Actor Colin Woodell photographed by Clinton Gaughran for LogoTV's TheBacklot

It's been a few weeks on The Originals since gay vampire Josh (Steven Krueger) found out the guy he'd been flirting with online was gay werewolf Aiden (Colin Woodell). In the world of the Vampire Diaries spin-off, that's a huge no-no.

You see, vampires and werewolves aren't supposed to get along and they're definitely not supposed to date each other, but Josh and Aiden are forging ahead with a relationship that we can only hope will progress beyond a drink at the local bar. Romeo and Juliet anyone?

So far the twosome haven't had much of a chance to get to know each other. They've been battling witches and other evil forces. But since we talked to Krueger earlier this year it only seemed fair to sit down with Woodell, who joined the series this season, to talk about the new relationship with Josh, what we'll see moving forward and how the San Francisco native has always had gay people in his life.   

The Backlot: So when you set out for an acting career, gay werewolf was on the bucket list, right?

Colin Woodell: [laughs] No. Not at all actually. I come from a theater background so you never really see yourself doing the things that you see all over the place. It’s always that riveting, dark role that you picture yourself playing. But I had auditioned for The Vampire Diaries several times and I really, really enjoyed the casting office. They seemed to have a good response to me. So I could see it happening, but you never like to think too much about it before it happens. If it happens, awesome. If it doesn’t, so be it.

You knew going in that he was going to be gay and a werewolf? The romance with Josh, the whole thing?

CW: Yeah.

What’s it been like working with Steven?

CW: It’s always fascinating when you’re a new character on an already established show and you’re trying to sort of ease your way in and get to know everyone. It really only takes one person to kind of make you feel comfortable and to get to know everyone else.

And Steven, I think he knew the situation that we were in and where the story was going to be going and he completely took me under his wing and brought me around and introduced me to everyone. And it was really needed because I was intimidated and kind of scared of the whole situation. He made me feel very comfortable. And the more you get to know someone, the easier it is to act with them in general. So it was very needed, but it was also really awesome for him to do that for me.

You said the situation was scary for you. Was that just being in the show or was it the role or…?

CW: I knew how well the show did in season one and it’s easy to think of these expectations are a lot harder than they really are. I’m an actor, so my mind plays a lot of tricks with me and then I over evaluate things oftentimes. So, yeah, I was a little scared [and] I felt the need to really impress. That’s not always the healthiest thing to do or say. But I think you don’t realize that everyone is here to tell a story and we’re all in this together.

We’re at a time in TV where there are gay characters everywhere and the dissenting voices seem to have lost a lot of their volume. Did you think much about the fact that Aiden was a gay character going into this?

CW: Yeah. It crossed my mind and when I got the part I was like ‘okay, this is a really cool opportunity to do something.’ Growing up I had so many friends who were definitely dealing with a lot and were too afraid to be open about who they were and I think television and film is the best medium for anyone to reach a younger audience especially. I think that is the best way to make someone believe and feel okay with who they are.

So I looked at it like that. When I got to the show, Michael Narducci, who’s one of the head writers, he wanted to reiterate it to me that this love interest is in no way about the gender of these two people. It’s about the factions that they come from and who they are really, their species more than anything. So right from the get-go, I was told ‘don’t even worry about the fact that this is a gay relationship. That does not matter whatsoever.’ It’s more about this is a Romeo and Juliet scenario where there’s a lot at stake and bad things can happen, not because of two guys being together, but because of one being a werewolf, one being a vampire.

And neither Josh nor Aiden were brought on the show for a coming out story. We meet them already out as opposed to the coming out angst.

CW: No. It doesn’t need to be. The beauty of it [and] what’s great about this show is it does go back in time and catch the viewer up on what’s happened to these people before we meet them. So that could actually happen in episodes to come, but it doesn’t matter, which is the best part. It’s great.

What would you say is at the root of their attraction to each other and what will we see in the coming episodes?

