featuring a young and diverse cast, Australian up-and-comers BeBe Bettencourt and Sophie Wilde lead the wild and mysterious storyline.

The mystery of Eden unfolds in an idyllic coastal town, where the disappearance of a young woman (Hedwig, played by BeBe) triggers a devastating chain of events which lays bare the dark and hidden heart of the community.

The Stan Original Series Eden is streaming now.

Lineup: Featuring a young and diverse cast, Australian up-and-comers BeBe Bettencourt and Sophie Wilde lead the wild and mysterious storyline

Lineup: Featuring a young and diverse cast, Australian up-and-comers BeBe Bettencourt and Sophie Wilde lead the wild and mysterious storyline