A new LGBTQ+ coming-of-age series, The Nature of Us, recently premiered on YouTube, and we were immediately hooked. The show follows 18-year-olds Elly and Yona as they navigate the complex emotions that accompany first love, self-discovery, and the often complex transition from adolescence to adulthood. The six-part series is equal parts intimate and honest. A portrayal of queer youth that’s raw and tender, all in under 15 minutes per episode.
A Story Rooted in Experience
For creator Josh Cox, The Nature of Us isn’t just another fictional coming-of-age tale — it’s a reflection of his own lived experiences. “Elly is me in so many ways,” Cox says. “Rowen and Yona are the idyllic support system I never had. I felt really lost throughout school, and especially after. I didn’t see a future for myself. All I knew was that I loved to make art; in my case, film. Writing this story came very naturally.”
Cox drew inspiration from other queer series and characters like Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper, as well as shows that explored mental health with nuance, like Ian and Mickey from Shameless. But more than homage, The Nature of Us is about authenticity; allowing silence, awkwardness, and unspoken emotion to evoke a feeling.
Instead of heavy exposition, Cox trusted audiences to infer, feel, and connect. “Lack of exposition was very intentional,” he explains. “I trust audiences are smart and empathically attuned enough to understand or infer what these characters are going through.”
That trust extends to the cast. Much of the dialogue was improvised, giving the actors permission to bring their unique voices to the story. “While these are characters, they are still bringing 99% of themselves to the role,” Cox says, which is evident on screen, where moments of vulnerability feel rooted in realism, rather than performance.
Bringing Elly, Yona, and Rowen to Life
The show’s emotional anchor is tied to its trio of leads: Elly, Yona, and Rowen. Benjamin Piers, who plays Elly, spoke about the weight of portraying a queer teen navigating depression and longing. “The depression, anxiety, and deep sadness that Elly deals with are something so many real people deal with every day of their lives. I wanted to give it the weight it deserves,” he says.
Opposite Benjamin, Sean Manucha brings Yona to life with a quiet vulnerability. “If Elly is the person that floods Yona’s universe with color, light, and joy, then I had to let Elly/Ben be that person for me,” Manucha reflects. Their chemistry shines not only in dialogue but also in unscripted moments — playful montage scenes where their real-life friendship blends seamlessly into the story.
And then there’s Rowen, Elly’s steadfast best friend, played by Alison Newton — who just might be my favorite character. For many who watch the series, I think you’ll see that Rowen embodies a grounding force so many queer kids rely on during their formative years. My Rowen was a girl named Katy. Hi Katy!
When I call out that “most gay guys have a Rowen,” Alison replies, “Ben and I have been friends since college, so our chemistry on screen is very real. All the encouragement and ‘love you’s’ felt more real for sure.”
Allison’s character may have a supporting role, but Rowen has a subplot that audiences will appreciate. Allison says, “Although our main focus is Elly and Yona, I’m glad Rowen gets to have her own storyline. It’s important she’s just as independent and confident in who she is.”
Why The Nature of Us Matters
While queer coming-of-age stories are becoming more common, The Nature of Us approaches the genre with an honesty that, at times, is uncomfortable. It’s so real and awkward, and beautiful.
It doesn’t shy away from the struggles of mental health, but it also doesn’t wallow in despair. Instead, it offers something many young queer people long for and need now, more than ever: hope. “Hopefully it’s empowering representation,” Cox says. “Stories of mental health and queerness being told in ways that aren’t extremely depressing are important.”
The series has already found a passionate audience online, with fans praising its sincerity. For Cox, the goal is simply to connect. “I just hope people connect with it and find the reality within it. To me, it’s a very real story grounded in emotion and our own strengths.”
Where to Watch
The Nature of Us is now streaming for free on YouTube with new episodes releasing on Fridays. Follow the cast and creator on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content and updates!
For more from Josh and the cast of The Nature of Us, check out our exclusive interview below! Some spoilers ahead.
Gayety: Josh, it’s so nice to chat and hear more about The Nature of Us. I’ve loved the series so far! I’d love to start with the inception of the series. Can you tell me a little about who these characters are to you?
Josh Cox: Firstly, thank you so much for watching the show. I’m so pleased you’re enjoying it. I think the next two episodes are really going to surprise you. I’d love a follow-up with your thoughts. I began developing the project when I had the realization I likely wasn’t alone in my feelings of depression, anxiety, and unworthiness. Also, seeing positive queer experiences play out on screen, like in Heartstopper, made me want to tell a story that showed people they weren’t alone and could help them in any capacity by mirroring or comforting them.
I love that it is such a personal project. What about the title? How did you land on The Nature of Us?
I remember I was going to first call it The Perfect Nature of Everything. It was a story that, despite covering topics like depression, was still rooted in the beauty of everything life has to offer. Even in the chaos and the sadness, there’s still something so perfect about each of our journeys in life, in that it is unique and personal to us; there’s always so much to learn and grow from. Ultimately, I thought of the story more between the main love interests and renaming it The Nature of Us felt more intimate, but still encompassing of how complex life and relationships are, yet how grounding and beautiful they can be as well. There’s a frame in episode 5 where we see Elly’s artist proposal for his residency, which reads something along the lines of using art to peel back the layers of who we are at our core. That’s what this story really is; it truly reveals our nature.
Part of that complexity the show does so well is building tension. Tension internally for Elly, between Elly and Yona, and even potential tension with Elly and Rowen. How do you approach writing and directing that tension so it feels authentic?
Whenever I write a story, it surprisingly just falls out of me (tension and all), and I don’t stop writing until the story resolves itself. Even when I’m having a mental block partway through the process, I’m constantly thinking about the characters, and resolution comes to me at some
point. I think being an admittedly empathic person helps me relate to each character, even one who is experiencing things I haven’t, because I have a deep understanding of their human nature, which also serves me when directing.
The shooting style feels very fly-on-the-wall and intimate. How would you describe the style of the series, and what choices went into achieving that?
I come from a theater background as a kid, so observational styles of shooting come naturally for me, as if I’m framing everything in front of the fourth wall. I shoot in such a way that I want to disappear, helping the actors’ performance, yet still capture their nuances for the screen.
Undisturbing, yet intimate, is how I approach my work.
Well, you achieve it perfectly. Something else you achieve so well is exposition, or lack thereof, really. It feels authentic and lets the story
unfold naturally. Most modern series cram in details so the audience doesn’t have to think for themselves. Was this intentional?
Lack of exposition was very intentional. I trust audiences are smart and empathically attuned enough to understand or infer what these characters are going through. I always knew where I wanted the story to begin, with Elly being released from the mental hospital and being thrown
together with Yona as soon as he could. That way, we can learn about these characters at the same time they’re learning about each other. Also, this story takes time to tell, and slowly we’ll unearth all the exposition we need to better understand everything, rather than give it to you all
upfront.
I also love the dialogue. Usually, in coming-of-age shows, you can tell characters were written by adults, almost in a caricature style. How much of the dialogue was scripted, and how much was improvised?
For the most part, there weren’t scripted lines. Before we shot every scene, we would have a conversation about where we were in the story and what the characters were thinking and feeling in a particular moment. This offered a real freedom to the actors to speak from a more
authentic place. Alternatively, there were times that I did have exact lines in mind for them to hit at a certain point in the scene, but I always made sure they were comfortable with speaking that planned dialogue naturally, or else we could tweak the phrasing so it could sound and feel
more personal to them and their own style. I really instill in every actor I work with that while these are characters, they are still bringing 99% of themselves to the role.
Okay, then you might not have an answer for this question, but there’s a moment when Yona tells Elly, “I want to be with every version of you,” and I melted. Did you write that line or was that improvised?
This is an instance of having lines in mind for the actors to say. This was a really pivotal and delicate moment in the story. I just thought: what would I have to hear to really believe that somebody was going to be there for me — through the good, the bad, all of it? How could I come out of my shell and begin to look at myself through their forgiving eyes, and not my own, which are much harsher? It was this idea of a character almost pleading to stay with someone and vulnerably expressing their desire to be with every single version of that human. It’s evocative of the title, the multi-faced nature of our identities that we bring to relationships, and
It really speaks to the entire theme of the show: accepting every part of somebody.
Speaking of acceptance, there’s a theme emerging around the complexities of queer kids and their families. How did you decide which family dynamics to focus on, and what do you hope audiences take away from those portrayals?
In the final episode of the series, we get a clearer portrait of the struggling relationship Elly has with his mother. It’s not uncommon for queer kids to have estranged relationships with their parents due to their identity, but it can also be for a myriad of other reasons as well. I leaned into the idea that Elly is someone generally accepted for who he is all his life, and his differences with his mother stem from similar mental health struggles, not queer acceptance. We can glean in episode 3, after Elly asks about Yona’s parents, that he has always been apprehensive of his family knowing his sexuality. Yet, we learn that Yona was embraced by them after coming out. It’s these smaller details about a character’s background that help make them more real to audiences, and even inform their actions throughout the show. I think these parental relationships just offer audiences something different from the troupe, despite being unfortunately common, of a sadder reality about estrangement stemming from acceptance. I wasn’t trying to play into that specific narrative with this story.
This series shows the complexities of learning about yourself through someone else, especially in our early, formative relationships. So much of what we know about ourselves, or what we want, comes from our relationships with other people.
I think this is definitely true for Yona. Yona has a real journey of getting to know what it’s like to be the most honest version of himself through his relationship with Elly — someone who’s always been himself, someone who has talent just like Yona has talent, and is picking up the pieces of his life to try to do something meaningful with it. Yona even tells Elly he’s taught him so much in that same scene when he tells him he wants every version of him. And especially in the last two episodes (5 & 6), we’ll see the real impact Yona has made on Elly. They both offer each other so much room to grow and find themselves, which is the heart of the story for me.
Each new episode feels more fully formed than the last, which is a real feat in short-form content. How do you make the story feel complete in under 15 minutes?
It actually didn’t play out like that at all on the shoot. We shot this as a feature film, and it took me over a year and a half in post-production to finally pinpoint what felt off about the project — it was never meant to be a film. I recall falling asleep one night, having that epiphany, and
wondering what the story would look like episodically. Suddenly, the clear breaks between episodes appeared in my head very naturally. I’m grateful it translated so easily.
Small spoiler: Who chose to make Rowen queer? I loved that twist.
I always sought to make Rowen a more dimensional character. Obviously, when telling a story like this, you have a lot of focus on the central romance, but I resented the idea that any secondary character would fall victim to the notion that their story was less important. Especially
because Rowen is extremely crucial to the entire storyline. Without her, there wouldn’t be one. I wanted Rowen’s journey to her identity to be even more forefront, but a scene got cut from the series due to some technical issues during the shoot. I still plan to release the scene
where she comes out as more fluid in her sexuality to Elly; it’s a really sweet moment. Making her queer made her feel a lot more real to me. And it’s nice to see her depend on Elly to push her into going after what she wants as she explores that queerness, opposed to typically seeing the opposite play out between them, adding a beautiful layer to their friendship.
Benjamin and Sean, you’re fantastic in the show! I spoke to Josh about the show’s incredible use of tension as the episodes build. Much of the tension stems from new love, especially young love. Do you remember the first person who gave you that feeling, and if so, did it inform your performance?
Benjamin: Ah, great question. I can’t say that any one person or experience comes to mind, but what I do know is that when I was younger, I would get quite enamored by some boy and then fall very quickly, thinking it was love, but really it was just infatuation. A little crush… I’ve grown from that, and I’m definitely more reserved with my feelings now; I hold back. A part of that is how I imagine Elly to be. He cares, or at least he would like to, but there’s always that voice in his head that tells him to not give all of himself to Yona. Just so that he won’t get hurt again. He’s struggled so much with relationships that were supposed to mean everything to him, so holding back is the only way to preserve what’s left of that sort of him. So I took both of those experiences and gave them to Elly.
Sean: I do remember that first-time feeling! It is unlike anything else — it fills your world with so much color and light… and it’s hard to capture what that feels like in an acting performance. But what was important was taking this project/character moment-to-moment, from scene to
scene. The foundation of it is remembering who these characters are to each other.
Benjamin, in the first couple of episodes, we see Elly’s pain in learning to love and the courage it takes to let someone in. A collective experience for many queer people. How did you approach that vulnerability?
Benjamin: I think this was really important for us to depict these topics correctly in this series. Josh and I spoke a lot, prior to filming, about how I would accurately portray someone who deals with everything Elly has going on in his life. The depression, anxiety, and deep sadness that Elly deals with are something so many real people deal with every day of their lives. I wanted to give it the weight it deserves. Being a young person right out of high school, you are met with so many weird turns, and add being queer on top of that, and it is just a whole guessing game. I just hope I was able to accurately depict someone with layered emotions.
