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On the cover About Grumpy Magazine is an international digital and print publication founded and curated by Jasmine Perrier. Selfpublished from Paris since 2016, we aim at covering the cultural landscape across the world and sharing a genuine vision of life to get you out of your grumpy mood. More than just a magazine, we are interested in aesthetically pleasing a modern take on traditional staples and thus offering a unique book capturing thoughtful stories and stimulating sceneries.

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Grumpy Team & Contributors

Jasmine Perrier

Publisher | Editor-in-chief | Producer | Designer | Writer

Contributing Photographers

Contributing Writers Thilda Riou | Parker Schug | VicentĂŠ | Emily Pitcher

Contributing Illustrators Kendall Wisniewski | Jenny Sorto | Alex Weibel

Contributors

Contributors Illustrations by Alex Weibel

JASMINE PERRIER (PARIS, FRANCE) Founding editor-in-chief and producer Jasmine founded Grumpy Magazine right after graduating from high school at the age of 18. Driven by her strong interest in creative content and her passion for the entertainment and fashion worlds, she moved to Paris, where she currently resides, to pursue her career ambitions. In addition to running Grumpy Magazine as editor-in-chief and producer, she dived into fashion casting, and worked for publications and brands such as CR Fashion Book and Y/ Project, learning from key industry-leading figures. THILDA RIOU (PARIS, FRANCE) Writer Thilda is an aspiring journalist who has been fascinated by the entertainment industry since her teenage years, and has been improving her craft ever since. Crossing paths in college with Grumpy Magazine’s founder Jasmine Perrier, she joined the publication in 2018 and currently functions as both writer and editor-in-chief’s assistant. With her creative mind full of innovative ideas, she grows her portfolio while studying media in Paris. Her work has been featured in Marie Claire France. ALLEGRA MESSINA (LOS ANGELES, USA) Photographer Allegra is a fashion photographer from Seattle who loves capturing people’s unique beauty and showcasing everyone as they truly are. While studying diplomacy at Occidental College in Los Angeles, she kept mastering her craft and caught the attention of a variety of publications such as Paper Magazine, Wonderland, and Schön Magazine. With her modern vision and refreshing eye, she became an invaluable contributor to Grumpy Magazine. JENN ROSADO (NEW YORK, USA) Stylist Currently based in New York City, Jenn is a visionary fashion stylist who grew up on the East Coast. Navigating between a vintage and avant-gardiste style, Jenn’s work has been featured in L’Officiel Vietnam, Solstice Magazine, and Pop Magazine.

SAMI DRASIN (LOS ANGELES, USA) Photographer Sami began her career at a young age taking candid pictures of her friends. Having grown up in Los Angeles amid the world of professional wrestlers, actors and artists, she was constantly inspired by the wide range of characters that surrounded her. Upon her graduation from Art Center, she immersed herself directly into the world of professional photography, getting appreciation from clients such as The Academy, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, L’Officiel, and W Magazine over the years. EMILY SANDIFER (LOS ANGELES, USA) Photographer Emily is a photographer and filmmaker based in California, who is also the owner of LOFT 1923 — a production studio in Downtown Los Angeles. Her love for photography began with her mum’s Canon 35mm camera on her family’s 1,000 acre ranch in Idaho. She demonstrates a special love for Scotland, which she considers her second home. When she is not behind the camera, Emily’s sparkling personality and passion for the creative field can be seen through her acting work. PARKER SCHUG (LONG ISLAND, USÀ) Writer From Long Island, NY, Parker discovered her passion for writing at a young age. She started contributing to Grumpy Magazine in 2017 and is currently studying at Ithaca College with the aim of becoming a journalist. As she enjoys exploring and sharing her experiences, Parker is a storyteller whose life is filled with adventures and passion. WARREN ALFIE BAKER (LOS ANGELES, USA) Stylist Drawn to high-fashion at a young age, Warren Alfie Baker is a fashion stylist from London now living in Los Angeles, whose clientele includes notable names such as Zachary Levi, K.J Apa, and Harry Shum Jr. His work has been featured in publications such as but not limited to GQ (US, UK, Australia), Vanity Fair Italy, Flaunt, and Rollacoaster. ROSIE MATHESON (LONDON, UK) Photographer Based between London and Brighton, Rosie enjoys examining the emotional connection between people and places. She searches for the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary, exploring her fascination of photographing somebody else’s world. After winning the Portrait of Britain Award in 2016, she has been featured in several publications — including Dazed, i-D, and Elle Magazine. Additionally, she developed her own photography project ‘‘Boys’’ which aims at offering a new view on masculine beauty. RAUL ROMO (LOS ANGELES, USA) Photographer Photography first found Raul at 13. Self-taught photographer and singer based in Los Angeles, he describes his style as ‘‘very honest, simple yet strong and expressive.’’ Delivering clean photographs that capture real moments, he has been building a name for himself in the industry — working for brands like Coach, and getting his work featured in Schön! Magazine, Cosmopolitan (Italy, Mexico, US), Vogue Arabia, amongst others.

