Paramount Plus is taking viewers on a walk through the high school experience in the new series School Spirits, but it’s not your average coming-of-age story. In fact, the story at the heart of this show is something special; it’s a supernatural drama, but School Spirits is much more than that. The show is a deep dive into the importance of those friendships that change us, the bonds we form that not even death can destroy, and how leading with love will never steer you wrong.
School Spirits is also the kind of show that doesn’t miss a beat; there aren’t moments of missed opportunity or scenes you watch wishing something else had happened; it’s so well-crafted and acted that it leaves you wanting more at the end of each episode, and trust us, with a story as twisted as this one — there’s always something new to uncover. School Spirits sees a girl named Maddie, who is stuck in the afterlife, trying desperately to piece together what happened on the night of her death.
On the other side of the veil, Maddie’s best friends are also trying to figure out what happened to her, one of whom is Simon Elroy, played by Kristian Flores.
We had the privilege of speaking to Kristian Flores about everything from his time on School Spirits to his charity work, and came away convinced that the role of Simon could only have gone to Flores, an actor with the heart and capacity to breathe life into the deeply vulnerable nuances necessary to make a show like School Spirits as captivating as it is timely.
School Spirits is a bit of everything: a look at friendship, a mystery, a whodunnit, and a coming-of-age story. What initially stood out about the story to you?
Flores: The final scene of the pilot surprised me. It was so intentional and tragic. A ghost watches her best friend from the corner of the room confess his pain and love out loud. I thought that was an incredible scenario and beautiful writing — as it’s not always about great lines, but great situations. I taped that scene, which was a part casting hadn’t asked for but demanded to be included anyway. Someone told me that the scene later became the official audition side.
We see a very emotional scene in the trailer with you saying that you’re not sure how you’ll survive without Maddie; it stands out as a significant moment before even starting the series. How did you channel not just trying to solve a mystery but trying to track down whoever took the life of your “person.”
Flores: The emotional recall does not work for me. I trained differently. My characters’ range of life experiences are always apart from my own. So I ride imagination full force. I treat my identity as microscopic, essentially irrelevant. No matter if he and I like the same things, we are not the same soul. I felt that my preparation in those emotional scenes was learning to love Maddie — and love her as close as Simon did with the time I had.
While the series will highlight Maddie’s journey in the afterlife, the crux of it all seems to be your friendship; did you have a relationship in your own life like that of yours and Maddie?
Flores: I’ve never had that. What they share is a rare formation that does not happen very often in life. They met so young, became the other person’s air, and nothing ever broke their bond. Maddie and Simon are so close that they don’t talk or dress the same —but are the same.
If your character was in the afterlife support group — what role would they take on?
Flores: Simon might start as a documentarian, but he can’t play a role for too long. Acceptance would agitate him. He would spend all his time trying to leave, even if it meant becoming like Dawn.
Is there a moment in the journey where Simon wants to pump the brakes? Do you ever channel fear of finding out the truth, because that would mean you’d have to face her death head-on?
Flores: In a way, Simon is dying too. His objective is to find out the truth, but he knows that no matter how far he gets or how good of a job he does, she will never come back. She won’t be alive again. He lost his friend. That’s his irony. And what broke my heart was that the faster he investigates her death, the less time he has with her. It’s a pure example of unconditional love. That’s saying, “I’m gonna do this for you and not me. Forget me. I’m gone. Go fly.” He contributes to his own pain. That’s the love I dream of, and a love that we are capable of offering.
If you could describe School Spirits in three words, what would they be?
Flores: Focused. Puzzling. Tragic.
How would you describe Simon to those who haven’t started the series yet? What emotions did you channel to become him?
Flores: When you first meet Simon, he’s destroyed and a broken mess. He doesn’t know where she is. In flashbacks, though, audiences see how fun and careless he was. And with the intelligence he has, Simon was a bit of a critic. He thinks he’s above education and mocks his generation—except the issue with those people is, they usually sit on their intellectual throne but never take action. As soon as Maddie disappears, I saw it as the first time in his life that he has to stretch out his hand toward something real and enormous. The show reveals how much heart and bravery he has inside him, and what he is willing to risk to find the person he loves the most in the world.
It’s easy to gather that several storylines are happening at once, here; what do you most hope viewers take away from School Spirits?
