Ahead of the launch of season 2 on November 1st 2022, Edvin Ryding and Omar Rudberg who play star-crossed lovers Wilhelm and Simon in the hit LGBTQ+ Netflix series Young Royals, spoke exclusively with The Queer Review’s editor James Kleinmann about why their characters make “a couple worth fighting for” and how they each prepare for the show’s emotional scenes.
As season 2 opens, we’re reunited with Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding), Simon (Omar Rudberg), and the rest of their classmates as they return to the prestigious Hillerska school following winter break. As Wilhelm tries to take revenge on his cousin August, and win back Simon’s trust, he creates problems that threaten the entire Swedish monarchy.
“I think their way of communicating with each other is very beautiful and we saw a lot of that in season one”, Ryding told The Queer Review. “We saw them being transparent when they talk to each other, being like, ‘Hey, how are you? What’s going on?’ They ask each other that all the time and I think that’s a beautiful way of portraying a healthy relationship. They’re very affected by the circumstances around them, but the way they interact with each other is very honest and real. I think that’s why they are a couple of worth fighting for.”
“I agree 100%”, adds Rudberg, “I feel like the relationship is really innocent and sweet”. The actor and musician also admitted that the co-stars had a bit too much fun when they were reunited on set. “The first scene that we shot for season two was a deep scene, we went right into serious stuff. We’d had a pause for 10 or 11 months when we never called each other Wille or Simon. Then we were just standing there and we had to have the Simon and Wilhelm talk again and we couldn’t stop laughing because it was so funny. Then our director got a little mad after a while!”
Watch the full exclusive interview here:
The first season of Young Royals is streaming now on Netflix, season 2 premieres on November 1st 2022.