One week after the debut of The Midnight Club on Netflix, it sits in the top three of the streamer's top ten TV list for the United States. Series star Iman Benson is still riding on the high of release week, but as the dust starts to settle, she says overall she feels “satisfied.”
“I'm really happy,” Iman says with a smile over Zoom. “The response has been amazing. People have been writing such wonderful messages.” The Midnight Club is a thriller-slash-mystery series created by Leah Fong and Mike Flanagan, the creator of Netflix's Haunting of Hill House, Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass. A new entry in horror YA, the show follows a group of eight terminally ill teenagers living in a hospice who gather every night at midnight to swap scary stories.
Based on the 1994 young adult novel of the same name by author Christoper Pike, the show offers moving commentary on the power of friendship and chosen family, what it's like to be young and dying, and the bravery and vulnerability it takes to celebrate life at every turn.
In the series, Iman plays Ilonka, a bright and passionate 17-year-old valedictorian whose plans of attending Stanford University are derailed by terminal thyroid cancer. Following her diagnosis, Ilonka finds a mysterious news story from the '60s about a young woman with the same kind of cancer who was miraculously cured. Determined to live, Ilonka follows the story to its source: Brightcliffe Hospice.
Teen Vogue sat down with Iman Benson to unpack the show's success, dive into its diverse representation, and discuss what it was really like to film her first horror series. The Midnight Club is now streaming on Netflix.
Teen Vogue: Your character Ilonka is a wonderfully complex, passionate, and at times, aggravating character. You did a great job portraying all the multitudes of her experience. How did you prepare for the role and ensure you were bringing your own take to a character that had already existed on the page?
Iman Benson: I hadn't read the books, I waited until after we had finished filming to do that. But I, like most people, have my own experience with cancer and I was honoring a loved one in playing Ilonka. [I did] my own research on cancer and young people having cancer and then I went through a physical transformation and I shaved my head as well. I feel like that was probably the best way for me to immerse myself in that role.
TV: For me, one of the most special scenes in the show is Ilonka and Cheri's conversation about hair and wigs, and how Ilonka misses her hair. It's a heartfelt moment between two young Black women going through this horribly unique experience. You went through your own physical transformation to channel that. Why do you think that scene held so much gravity?
IB: Well, first of all, I'm so grateful to Mike and Trevor (Macy, executive producer) for including that part of the show in it, because I think it's important to portray missing your hair as a cancer patient and wanting to wear a wig. It's okay to rock the bald head, it's okay to wear a wig. It's okay to do both. And especially as a Black woman, there's so much power and pride that I had in my hair, and I think Ilonka as well. And yeah, you miss it. Or at least I did, and I'm glad that Ilonka got to speak her mind on that, and Cheri was so sweet.
TV: Representation is personally very important to you, and the diversity of this cast is incredible. Most shows or movies about teens with chronic or terminal illness are about white teenagers: The Fault in Our Stars, A Walk to Remember, Five Feet Apart. Once you met the rest of your cast, how did you feel?
IB: I was so excited, not just because we [play] terminally ill kids, but it's not common to have a cast that was diverse like we were. Also there's the whole thing of race not being selective to terminal illness. Anybody can get it, and I think that that's really cool that we were inclusive in that aspect, as well as [with] Ruth Codd and her disability as well.
TV: Were you able to have time on set to build real bonds with your castmates?
IB: Yeah, for sure. This [was] my first time living in Vancouver, being in Vancouver in general. I lived a five minute walk from the beach. So we would do night swims, we would gather at the beach there. We would go on random night rides whenever we could, whenever we had time on the weekends.
TV: I can imagine it was somewhat challenging filming such heavy scenes in this show. It's pretty intense. How did you and your cast members take care of each other while filming?
IB: Just uplifting each other on set… being a nuisance in the green room, in between takes. There were certain scenes where we just kept it chill, but in between takes we would make jokes, we played Uno cards. Sauriyan and Chris love breaking out into musical theater numbers, which is always cool to see. Aya loves to scare people on set.
TV: I'd love to hear more about your on-set experience. Filming a horror series can be kind of surreal — jumpscares, elaborate sets, special effects.
IB: It was incredible. I have mostly done sitcom comedies, so this was completely different. It's a emotional dramatic horror show, [and] I loved every minute of it because I got to challenge myself. I got to put myself in positions that I'd never been in before. Every day was an emotional rollercoaster, and that's kind of how it is dealing with terminal illness in reality.
TV: Out of the B-stories, the mini-episodes of Christopher Pike's other stories, which one is your personal favorite and which one was your favorite to film?
IB: My personal favorite is “Wicked Heart,” and it was my favorite to film. I love my looks for Nancy in that one. I have an Aaliyah-inspired outfit and I love the character arc for Kevin's character in that story. It was filmed so beautifully, especially the scene where all the girls are in front of him when he turns around. That's my favorite part of it.
TV: Were there any times that you were legitimately afraid on set, and not acting?
IB: Yes. Patricia [Drake], who portrays the old woman — those prosthetics in real life, man, they'll get you. We'll be in the green room and I'll walk in and she'd just be eating a banana and I'm like, whoa! The moments where people [are] in the cloaks, and Patricia, those [are the] moments I'd be a little spooked out. And filming in the basement, too. It's pretty eerie down there, it's dark. There was rats down there, intentionally!
TV: You've said before that your desire for this show is to humanize young people with terminal illness. Now that it's out in the world, what are you most proud of?
IB: I'm most proud of our portrayal of the kids. I think that we did a good job of giving them their separate lives, and I'm proud of the representation, as well. The response to the show makes me feel like we did a good job.
TV: If you could take one of Ilonka's qualities and adopt it for yourself, and give Ilonka one of your own qualities, what would they be?
IB: I would for sure take her optimism. I'm not as optimistic as she is. She's positive and she just sees the light. I don't always do that. And I would give her… I have this sense of just letting go, [that] I'm not necessarily in control of all things and I just let things flow. I'm very laid back. I feel like Ilonka has this great sense of just wanting to be in control of everything and I'm just not like that.
TV: In your career so far, you've been able to work with a lot of heavy-hitters in entertainment — Mike Epps, Kenya Barris, Mike Flanagan, Heather Langenkamp — and you're only getting started. What is the most important lesson you've learned so far from the industry vets you've been able to work with?
IB: To just be present in every experience and opportunity. Filming sometimes can be quick and you might not always be present and grateful for every single moment 'cause you're trying to get things done. Just take it all in while you can.
TV: You've done sitcoms, you've been able to do drama, you've now done horror, you have sci-fi on the horizon with War of the Worlds. What would you love to do next in front of or behind the camera? And if you could craft your own dream role, what would it be?
IB: Ooh, I have always wanted to write. So that would be really cool for me to do. I have a couple ideas in here (*taps temple*) and me and my friends have conversations about some really cool things. A dream role that I would cook up would be something like the Booksmart girls. I would love to do a role like that.
TV: We're not sure if there's a Midnight Club season 2 yet, but if there is — is there a storyline you'd like to see happen?
IB: Igby (Rigney) said this already and I'm going to steal his answer because it's great. Heather's character, Dr. Stanton, coming to the library and telling a story with us. I just also hope that Ilonka gets a great sense of satisfaction, and then she's happy and content and she learns acceptance.