UnReal introduced season 2’s new suitor, but Darius Beck did not show up alone. Get to know the man behind Romeo, Gentry White, in our exclusive interview!

One look at Gentry White’s Instagram and you’ll see that this newcomer to the UnReal set is having a blast. Cast as Romeo, the cousin and manager of Everlasting’s new suitor, played by B.J. Britt, White’s character may appear to have his cousin’s best interests at heart, but he is not going to turn down any perks that come his way.

Hypable spoke with Gentry White ahead of the UnReal premiere to get a sense of what we can expect to see from his character, what it’s like working with the fierce women of UnReal, and how the staged drama of reality dating series compares to the historical drama on his other series, Turn.

Last season, UnReal brought in a “friend” of the suitor to stir up some trouble. While Romeo is not immune from getting mixed up with a few girls in bikinis and taking advantage of Chet’s ability to give him anything he wants, Darius Beck is the suitor in need of a PR makeover. White says, “[Romeo and Darius] grew up together and their background was a little rough. They got out of their circumstances together. Romeo is a good guy. However, he is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure his cousin’s career is taken care of. Whether that is getting over on somebody else, possibly sleeping with somebody just to do it, he is down for it.”

And from what we’ve seen in the introduction to season 2, Romeo is not afraid to get his hands dirty with the producers. White says, “[Romeo] can be a little manipulative, but at the end of the day his cousin’s best interest is what he cares most about.” Not only is Romeo hanging around this season, but a few other uninvited guests stop by the mansion and not everyone is happy they are along for the ride. “[Darius] came with me, and he has his entourage that appear in the show that is different than last season… When Darius Beck rolls through, he rolls deep. He has some problems that will arise both on and off screen within the show, of course,” adds White.

Darius’ cousin and friends hanging around is not the only thing that people are noticing this season, however. Darius Beck is Everlasting and, though fake, the nation’s first black reality dating bachelor. “That in and of itself is probably one of the bigger talking points. Because he is black there is a lot of conversations about that within the girls and the producers of the show,” says White.

Though Romeo may have his own spotlight to live in on screen, behind the scenes, White and his cast mates are playing nice. White and the cast and crew of UnReal are certainly not staged by any producer. With an entirely new cast of contestants and a new suitor, the “new kids” have banded together. “Everyone has been great since day one… On set, behind the scenes, we’re going hiking together, going to concerts together. I’m actually going to my first real concert. I’m going to Beyoncé.”

Outside of the staged drama of UnReal’s dating world, White works on another series, AMC’s Turn, about George Washington’s spies in the Revolutionary War. White plays Billy Lee, the slave of Washington and a trusted member of his team. There is no escaping the drama that comes with both of these roles, but as for which one White feels is more dramatic, he says, “They’re dramatic in their own way. In one world I play a slave. That alone is dramatic, both with what is going on in that world and individually with that character. But then also having to deal with all the things with George Washington and Alexander Hamilton and all of their problems, but I have my own problems because I am not free. But on UnReal, it is a different slavery issue because we are a slave to the industry. Romeo cares nothing about anything else other than making sure his cousin’s career is fruitful and ongoing and so he is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure of that. Billy Lee is willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive without being beaten or killed.”

As for whether or not White would appear on an Everlasting-style dating show, White says, “Oh, no I could never. No way.” We cannot blame him. White goes on to say, “Reality television is a whole different ball game. At the end of the day that is your actual name on television and your actual person. Everything’s been manipulated and misconstrued to make you seem like a different type of person. It’s fascinating to me that they actually have characters for each person that is cast on a reality show. That’s something I really didn’t realize until I had seen UnReal… If you look back on The Real World, that exact same formula is there.”

You can catch Gentry White in UnReal season 2, Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET on Lifetime.