Clark Furlong is a rising young actor who rose to prominence with his role as “young Jules” in the hit show “Euphoria.” “Jules,” a female transgender person.
Throughout the season, Clark as the younger Jules struggles with depression as a teen, and her mother forces her into a mental institution, ultimately leading to a suicide attempt. Her backstory is very dramatic, and “Jules'” upbringing played a significant part in shaping who she is today.
Clark can also be seen as young Paul Landon, the oldest brother of Schott Landon, in the recent, awaited APPLE+ series, “LISEY’s Story” (Clive Owen). “Lisey’s Tale” is based on and adapted by Stephen King’s best-selling novel in early June.
On this exclusive interview, Clark Furlong talks about his roles along with his memories being on the set of LISEY’s Story.
The Knockturnal: Lisey’s Story is adapted by Stephen King. Have you got the chance to read the novel to prepare you for the series?
Clark Furlong: “Yes! I got a copy as soon as I booked the job. It’s really thick! I ended up listening to the audiobook, actually. It was an amazing read. It gave me so much insight as to what was going on around my scenes since I wasn’t allowed to have the scripts for any episodes that didn’t include my character!”
The Knockturnal: What were your memories of auditioning for the role of Paul Landon?
Clark Furlong: “I was really nervous! The WB building in New York is huge and it’s all this glass and steel. There is this massive guard station with a body scan and bag check you have to go through and a bank of receptionists who have to approve you, give you an id sticker, and then send you though these turnstyles with men in suits guarding them. Then you take the elevator to your floor. The casting hallway has pictures from all the shows the WB has produced so it’s amazing to walk down. The audition itself was crazy because we weren’t allowed to print out the sides for rehearsal! They could only be opened on one device, so I had to do everything on my mom’s computer. The document was tracked and secure. Matt Wise and Findley Davidson in casting were in the room for my first audition and they were super nice. The second time I went in, Pablo was there too. He was very relaxed but had this air about him, kind of a mix of passion and curiosity. I loved working with him even just that day.”
The Knockturnal: Since this series was shot during the pandemic along with some of the upcoming projects that you are also involved with, what were some challenges that you had to endure while you were on the set?
Clark Furlong: “Three covid PCR swab tests a week! Everyone wore masks everywhere. We had four covid compliance officers who were young medical students who kept an eye on everyone. If your mask got loose or wasn’t a KN-95, they would politely offer you a fresh one, and if you refused, they would take a breath and offer it again! Food was different because you couldn’t serve yourself anything but coffee or water and snacks were all individually wrapped. I won’t lie, it was hard. The people who wore glasses started taping their masks to their noses so their glasses wouldn’t fog up. You couldn’t really socialize the way you normally would because of the distance.”
The Knockturnal: Of all of the episodes of Lisey’s Story you have been part of, which one is your favorite that you would recommend?
Clark Furlong: “Episode five is my favorite, I think. I haven’t seen any footage yet, but I can’t wait! I had an amazing make-up artist working with me and there are some surprises coming! So you’d better just watch them all!”
The Knockturnal: Euphoria has tackled a variety of teenage to young adult real-life issues and you were the younger version of Jules. How did your friends and family react when they saw you play as the younger version of the character?
Clark Furlong: “I think my family was surprised to see what the show was and how much impact it had. My parents, siblings, and I watched the whole season as a family from episode one, and when Shook Ones part 2 aired, I’m not sure any of us really knew what to expect. It was weird to watch myself on screen. It was weird to watch my family watch me on screen. I don’t think any of them quite realized what I could do before that.”
The Knockturnal: You were also on Prodigal Son. Do you have any stories being on the set with Tom Payne?
Clark Furlong: “He’s a really amazing guy! Super sweet and welcoming to me. I look forward to being in his shoes one day- playing the lead on a series and getting to be the one to make the new guy comfortable. And can I just say I was shocked when we chatted by the trailers after work and I was like- ‘OMG you’re BRITISH?'”
The Knockturnal: I am also a D&D player myself as I started playing back in the mid-’90s. What were some of your favorite campaigns that you either created or played with your friends?
Clark Furlong: “My favorite campaign currently is the one my dad is running with me and my siblings. It’s an old AD&D system, very dungeon-y but with lots of riddles, character development, and plot twists. We’ve just come to the final level of his dungeon and are preparing for whatever is in the room ahead. Likely nothing good! I am running a Sunday campaign right now and my brother is running a very town-based one that is also super fun.”
