Trans Folks in Horror: ‘In the Vault’s’ Jac Bernhard

In the Vault, the college-set thriller series that focuses on the suspicions of a group of students who each think the other is responsible for a suspected murder that occurred at a party, is now available to stream on Crackle.

Created by Ben Epstein, the show stars Audrey Whitby, Sydney Sweeney, Caleb Castille, Paul Karmiryan, Taylor Gray, Julia Kelly, Tim Granaderos, Jac Bernhard, and Claudia Lee. Every episode spotlights a specific character as a protagonist one week and a suspect the next.

According to a press statement, Jeff Meier, Crackle’s head of programming, says, “We are so excited to see our audience responding to the fun nail-biting edge-of-your-seat thrill-fest that is In the Vault. We thought this series would be a big hit, but the strong word-of-mouth and social buzz our fans are giving it exceeds even our wildest expectations.”

Season Two of the show will premiere as a Crackle original later this year, with exciting new cast members joining. The plot thickens as the students continue to dig into the mystery of the previous season while fresh intrigue cries out from under the very ground on which they stand.

OFM had the pleasure of connecting with Bernhard, who plays Chris Rummel, one of the show’s primary trans characters. In addition to the show and his role, he touches on how the horror genre is breaking away from traditional stereotypes to feature more modern and inclusive characters and what he hopes to accomplish as a trans actor.

Let me begin by asking, how excited are you that In the Vault is now available to stream on Crackle?

It’s so awesome! Crackle is such a wide platform, and it’s so cool that we have such a nice home on there now. I love how they have a great variety, so there’s something for everybody. It’s nice to be a part of that, and to be a younger show, it feels very forward. It truly is an honor for this show to have a place.

What did you enjoy the most about being involved with the series, and why is it worth checking out?

The cast is genuinely very close in real life, so it’s been great to know everybody and still be in touch today. This show was filmed a few years ago, and it was game-changing for everyone to learn from each other. Everybody brought something individual to the table. I really like knowing when shows are made with a lot of heart, and ours certainly was.

It’s also a lot of fun. There’s a good blend of comedy, and of course, it’s pretty scary at times. It’s for sure a heavy topic, but it’s done in a fun way. There’s an old school, teen horror element to it, which I love. I love things like Scream but also shows like Freaks and Geeks. It’s this fun little camaraderie. Everybody’s got their own thing.

Is it safe to assume that you’ve always been a fan of the horror/thriller genre?

Oh, big time! When I was little, The Shining is what made me want to be an actor. I was lucky to have parents who showed me that when I was in the fifth grade (laughs).

You play Chris Rummel. Can you tell us more about your character?

Chris Rummel, he comes into school as what a lot of people refer to as a stealth trans person. He doesn’t tell anybody that he’s a trans guy because he’s really interested in being on the football team, and his parents are very religious. So, he’s afraid of what they’ll think of that. He found hormones on the internet, and he takes them in secrecy. It was interesting because I had to portray him dressing up as feminine presenting so that he could keep his parents away from that secret.

This wasn’t a typical trans storyline, which I enjoyed, just seeing the difference between the ways that Chris had to present himself in front of his parents and church versus how he really came across and what everybody saw him as. Then when he does come out, there’s this cool thing that happens where people are even more excited to know him once they find out that he’s trans, and he’s a little taken aback by that. I found a little comedy in it, but it was nice to see that.

At the time we were filming, so many trans plot lines were morose. They were homeless and struggling; then they finally felt fulfilled or something. You know what I mean? Chris is a very full character, and I think part of that is because they let a trans guy be a principal character on this show. There was time for him to have a storyline. Even the fact that he’s super Christian is interesting too. That’s a trans storyline that you don’t often hear about.

I was raised Catholic on Long Island, so it was cool for me to kind of use that upbringing to relate to some of this. I have received a couple of messages from queer people who want to find a balance between their religion, gender, and sexuality, and they liked seeing that it was portrayed positively.

As a transgender man, do you believe the thriller/horror genre is beginning to break away from traditional stereotypes/tropes to feature more modern and inclusive characters?

I think horror has always been about that. Horror can be a little sexy in some ways. There’s this big adrenaline rush feeling that we get from the dualities of something being sexy or horrifying. Because of that, I think there’s been a lot of queer exploration in the horror genre, and as a trans person, it was cool to not be the scary part of the horror genre. I really do love the line that this show draws through horror and comedy, and it showcases a lot of queerness. My character is not the only one that’s LGBTQ.

Ultimately, what do you hope audiences take away from In the Vault?

I would say they could certainly take away a sense of mystery and a little bit of nostalgia because there’s this timeless teen trope to it. I also think they could take away a lot about how people grow and evolve, especially when they’re honest with themselves. The title says a lot. It’s almost as if each character has something in their vault—not to be too on-the-nose. You kind of see the way everybody presents versus what’s actually going on inside. So, a good message you can take away from the show is that you never know what people are going through, positive or negative.

As you mentioned earlier, the season was filmed a couple years ago. Fortunately, it was renewed for  Season Two. What can we expect?

There’s a lot of answers and a lot of growth. There are a few characters who explore their sexuality differently, and there are a few characters who have become kind of a different person since the first season. I don’t want to give too much away, but it answers a lot, and it gives the characters a place to bloom because they each had their own conflict to get past in the first season.

After it’s not about that conflict anymore, the characters can just go wild and become these full personalities. I love that it kind of opens the floor up, and as for my character, there’s more of a pull toward the LGBTQ community and how he explores that.

Why was there such a long pause between Seasons One and Two?

Honestly, I think it was just because of industry stuff. A production is such a machine, and I think they’ve been choosy with where to put this show. They want the best for it, and they trusted Crackle, which is great. There are topics in the show that could be delicate, so we need to make sure that there’s a supportive place to put that.

Have you always had a passion for acting?

Yes, definitely. I was raised on very old-school things like older episodes of Saturday Night Live, The Monkees, The Partridge Family, and The Brady Bunch, and I would kind of pretend to be a part of those shows when I was a kid. I started doing theater classes and auditioning for things in New York City, and I kept with it all throughout school. Then in high school, I had the opportunity to play a lot of male roles, even though I was not out as trans yet.

That was very affirming for me because it made me feel like I could get the roles I actually wanted. For college, I went to Adelphi University on Long Island, and a big claim to fame of theirs is Jonathan Larson, the guy who wrote Rent and Tick, Tick…Boom! I just loved that whole experience, and I could explore anything I wanted to. I felt safe to do that. At the end of college is when I fully came out, and I was lucky enough to get a manager and agent.

What are some future goals you hope to achieve with your career?

At some point, I would like the notion of playing characters that are not written to be trans. There’s a point of equality there for me. Because of the way I present myself and things like that, I think I can lend myself to those roles. We’re used to seeing these tropes in writing, and horror is a great example of these tropes.

There’s the person who dies first; there’s the really pretty girl, you know what I mean? There are all sorts, and I want to stay away from the tropes. I think it sends a more positive message to be doing a great variety of work. I love doing TV series because you get a chance to bond with the people you’re working with for a long time, and you get to be your character and grow with them.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

I can’t say much but will see a little bit of me in the upcoming season of the Gossip Girl revival, and I also make music. I’m not ready to release anything yet, but I’ve been making a lot of music, and I’m excited to show that soon.

Stay up-to-date and connect with Bernhard by following him on Instagram @thejacbernhard. In the Vault is now available to stream on Crackle.

Photos Courtesy of Crackle and Alexander August