Gabriel Darku Confronts a Complicated Supernatural Legacy in Netflix Sci-Fi Drama “October Faction”

Following an unexpected win in a contest for McDonald’s employees to star in a commercial, Gabriel Darku’s love of performance was permanently awakened. In his new show, October Faction, Gabriel plays Geoff Allen, who along with his sister Viv begins to unravel his parents’ monster hunting past – and the fact that they’ve been leading a secret organization. You can also catch Gabriel in the horror sensation Slasher. For the moment, he’s binge watching everything in sight during quarantine.

 

Cliché: Your interest in acting first started when you were cast in a McDonald’s commercial after they held an employee contest. In that moment, could you ever envision yourself being where you are now? What ignited the fire in you? 

Gabriel Darku: When I won a spot in that commercial, I simply thought it would be a great experience, something definitely worth soaking up but in now way did I expect it to change my life the way it has. It’s a question I ask myself all the time. Where would I be and what would I be doing with my life right now, if that commercial never happened? Up until that moment, I never once saw myself as an actor, yet the idea of being involved in entertainment in some way seemed to fit so well with who I was, always wanting to showcase what I can do. After that commercial, something finally clicked and I just sort of gave into it. 

 

I’ve always had a deep love and passion for sports and music, and I was considerably talented in both areas during my youth. I know that I could have followed a path of a professional athlete, but something that I still find myself interested in exploring is making music. Something tells me that if I hadn’t thrown myself into acting the way I did, I would be diving deeper into my love of music. 

Talk about your new show, October Faction, and your character, Geoff Allen. 

October Faction follows the lives of two monster hunters, Fred and Deloris Allen, and their twin siblings Geoff and Viv. Unbeknownst to the kids, mom and dad are career monster hunters who have been members of a secret organization for decades, and it turns out that the Allen family has long been at the helm of said organization. As the story unfolds we get to learn more about the Allen family and it’s legacy, and about the supernatural lore of their world, but the best part for me is simply watching how the characters deal with the struggles in their relationships with each other. The show remains surprisingly grounded and relatable, despite it being a sci-fi story about monster hunting, which is what I love most about it. 

 

Why is it so important for Geoff and his family to conceal their identities from their hometown? 

It’s not just in their hometown that they have to conceal their identity, it’s anywhere. I feel like if the general public knew just how real supernatural threats are, and that there’s actually a militant organization operating outside of government and therefore outside of the law, chaos would ensue. It’s all politics. 

Well, if you’re a fan of horror then you’ll love this show. I’ve always loved scary movies, and being in a horror project was definitely a check off my bucket list. I was in the 3rd season playing Connor Rijkers, a very troubled young man dealing with the recent suicide of his birth mother and is now left with the burden of caring for his other mom, and burden he shares with his sister Jen. One of the things I love most about this show is it’s inclusivity and representation. We have characters of all walks of life grace the screen, all of who are important to the story. It really is incredible to watch. 

 

I love escapism. I think that’s always been the most attractive thing about fantasy and sci-fi genres, whether you’re in the audience or a part of the creation process, you get to let your imagination run wild. And as an actor, you’re much more likely to have the chance to play characters you’d never think of for yourself. It’s just a lot of fun to play in a fantasy world. But that said, I also take pride in wanting to tell meaningful, impactful and relatable stories. I believe that’s what’s attracted me to most of the roles I’ve been seen in as of late, the idea that just because the story is being told in a fantasy world doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be able to see our stories be told there as well. 

 

 

How are you entertaining yourself during quarantine? 

Lots of media! Now’s the perfect time to be diving into shows and movies I’ve yet to watch. My partner and I were binging an anime before the quarantine happened, and now that we’ve had the time to finish it we can get started on new stuff! We already binged Netflix’s Dracula, and right now we’re watching Bodyguard. We’ve also been going out rollerblading for exercise and fresh air, playing lots of games with our roomies, anything to keep our minds stimulated!