GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos was joined by Julian Doucet, the creator and showrunner of the new Amazon Prime original series The Lake. The Lake tells the story of Justin, who has just broken up with his longtime partner, and is returning to his family cottage in Canada to connect with his teenage daughter who he gave up for adoption when she was a baby.

Doucet talks about how this series was heavily inspired by his own life story. “I did have a child when I was in theater school, way back in the day, who I did give up for adoption.” Both in the series and in real life, the biological parents remained involved in the child’s life. Doucet goes on to say that, “When she was 16, my daughter and I started taking vacations together for about a week, and that dynamic is what inspired the series.” 

“What I hope people takeaway is a little bit of joy, a little bit of fun… I would certainly hope that people takeaway that family is far wilder, freakier, more fun, and imaginative, and ultimately more loving than how we’ve been taught to imagine it.” He says that “we had a lot of fun expanding that definition” of what family really means.

The main character Justin’s plans for a fun and relaxing summer with his daughter at the lake seem destined for failure when he finds out his parents left the cabin to his “evil step-sister” Maisy-May, played by the incredible Julia Stiles. Doucet reveals that Maisy-May’s character was inspired by his “Gweneth Paltrow revenge fantasies.” 

Doucet describes the drama that goes down in the Canadian cottage world as “a little bit of Succession in a Wet Hot American Summer packaging.” 

When talking about how it feels to have his life story being broadcasted to the world, he says that, “It’s terrifying but super exciting… I’m having all the feelings all at once.” Adding that being a gay man who had a child often made him feel isolated from the community, up until now that he’s hearing from people who related to the series. “I thought it was just me and it’s not.” 

“The queer experience is undergoing a rennasiance, and we get to push those boundaries further.” Doucet says. This series is a heartwarming and comedic story of family and forgiveness. 

The Lake is out just in time for Pride Month and can be streamed now on Amazon Prime. Watch the trailer here: