Belgian actor Willem Herbots (20), one of the main characters of cult web series WtFOCK, shares his experiences with trying to portray mental health problems in a correct way: “To understand my character’s struggles, I try to rekindle old feelings I’ve felt before."
Willem Herbots portrays Robbe in WtFock: ©️ Tom Herbots
WtFOCK is a Belgian web series about a group of teenagers in Antwerp. It’s a remake of the original Norwegian version, SKAM, made by director and writer Julie Andem.
The Belgian remake immediately got praised by viewers across the world for showing the real struggles teenagers go through every day. It depicts topics like homophobia, sexual harassment, drugs, eating disorder, and bipolar disorder.
Every season, the show has a new lead actor. The third season revolved around Willem’s character, Robbe, a 16-year-old high school student who finds out he’s attracted to a boy. He starts to experience mental health problems, resembling depression and insomnia. The show depicts Robbe’s issues with self-acceptance but also the lack of acceptance from the outside world, as he and his boyfriend get beat up by strangers for kissing in the street.
Willem explains, “I did a lot of research to be able to play Robbe. I wanted it to be justifiable, not only for other people but also for myself, that a straight actor portrays a gay person. I could only do it if I informed myself properly.”
Struggles with self-acceptance
Willem currently studies Drama at Belgian art school LUCA. He’s been in quite a number of projects aside from WtFOCK, such as a Belgian short film Childhood Freedom and some theatre roles.
“I prepared for those roles by thinking about the characters and their issues. I discovered more about the characters while playing them. For WtFOCK, I went a little bit further. I really wanted to tell his story in a correct way, because that role can be so meaningful to people in similar situations.”
“I generalised Robbe’s struggles with his sexuality to issues with self-acceptance, which I have felt before.”
“I had a conversation with homosexual employees of the production company together with the director and Willem De Schryver (Sander). But I also spoke to people on my own; friends of friends I know experienced the same story as Robbe and who could tell me more about their feelings. I then started to look for comparisons in my own life. I generalised his struggles with his sexuality to issues with self-acceptance, which I have felt before. In that way, I could relate to Robbe’s feelings and was able to act them out on screen,” Willem says.
“I know how I feel when I’m in love with a girl, so I can transfer said feelings to Sander. That wasn’t difficult. The hardest part for me was the portrayal of the relationship between Robbe and Noor, the girl he’s dating while he’s finding all of this out about himself,” Willem adds, “Society never forced me to be attracted to someone I’m not attracted to, while it did do that for Robbe. He felt like he had to fall in love with Noor. Talking to different people about that feeling really helped.”
“I didn’t use any specific experiences of my own to portray Robbe, but I did feel like I was different and not accepted by my friends. I really used to feel those struggles. Now less than before, but as an actor you can only play what you know and felt before; for me anyway. So, I rekindled those feelings.”
Willem Herbots: ©️ Tom Herbots
Stuck in the character
If you’ve read our other articles, you may know we interviewed WtFOCK’s on-set psychologist Joris Bruyninckx about the portrayal of mental health in the show. He was there to guide the actors through the show, be it for questions about their character’s struggles or ones of their own.
“Sometimes I felt like I couldn’t get out of the character.”
“For me, it was more difficult to find Robbe than to let him go. I did struggle once after a scene with Zoë, who Robbe lived with. She told him Noor was waiting outside for him the day before. But during that time, he and Sander were sharing their first kiss. It was such an overwhelming feeling for Robbe and that was the first time that I burst into tears, even after the camera stopped filming.”
“Sometimes I did feel like I couldn’t get out of the character, but I think that’s normal. You’re telling his story and, in that way, you’re going through things that he’s going through as well. I remember being by myself one night and thinking: ‘I’m isolating myself from my friends like Robbe.’ While it was just one night of being alone. As long as you’re aware of that, then I don’t see it as something bad.”
The strengths of WtFOCK
Willem likes how the show remains at the surface of mental illness and never goes too in-depth: “I love that the show is light-hearted most of the time and then you get those real emotional moments, which then have a bigger impact. It also leaves enough space for the imagination of the viewer.”
“The only moment we really showed a horrific part of real life was the gay-bashing scene,” Willem is talking about a scene where Robbe and Sander get beat up in the street. “A lot of people thought it was too explicit, as it wasn’t in the original SKAM, but we really wanted to show the harsh reality of being out. Two gay acquaintances of mine got beat up only last month. It sadly still happens way too often, and it’s not something we wanted to ignore in WtFOCK.”
Sander (Willem De Schryver) and Robbe (Willem Herbots) in WtFock: Sputnik
Another big strength for Willem is the show’s real time aspect. WtFOCK uploads small snippets throughout the day, which fictionally take place at the same time they are posted. Each character also has an Instagram account, which makes the characters almost seem like real people.
“In one scene Robbe sees Sander kissing his ex-girlfriend, who he said he would break up with. The clip ends where Robbe is shown crying while standing on a ledge. For many viewers, that insinuated a bit too much that Robbe was going to take his own life. While it wasn’t the plan, the makers posted a picture on Robbe’s Instagram to hint at everyone that he was okay.”
Willem finishes, “The show really takes value in the viewer’s health, which is incredibly important. Many people can find themselves in the characters, as I found myself in Robbe.”
A new season of WtFOCK is currently in the making. Follow the show's Instagram page to stay up to date.
If you struggle with your own sexuality, you can contact www.lumi.be for Belgium. For international helplines, please click this link.
If you ever think about suicide or self-harm, and are in need of a conversation, then you can always contact the Suicide Hotline on the number 1813 or www.zelfmoord1813.be for Belgium. For international helplines, please click this link.
Text: Femke Lippens
I love this piece. One of my favorite things about journalism is the ability to connect the media and media consumers through articles such as this one. The insight into Willem's experience portraying Robbe's provides us, the viewers, the opportunity to take a step back and better understand the determination and consideration the team put into making sure the show was the best it could be. I appreciate everything you two have put into the blog so far and I'm so excited to continue reading future posts.
@Thomas Blanche: imo Willem is not saying that it is difficult to ""play"" gay (he even says it is not) but that he has never had the feeling of being forced into loving someone. To me Wtfock is all about hetero-normativity. Wtfock did a great job in portraying that normative force. And as a hetero (Willem f.e.) you will never experience that.
Great job !
But i don't like the part "I wanted it to be justifiable, not only for other people but also for myself, that a straight actor portrays a gay person."
This is ridiculous, this is not about playing "a gay person", what's the difference between playing a gay or a straight person ?