Meet your new BFF! The breakout star from Netflix’s new reality show gets real about life after The Circle.

When Netflix launched The Circle at the top of this year, the show felt like equal parts social experiment and reality show. The new series repurposes concepts from genre-defining classics like the Real World and Big Brother by setting the entire show in a chatroom – sort of. While viewers grow to know and love competitors face-to-face, contestants don’t ever actually interact with each other IRL.

On The Circle, alliances, flirtations and rivalries all take place through the show’s eponymous social network. The result is a binge-friendly series that flips the concept of reality TV on its head, while doubling as a fascinating look at authenticity online.

 

From the start of the series, Chris Sapphire was popular among viewers and contestants because of his quick-witted comments and warm personality. After we binged The Circle, HOLR caught up with Chris to hear all about life on The Circle and what he really thinks about his castmates.

HOLR: Were you shocked to find out that Rebecca was actually Seaburn?

Chris Sapphire: It didn’t even register for me. I looked at Sammie, I looked at Shubham and I was so shocked that they were real. Then I looked over (to Seaburn) and I was like ‘Who is this dude?’ I thought that maybe he was a crew member. Then it hit me and I thought, ‘Oh my God! It’s Rebecca!’ So then he went on to introduce himself and I had to spread the love to Sammie, Shubham and Seaburn. I was in absolute disbelief.

 

HOLR: What was it like finally meeting Shubham?

CS: I thought that Shubham was a phoenix. When I saw him in person, I instantly fell in love. This guy’s eyes are twinkly like all of the stars in the sky. He’s such a ball of energy. He is the epitome of a little teddy bear.

 

HOLR: It was especially interesting because he openly hated social media before going on The Circle. What was your relationship to social media before joining the cast?

CS: My relationship with social media is that we are best friends forever. My entire career began because of social media so I am a social media queen. I love chatting with people and I love meeting people. It makes me so happy. With everything good, it has some bad but for the most part, it is such a positive. Social media has changed my life so I try to see it as a plus for humanity.

 

HOLR: Did you have any reservations about joining the cast of The Circle?

CS: I went into this absolutely blind. I knew nothing about The Circle, but I wasn’t afraid of anything. I knew that God was with me and I knew that He was not going to lead me astray. I was going to come on the show and represent Dallas and the LGBT community so fiercely. I wasn’t afraid; I was excited.

HOLR: You have a way of relating to everyone. Does that come naturally?

CS: My entire life I have always genuinely loved people. I’m like if Mr. Rogers and Barney the Dinosaur gave birth to somebody. I found God at 14 and in the Bible it teaches you that God is in in everything and God is through everything. So my lens on the world is that God is in everything. I approach people the way that I approach God: with kindness, with love, and with fairness. That’s why it’s so easy for me.

 

You can catch Chris on season one of The Circle, streaming now on Netflix.