Having first premiered on Netflix in 2020, here are 10 Locke & Key Fun Facts. Even the most passionate fans may not know about some of these…
Based on the popular comic-book series of the same name, Locke & Key has aired 3 seasons on Netflix. Season 3, which also serves as the final season, dropped on August 10, 2022.
Unfamiliar with the series? Locke & Key follows the titular Locke family – widowed mother Nina (Darby Stanchfield), a recovering alcoholic, as well as her 3 children – Tyler (Connor Jessup), Kinsey (Emilia Jones) and Bode (Jackson Robert Scott).
After moving to Matheson, Massachusetts and into the mysterious ‘Keyhouse’, this broken family discovers a world beyond anything they could’ve imagined…
Be sure to check out our Locke & Key interviews with Jesse Camacho (Doug), Leishe Meyboom (Abby) and Kevin Alves (Javi).
So, sit back, relax and enjoy these Locke & Key Fun Facts…
Staying In The Netflix Family
Fans of Locke & Key know actor Griffin Gluck as Gabe, Dodge’s male form. He was initially introduced as Kinsey’s love interest, with his true identity being a major twist in Season 1.
However, Gluck was already part of the Netflix family before being cast as Gabe/Dodge. From 2017-18, the now 21-year-old played ‘Sam Eklund’, a high school student filmmaker, on both seasons of American Vandal.
This ‘true crime’ mockumentary series followed two high school students, Peter (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam, investigating juvenile crimes. The twist? These crimes – spray-painting penises and ‘poop’ pranks receive the same treatment as Serial or Making A Murderer. Gluck and Alvarez were the only two actors to appear in both seasons.
Famous Father
Since Locke & Key premiered, London-born Emilia Jones has undoubtedly been on a roll. Maybe you know Jones best as Kinsey Locke? Or, perhaps, from her lead role as ‘Ruby Rossi’ in 2021’s Academy Award-winning feature film CODA, opposite Marlee Matlin?
Directed by Sian Heder, the film also won Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
As it turns out, Emilia is not the only famous member of her family. Her father is none other than Welsh singer, Aled Jones. He achieved widespread fame as a teenager in the 1980s. He now also has a successful broadcasting career, particularly on radio.
A Visit To The Good Doctor
Coby Bird has played ‘Rufus Whedon’ on Locke & Key since Season 1. For Bird, who is also autistic, this is his first major television role.
However, Bird’s autism diagnosis was a major factor for a previous part, before joining Locke & Key.
In 2017, Bird guest-starred in The Good Doctor Season 1 as “Liam West”, a patient who has autism. If you were unaware, that show’s lead character, Dr Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) is a highly gifted autistic savant. It just so happened that Liam was the first fellow autistic person he had met.
The Original Pilot
Before Netflix’s Locke & Key, there were two other attempts to adapt the comic book. The first was a FOX pilot starring Miranda Otto (Nina), Mark Pellegrino (Rendell), Jesse McCartney (Tyler) and Sarah Bolger (Kinsey), among others.
The second, however, is much more connected to the version we know. Hulu produced a pilot with cast members including Frances O’Connor (Nina), Danny Glover (Joe Ridgeway), Owen Teague (Sam Lesser) and Megan Charpentier (Kinsey).
Argentine director Andy Muschietti (IT) helmed this pilot and stayed on as Executive Producer of the Netflix series.
After the Hulu pilot was not picked up, Netflix retained one cast member for its own Locke & Key adaptation – IT star Jackson Robert Scott as the youngest sibling, Bode Locke.
A Man Of Many Shows
While Locke & Key fans know Aaron Ashmore as ‘Uncle Duncan’, he has appeared in several other major projects.
First and foremost, these do not include X-Men, The Following or The Rookie. Those projects Shawn Ashmore, Aaron’s identical twin brother.
Instead, Ashmore has been a staple of science-fiction/fantasy television for over a decade. His biggest roles include Smallville (as Jimmy Olsen), Warehouse 13 (as Steve Jinks) and Killjoys (as Johnny Jacqobis).
Most recently, Aaron Ashmore appears as Captain William “Wheezer” Heaseman on CBC’s SkyMed, a medical drama set in northern Manitoba.
From Ramsay Street to Matheson
Australian actor Felix Mallard recurs as ‘Lucas Caravaggio’ on Locke & Key Season 1 and 2. Young Lucas was a friend of Rendell (Bill Heck) and Ellie (Sherri Saum), who was later possessed by Dodge (Laysla de Oliveira). This means Lucas either always appears in flashbacks or as Dodge.
Mallard has since moved on to other projects. However, you may unaware of his big break, back in Mallard’s native Australia. The 24-year-old played ‘Ben Kirk’ on the Australian soap-opera Neighbours between 2014-2019.
The long-running soap, which ended in 2022, also served as a launching pad for stars such as Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Guy Pearce, Margot Robbie, Jesse Spencer and The 100 star Bob Morley.
Falling Skies
Consider this synopsis: “A show about 3 siblings and a single parent, who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances, but stick together and become even closer.”
On some level, that could describe Locke & Key, right? In this case, that statement applies to Falling Skies, a TNT post-apocalyptic drama from 2011-2015. Led by ER‘s Noah Wyle, the show followed a group of survivors after a hostile alien invasion.
So, what does this have to do with Locke & Key? Well, Connor Jessup (Tyler) played Ben Mason, the middle son of Tom (Wyle). Ben was captured by aliens early in the series. This plays a big role in the character’s wider story throughout the series.
Falling Skies also starred Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Sarah Carter and Colin Cunningham, to name a few.
In The King Family
We all know Stephen King has created classic stories. His many genres include science-fiction, supernatural, fantasy, horror, suspense and crime. Although Locke & Key may have a ‘Stephen King’ feel, he actually has nothing to do with the series, besides fathering the actual writer.
King’s son, Joe Hill – a respected writer in his own right – penned Locke & Key, with illustrations from Chilean penciller Gabriel Rodriguez. The original comic-book series ran from February 2008 to December 2013, published by IDW Publishing.
Hill and Rodriguez even cameoed in the Netflix series during Season 1, playing paramedics. Just another of our Locke & Key Fun Facts!
“O Canada…”
Fans of Locke & Key know the action takes place in Matheson, Massachusetts. However, Matheson is fictitious and series production happens outside the United States.
In real life, the series is filmed in Canada. Most notably, locations include Toronto. For shots of Matheson, the town of Lunenberg, Nova Scotia acts as a stand-in.
The Canadian influence does not end there! Owing perhaps to the filming location, many of the actors are actually Canadian, rather than American. Notable examples include Connor Jessup (Tyler), Laysla de Oliveira (Dodge), Kevin Durand (Frederick Gideon), Aaron Ashmore (Uncle Duncan), Hallea Jones (Eden) and Jesse Camacho (Doug), to name just a few.
Carlton Cuse
So, now we know Joe Hill wrote the comic-book series, but who brought Locke & Key to life on television? None other than legendary writer/producer Carlton Cuse. His body of work includes LOST, Bates Motel, The Strain, Colony and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.
Coincidentally, LOST featured a major character named Locke; island ‘believer’ John Locke, played by Emmy-winning actor Terry O’Quinn.
As we learned from our second interview with Jesse Camacho, Cuse’s name was also the inspiration for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character Calton Banks (Alfonso Ribeiro). Series co-creators Andy and Susan Borowitz attended Harvard with Cuse.
