Sterling Beaumon Photo Shoot - JustJared.com Exclusive!

Sterling Beaumon channels a modern-day James Dean in this new photo shoot taken exclusively for JustJared.com!

The 17-year-old actor currently stars in the ABC crime drama Red Widow as Gabriel Walraven, the son of a mob boss who was recently killed.

His mother continues to work to try to protect her family as Gabriel finds his own way of helping out his loved ones.

JJ caught up with Sterling to get the scoop on what we can expect in coming episodes!

We also talked about his personal sense of style, love for hockey, favorite television shows, and more!

Click inside to read JustJared.com’s exclusive interview with Sterling Beaumon…

Sterling Beaumon – JustJared.com Exclusive Interview

JustJared.com: Hi Sterling! So let’s talk about Red Widow because the pilot is emotionally really intense. What was it like to jump into that right away?

Sterling Beaumon: It really is just a lot of thinking and process, for me at least. A lot of just like, “What would it be like to lose someone so important in your life?” Frankly, it was a rather depressing experience, but it really it came through on screen, I believe. It was amazing. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

JJ: What drew you to the role of Gabriel?

SB: The thing about this role is he really starts just as a normal teenager. But the great thing about this role is maybe different than my other roles, is that you see Gabriel grow so much over the course of this first season. He starts as a teenager and by the end of the first season, he’s a man.

JJ: What’s it like watching yourself on TV?

SB: It’s an interesting experience. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it. If I don’t [watch it], I’ll be too curious so I have to. But, I’m the harshest critic on myself. There are very few times I think, “Oh, that was good.” Most of the time it’s always like, “Oh, I could have done that a little better.”

JJ: What made you want to audition?

SB: First of all, the original script was one of the best pilot scripts I’ve ever read in my life. It was really long, which was interesting. The original pilot script was like a movie. It was so different than a lot of other things that I’ve read. I guess it was just the culmination of the character really being this really, cool awesome teenage guy. And then also realizing his whole world is going to be turned upside down over the course of the series. I thought that was really interesting. And then of course, there’s [creator] Melissa Rosenberg who is amazing and fantastic. That really made me want to be a part of it.

JJ: You’ve been acting for years, most notably on Lost. Do you still get recognized from that show?

SB: I don’t really get recognized for Lost anymore or even the Disney movie I did because I was so much younger. I really looked so different. I’ve really grown a lot (laughs).

JJ: What do people usually say to you when they first meet you?

SB: I usually get, “Wow, you’re really tall” (laughs). That’s the number one thing I always get because people remember me as a really small, skinny kid. And then when they meet me, I’m just kind of towering over them. I’m 6’2. I’m not a giant, but compared to what a lot of people remember me as, it’s a little bigger.

JJ: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

SB: I love to play hockey. I’m a huge hockey fan and I love to play as well. I graduated early from high school, but up until I graduated, I was playing high school hockey. I really enjoy hockey. That’s definitely what I do on my days off, for sure. I’ve always just sort of played. If I weren’t acting, I think I’d want to be a professional hockey player.

JJ: How would you describe your personal style?

SB: My personal style is preppy with an edge.

JJ: What would you say is your go-to outfit?

SB: If I’m not going out, my go-to outfit is some comfortable pants, Vans, and a fitted tee. But if I’m going out, definitely some Diesel jeans, either some super cool boots or nice shoes, and then a button-up.

JJ: What’s something we’d never ever see you wear?

SB: Bell-bottoms. They are so ugly (laughs).

JJ: Have you ever been star-struck?

SB: I was at a Kings game. I was in the Chairman’s Lounge and Dustin Brown, the LA Kings captain, walked in the room. I was tripping out so hard. “That’s Dustin Brown!” The face of the LA Kings was like right there. So yeah, I definitely get star-struck over – not so much actors and celebrities because I see them around and I work with some of them – but it’s more things I’m not involved in that I get star-struck about.

JJ: Did you say anything to him?!

SB: No (laughs). He kind of just walked in, grabbed a water, and walked out. But I’m sure I’ll meet him at some point.

JJ: Who do you look up to, acting-wise?

SB: I really can’t say one person in particular. I just watch a lot of different films and different TV shows. Really for me, it’s just looking at how people react to different shows in different genres. For me, it’s more a study of people than a study of acting.

JJ: What are some of your favorite shows right now?

SB: Breaking Bad. Boardwalk Empire. Revenge is awesome.

JJ: For those people who haven’t tuned into Red Widow yet, how would you describe the show?

SB: There’s something for everybody in this show. There’s Marta who’s a mom, there’s Boris who’s a young boy struggling with bullying, there’s myself who’s really just finding himself as a man, as a person, growing up. There’s my grandfather who’s a mob boss as well and struggling for power. There’s really just something in there that everyone can find appealing. There’s the soft side of Marta looking out for her family. There’s always sexual tension between a lot of people. And lastly, there’s the crime aspect of the show, which in my opinion, is one of the coolest parts.

JJ: What can we expect with your character in the coming episodes?

SB: One thing I can say about Gabriel is that he’s willing to do anything to protect his family – and that includes getting his hands dirty.

Red Widow airs Sundays @ 10PM ET on ABC!