Love, Victor’s George Sear was ‘gutted’ when he found out show was ending: ‘We grieved’
Love, Victor star Michael Cimino with George Sear. (Disney)
George Sear was devastated when he first found out Love, Victor would be ending with season three.
The actor has made a name for himself in the LGBTQ+ community for playing Benji, Victor’s love interest in the groundbreaking teen drama.
The show has built up a fiercely dedicated fanbase since it debuted in 2020, which is why there was such a huge reaction when Hulu and Disney+ announced that Love, Victor season three would be its last.
Like most Love, Victor fans, George Sear was heartbroken – but knowing that the end was coming in advance meant that he could really savour every moment.
“I was really sad – honestly, at first when they were like, ‘This is going to be the last one,’ I was gutted,” Sear tells PinkNews.
“But when we got on set I think it just made me appreciate everything about it so much more because I knew it was the last one, and each script I got, it was like, we’re really coming to the end now.”
Benji (George Sear) and Victor (Michael Cimino), shown. (Greg Gayne/Hulu)
He remembers the last Monday of filming in particular, when it slowly dawned on him that it was his final week working with the cast and crew he had come to know and love.
“We had a night shoot and we all stayed up for hours afterwards just celebrating with each other. Knowing it was the last one helped us honour this experience and grieve it as it came to an end, because it was such a big part of all our lives.”
George Sear is proud Love, Victor has shown LGBTQ+ youth that life can be beautiful
George Sear loved his time working on the show, but one of the best parts has been the powerful messages he’s received from LGBTQ+ fans, who have opened up about how impactful and important Love, Victor has been to them.
“When I hear from people, they’ll say things like they wished they had a show like this growing up. It just goes to show how much of an impact the show has had and I’m just so proud of it. All the messages I’ve received have been overwhelmingly positive.
“I’m really glad we did three seasons and that we really got to explore these characters so much, and that we got to give them a really good ending too.”
Love, Victor has always been a happy story at its core – it hasn’t been afraid to deal with the challenges of growing up queer, but it’s also been committed to showing LGBTQ+ people that life can be full and beautiful. Sear is proud to have been part of a show aimed at young people that has a positive message.
“The response we’ve had has been overwhelmingly positive – there’s clearly a demand for these stories.”
Michael Cimino as Victor and George Sear as Benji in Love, Victor. (Greg Gayne/Hulu)
Love Victor’s final season deals with some heavier topics
The show also deals with some of the harder parts of growing up. Love, Victor season three deals with some heavy themes, and the writing allowed Sear to delve into his character’s psychology in a new way.
“When we first meet Benji he’s really confident, he’s really comfortable in his sexuality, so this was interesting because it takes him back to a time where he wasn’t, so how does he present himself? How is he impacted by his relationship with his parents? Because he’s getting triggered now in the present day, he’s having to go back into his past and heal from things he hasn’t healed from yet.”
Looking towards the future, Sear hopes Love, Victor will have a lasting legacy – that it will continue to bring joy to LGBTQ+ young people who want to feel seen.
I think it has such a positive message and it’s a feel good show.
“It’s interesting because I haven’t really given [the show’s legacy] too much thought yet because I haven’t even seen what the response will be to this last season,” Sear says. “But I do hope the show has a long-lasting impact. The whole family can watch it – when season two came out, I waited until my parents came to LA and we all binged it together, and it was fun to see them sometimes side with my character and sometimes side with Michael [Cimino’s] and get really into it and be quite passionate about it.”
He continues: “I think people really take to the show because there are so many different themes there and things to connect to, so I hope all of that helps its legacy live on. I think it has such a positive message and it’s a feel good show.”
PinkNews also spoke to Love, Victor’s creators about its “bittersweet” ending, and to Ava Capri about how bringing bringing queer, female representation to show felt “therapeutic” to her.
Love, Victor season three is streaming on Disney+ in the UK and on Hulu in the United States.