What do each of you connect to most in your characters?
Benjamin: I love the way Elly believes in his art. Being creative is a major part of my life, and we both share that love for all things creative. But I think what I was able to really connect with the most is how openly Elly is able to hurt. It’s so important to not hold your pain in, which I tend to do, so being able to live through someone who doesn’t see that as a downside was an incredible opportunity for me. I learned a lot from him.
Sean: I connect most to Yona’s tentative exploration of his new world. He is receiving so much information at one time (what it’s like to have a romantic experience… a seuxal experience… to make new friends with a different background than the friends he’s presumably had his whole
life up until now), and I can relate to the sense of trying to keep your feet on the ground when your new world sweeps you off your feet. It’s really a big sense of push and pull…
Benjamin, I have to ask… the grey shorts. Who is behind that costume choice? They’re almost a supporting character themselves. Elly is showing a lot of leg!
Benjamin: Wow, I didn’t know this would ever be a point of discussion, but I guess my legs are that eye-catching! To be honest, I wanted everything Elly wore to be comfortable. When he’s dealing with his sadness and just wants to feel safe and at peace, this is what I imagine he’d be wearing. All of Elly’s clothes were my own, and Josh gave me the liberty to just bring a bunch of what I think would work, and we would play around on days we’d shoot certain scenes. Regarding these shorts, they’re sweat-pant cut-offs that I’ve had for years. I just thought, when he’s feeling down, what would be the clothes he’d grab first… a pair of sweatpants that he’s had for years that maybe got too short, so he cut them into shorts, maybe a little too short, but he couldn’t care less. I just think he isn’t trying to impress anyone; he just wants to do what might make him feel at ease. And maybe that’s just a bit of thigh!
That makes total sense for his character. We love Elly’s emotional support shorts! Other than clothing, how do your characters use body language and subtle gestures to convey their emotional state? With the runtime being so short, I imagine you have to make really intentional choices for your characters.
Benjamin: Love this question! It’s my favorite part about acting or filmmaking. The little moments where a character self-soothes by twisting the drawstrings of their hoodie, or avoiding eye contact with someone until the last second. I think that first, making sure we (Sean, Alison, and I) had a relationship outside of shooting helped make our more intimate/quieter scenes more meaningful. So much of this series’ dialogue happens in silence. Small glances or sweet forehead nudges on a shoulder. These little moments just made it all feel real, because well if I was 18 again and with a boy for the first time I’d be awkward, nervous, excited…
Sean: It really comes down to the given circumstances in the story, and how we used the characters’ objectives, as well as their obstacles, as tools in the scenes. It was also crucial for us to use our real-life chemistry as the foundation of the relationship between these two fictitious characters.
Alison, I love your character and your portrayal of Rowen. Most gay guys have a Rowen, and I’m curious if you have a relationship you were able to pull from to help root Rowen’s relationship with Elly in something real.
Alison: First of all, thank you. I’m so glad I got to be a part of this amazing project and wonderful story. And yes, I would say I’m pulling from a few personal relationships, not just because of the “gay best friend” narrative, but especially when it comes to helping Elly with his mental health struggles. This story doesn’t feel very far from home when it comes to a couple of people in my life.
I spoke to Josh about the choice to make Rowen queer. While her sexuality might seem like a small detail at first, it changes the dynamic from the typical ‘female best friend as savior’ we usually see. There’s a sense of shared experience and equality in the relationship — like she can understand his journey on a deeper level, which adds depth to the story.
Alison: I agree. Although we might not get all the details of Rowen and Elena’s relationship, we get enough to keep audiences satisfied that Elly isn’t the only one coming into himself this summer. I feel Rowen and Elly are both trying to figure it all out and are happy to be able to lean on each other when it counts.
What do you connect to most about Rowen?
Alison: I would say I connect most to her understanding. I feel like she obviously wants the best for her friend and looks to push him outside of his comfort zone at times, but she always knows when it’s too much for him. She wants to still make sure he’s comfortable. As we said before, she relates to new beginnings and relationships, but not everything he’s going through with his mother. And where she can’t empathize, she allows him to deal with it in his own way. And she will be his comfort when he needs. I always look to be that for my friends. The listening ear, the cuddle, whatever they need in that moment – I want to understand and help in the best way I am able. It might not always be easy, but I try, and so does Rowen.