CW: Well, you will see a lot more and I’m very, very excited about that. You always want what you can’t have. And that’s also what fuels our attraction to each other is that [Josh is] something that so off limits and so am I. And we also have our priorities [and] we both have our own separate agendas, yet we also love the fact that we’re from completely different worlds. We have so much in common and it’s a really awesome thing because, yeah, it’s very scandalous. And I think when those stakes are really high, it makes a love interest that much more passionate.

Well, there’s something sexy about being secretive and all that.

CW: Oh, absolutely.

Now we all know when dating someone it helps to have a BFF to lean on. Josh has Davina (Danielle Campbell) but does Aiden have a Davina in his life?

CW: No. Not that we know of. And that could come later, but I think Davina will almost be that person. And we do know that Jackson is almost like an uncle figure to Aiden, if not like a brother, so later on he is very caring of Aiden and who he is and the choices he makes and that’s something but there is no female counterpart that it’s always there with Aiden.

It’s a pretty decent size cast. Is there anybody that you haven’t really shared scenes with yet, that you’d like to work with?

CW: Well, I’ve shot scenes with everyone. But there are definitely actors who I’ve only done a few scenes with. Joseph, for the first part, I’ve had one scene with him and it was a very serious scene. But that guy somehow brings like this intensity and focus to the set and it makes everyone, not only the actors, not only the writers, not only the directors, but the entire crew really, really focus and it’s his professionalism that you can’t really see anywhere else. You feel this need to tell this story and it’s awesome because he cares so much about it that you do too.

I’ve also only had one scene with Leah Pipes and she is the most charming, easygoing woman. And [her character, Cami] also is the only human, so she’s so real and she knows who she is. She's almost like a sanctuary to the show because we need someone who is real. And she’s also hilarious and she’ll get people to laugh up until action. She’s very fun, very, very different. But yeah, we’d love to do more scenes together.

In your own life, are you romantic?

CW: Absolutely and I have no shame admitting that whatsoever. I believe chivalry isn’t and shouldn't be dead. I was raised by my mother and my father to really be a gentleman. I also believe that love takes time and it takes getting to know someone and maybe you consider that being a gentleman, but I honestly believe that if you ever want something to work with someone, you’ve got to give it a lot of time and a lot of conversations and a lot of getting to know someone. So I guess you can call that being a romantic, but yeah, I’m in no hurry with any person that I meet.

You grew up in San Francisco, which is known to have a few gay people. Safe to say that gay people have been in your life from an early age?

CW: Forever. And that’s how I was raised. It’s not black and white honestly. And it’s always been that way to be accepting of whoever, wherever they may be, and to be okay with it and that’s why I’m very fortunate and very lucky to be raised that way because it makes this just so much easier.

Since you have experience in the theater, do you have a bucket list for like a show you have to do some time in your life?

CW: Oh, God. People are going to hate me for saying this and this is totally Marlon Brando’s role and no one else’s but I definitely would love to play Stanley [in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire]. I mean, why not, right? Tennessee Williams is  my favorite playwright of all time. I also love Sam Shepard and I would love to do True West. I think that’s one of the best plays ever. I’m a total drama nerd.

What have you heard social media wise since you started on the show?

CW: It’s ‘Jaiden’ all the way. You’ve got to ship the name. But yeah, everyone is so warm and welcoming. I mean that’s been the best part about this. I’ve done other shows before, but this show has such a strong presence on social media and it’s a really amazing thing because I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by how well I’ve been received and how great it’s made me feel.

I think it’s a powerful thing for people when they pay compliments, but I also think it can be a dangerous thing when they don’t like you. So you really got to take it in stride and not let it get to your head. But it’s been awesome to see people because they love Josh. He’s the puppy of our show. They’re also worried that Aiden might hurt him and that’s also really, really wonderful to see because people really, really care about these characters.

The Originals airs Mondays at 8pm on the CW.