"First Kill" stars Imani Lewis and Sarah Catherine Hook on queer vampires and the power of representation

Most people are familiar with Romeo and Juliet. But in Netflix's new series "First Kill," Juliet and Juliet is where it's really at. 

The series, which premiered on Friday, is based on the short story written by acclaimed fantasy author V.E. Schwab. It focuses on Calliope (played by Imani Lewis) and Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook), two high school girls in love. The only problem? Juliette comes from a family of legendary vampires and Calliope comes from a family of legendary monster hunters. Both girls are racing against a ticking clock to complete their first kills. What could possibly go wrong?

The show leans into the ridiculousness of its premise, finding excitement in the stars' building chemistry and doing a standup job of building out some of its major side characters, like Juliette's feuding siblings and Calliope's strong-willed mother. Outside of the obvious familial tensions, the stars both said they appreciated the series' focus on not making their main characters' sexuality the forefront of their story.