MTV 'Faking It' Star Michael Willett Opens Up About Character Shane Harvey, Reveals Major Change Is In Store In Season 2

MTV's hit series "Faking It" is officially back for Season 2 and, trust us, it's going to be a good one. In the pilot season viewers were introduced to a host of complex characters with one thing in common: they're all trying desperately to find their place in this crazy world -- oh, and they all attend the same high school. While there is something to love about each and every character on the show -- yes, even Lauren Cooper (Bailey De Young) -- none was more lovable than Shane Harvey, played by Michael Willett. International Business Times was able to catch up with Willett, 25, to get the scoop on Season 2, his character and more.

According to Willett, the new season, which kicked off Aug. 31, is going to bring about serious change for everyone on the show, especially Shane. In the pilot season Willett's character won viewers over with his dynamic personality, the California native describing his character as "outgoing and untouchable in some ways." Willett added that Shane is essentially the embodiment of everything he -- and probably just about everyone else -- would have like to have been in high school: confident, likeable and sure of himself. This season, however, that's all out the window.

"I feel like he's sort of a superhero," Willett told IBTimes. "But we're going to see that he has more vulnerability than people think."

These personality traits, among other things, are precisely what drew Willett to the show in the first place. Shane's confidence and self-assuredness make him unstoppable in an insecurity-laden setting like a high school -- though, as Willett said, the discomfort and desire to be accepted generally associated with this stage in one's life never truly goes away. He added that, by playing Shane, he's learned a few important life lessons he hopes to be able to pass along to those currently living it.

"The only thing I can say is that the more you know who you are the better you feel and the better you are in the world," he said. "I would say just focus on being comfortable with who you are first."

He went on to say that, like many, he had fears about tackling this potentially controversial subject matter at first. As you may or may not recall, when "Faking It" was first announced audiences feared the show would glorify stereotypes and the idea of, well -- faking it. Fortunately Willett decided to take a risk and just go for it. He shared that he took on "Faking It" like he would any other role and, two seasons later, he's thankful he did. After landing the role and working on the project for a little while, he realized that MTV had found just the right people to properly carry out the show.

"It wasn't until we were actually working on it where I saw that it could have been handled inappropriately, or in a way that wouldn't have been appropriate for the masses," he said. "But Carter [Covington, 'Faking It's' showrunner] was so good; He’s sweet and very honest, so I think it has a lot to do with who was working and who was involved on the project. I think that the subject matter could have, in someone else's hands, been completely different."

As is clear from the premiere, things between Shane and his longtime boyfriend Duke Lewis Jr. (Skyler Maxon) are still rocky. As you may recall from the previous season, Maxon's character was outed to the press by his beau, although he is unaware of that fact. Shane is still trying to hide that from Duke, which Willett said will play a major role in his Season 2 storyline revealing that there's going to be "a little bit of tragedy" for his character.

"Duke and Shane are still together, but Shane has this overriding guilt about outing him. So he spends the next five episodes kind of dealing with that and remaining in the relationship," he shared. "Eventually the guilt overtakes him and -- things don't end well."

With the Season 2 wrapped, Willett is free to focus on his other loves: film and music. He recently starred in a horror film based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem "Tell Tale Lies." In it, Willett plays the son of a rich senator who attends college at a well-known university and finds himself in a bit of trouble after a night of partying.

"I play, like, a rich senator's son who goes to a school sort of like Duke. My friends and I accidentally kill this girl at a party and her friend catches us, so then we have to kill her too," he said. "Eventually the guilt over takes each of us. Guilt is sort of a theme in a lot of what I do."

As for his musical endeavors, Willett said fans may have to hold out a little longer. The young actor, self-described as "a perfectionist," is hopeful that he'll be able to get something out in the near future. For now, you can check him out here.