Flores: TV means something different today; the awards, the streaming, and the surplus of content. I’d want audiences to detach from what the modern meaning of a show is. When you watch School Spirits, let go of it being a genre. A trend. Don’t come in to support an actor. You’re not testing what Paramount Plus has come up with. You’re not binging content to kill time. Instead, breathe and feel the writers’ voices. The literature of the show came from two human hands. There’s a soul here. Try to let go of it being some “thing,” but instead, a desperate plea for communication. Forget the decorations. When you treat art as an offering, it will take you away and supply you with something beautiful and helpful exactly to you.
What was the most challenging part of filming scenes with a character whom you’re not “supposed” to be able to see? Did Peyton List ever try to make you laugh or cut silly faces your way?
Flores: The challenge was withstanding my embarrassment in scenes where my character talks to Maddie, but she isn’t seen. I’d be speaking to the air and making all these choices in front of twenty background actors cringing. But after the show, having filmed so many of those scenes, I’m like, “Bring it! Come at me! I could dance in front of anyone!”
What was it like to work on-set with such a talented and fun-loving cast? It seems like the kind of series that would make it easy to form life-long bonds.
Flores: We all got along, and they’re good about accepting people for who they are. Only I simply feel that there’s no closer bond to someone than connecting through our work. I don’t love anything but acting. I may not show up to the afterparty, but let’s rehearse a scene and laugh ’til dawn.
I have a creative kiddo of my own, one who loves to make other people laugh, but it’s not always easy to be seen as the “class clown” type of personality. For those struggling to find a place to “fit in” or to channel their creativity — what advice would you offer them?
Flores: Let movies and books inspire your kiddo forever. They are absolutely real and a perfect source of life. I don’t consider art fictional — all the ideas come from a human heart. Likely, it came from a person who felt alone and is trying to talk to friends they will never meet. The selfless love, for example, [that] Simon has for Maddie is not a tale restricted to a story — but a beating passion the writers feel themselves, and have actualized. Endure the daytime derision — but let the sweet voice of artists throughout history sing you to sleep.
We also learned that you’re a writer yourself; might we see a screenplay or something from you in the future?
Flores: Everyone has something to say. I am working on a screenplay set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, and hope to share it with the right people and work it into reality.
You’ve worked in everything from theater, to roles in horror, and coming-of-age projects so far: What has been the most comfortable, and what would you like to do more of?
Flores: I like the strength of science-fiction movies, because they usually have the boldest messages to say about humanity. But I love the delicacy of a drama, because the characters are textured and messy and have complicated feelings. I don’t want to be “booked and busy.” For who? I’m in no rush. I’m an actor, and art is my only checkbox. I suppose all I want is to work on a story that unfolds into something important to share and whose characters are rich and accurate — however long it takes to find those projects.
Giving back is a big piece of your personal story, and reading about your philanthropic efforts stuck with me. How do you suggest that others get involved in community service projects, or find ways to give back to their communities, too?
Flores: Thank you for this question. In Los Angeles, there are so many homeless shelters and food banks that welcome volunteers. A good start is the St. Francis Center on Hope Street. It’s where I began serving, and being in those rooms — they quickly humanize your perception of the homeless. But the most important thing is keeping humanity in mind and remembering the world is larger than our current field of vision. When you imagine the shivering bodies in hospital rooms, under bridges, or fleeing war, you’ll want to act. Say you’re not in Los Angeles; wherever you are in the world, you can send a few dollars online and donate to an organization you choose. It’s beautiful. Money changes lives. I’ve seen it in person — children having clothes and wearing a backpack they wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s the difference between a family having no water to drink and a whole month’s supply. They’re far away from us, but they don’t have to be.
Last but not least, if you created a playlist to sum up your experience on School Spirits, what are one or two songs that would be on it?
Flores: I was searching for my character’s music before filming, and had difficulty. But then I came across a style of music that is quite popular but hadn’t learned of. It’s called Reverb. Slowed and reverb-ed music. When I listened to it, I could picture Simon running through water and falling through the air in the extended echo of those sad sounds. He’s working against time — he’s in deep pain — his soundtrack is Reverb.
The first five (of eight) episodes of School Spirits are streaming now on Paramount Plus.