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Guest C O N T R I B U T O R S Illustrations by Jen Klukas

SAM HEUGHAN Actor Sam Heughan is a Scottish accomplished stage and screen actor known for his leading role as Jamie Fraser on Starz’s drama Outlander. Successful alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Sam interviewed his former schoolmate and longtime friend Tom Ellis.

LIANA LIBERATO Actor Liana Liberato got her breakout role as a teen victim of sexual assault in David Schwimmer’s dark drama Trust in 2011. Her other credits include Nicholas Sparks’ film adaptation of The Best of Me and indie teen comedy Banana Split. Liana interviewed Cameron Monaghan.

JAEDEN MARTELL Actor Jaeden Martell has become one to watch among Young Hollywood for his role in horror franchise IT as well as his performance in Apple TV+ series Defending Jacob opposite Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery. Jaeden interviewed IT co-star and best friend Wyatt Oleff.

LOLA PETTICREW Actor

Lola

Lola Petticrew is an Irish actress from indie coming-of-age comedy Dating Amber, which premiered in June on Amazon Prime UK and will reach North America on November 13th. Lola photographed her on-screen partner and best friend in real life Fionn O’Shea in Dublin.

BRIANNE HOWEY Actor Brianne Howey is an American actress, best known for her roles in The CW’s Batwoman, Fox’s The Exorcist and The Passage. She will next star in Netflix’s upcoming mother/daughter coming-of-age drama Ginny & Georgia. Brianne interviewed Lorenza Izzo.

PHOTO CREDITS | Sela Shiloni | Ted Mendez

ERIN MORIARTY Actor Born and raised in New York, Erin Moriarty stars in Amazon’s superhero hit show The Boys as Annie January/Starlight. Past projects include True Detective and Jessica Jones. Erin interviewed her co-star Karen Fukuhara. She was also featured in 2019 in Grumpy Magazine’s ISSUE NO.14.

KADIFF KIRWAN Actor British actor Kadiff Kirwan graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama. He appeared in BAFTA award-winning show Chewing Gum and Black Mirror, amongst others. Kadiff interviewed his friend since drama school and co-star on Netflix’s The Stranger Hannah John-Kamen.

kadiff

4 YEARS

together

dear readers H

appy 4th Anniversary, GRUMPY MAGAZINE! I am delighted to be finally back with this new issue whose content has been carefully curated since late 2019. The last few months of 2020 have encouraged us to sit down and reflect. Therefore, I was interested in approaching this edition with a touch of escapism and nostalgia — use inspirations from the past to reinvent the present, and leave our mark to make tomorrow better. Such feelings give me a spark of energy, especially at uncertain times like this. As you flip through each of the pages, you may notice muted color palettes, natural sceneries, as well as a hint of futurism. In a rapidly changing society, my goal is to create something timeless that cultivates the wonders of our world. As the magazine focuses on highlighting a diverse spectrum of people who all have their own unique stories, this edition introduces forces of the present and the future. Starting with our cover stars Cameron Monaghan (Shameless, Gotham), Tom Ellis (Lucifer), and Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys, Ready Player One, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Brave New World) who chatted with longtime friends and fellow actors Liana Liberato, Sam Heughan, and Kadiff Kirwan to take us through the projects and experiences that make up their careers. We also collected in-depth profiles featuring both established artists and newcomers to watch — from A Quiet Place’s 17-year-old deaf actress Millicent Simmonds who is a powerhouse in Hollywood to improve the representation of people with disabilities, to Wyatt Oleff, interviewed by his best friend from IT Jaeden Martell, and The Boys actress Karen Fukuhara who caught up with her co-star and past Grumpy Magazine guest Erin Moriarty to open up about her silent character in the season 2 of Amazon’s successful superhero show. On another note, the music industry has voices defining the sound of now to keep on your radar — from Boston-native singer-songwriter Sasha Sloan who is taking over the music scene with talent and wisdom, to London-based alt-pop duo Oh Wonder, that happened to be the last live show I attended in Paris back in March before lockdown. Additionally, in close collaboration with our brilliant photographer Emily Sandifer, we organized a beach escape in Malibu. While practicing social distancing, the team and our model ventured to El Matador State Beach in August, to create a fashion story aiming at continuing to find the beauty right now. I hope you will enjoy this issue as much as I loved putting it together with the contribution of talented creative professionals around the world — that I cannot thank enough for their trust and generosity. As always, thank you for your appreciation for this magazine. When I see people talking about stories and photos we published a couple of years ago, it really lifts my spirits. Here, every feature is shaped to be honest, genuine, and spread inspiring messages that won’t dictate how to live your life, but rather give the inspiration you need to remind you that you can stand out without having to follow the crowd, and do things right.

Cheers to a new chapter

Jasmine Perrier Founding editor-in-chief @jazzieperrier

Contents I S S U E N O . 1 6 CHAPTER ONE 116

JONATHAN DAVISS is working his way up with passion and determination

120

MASON GOODING is carving out a name for himself among Young Hollywood

124

SOFIA BRYANT talks Netflix’s “I Am Not Okay With This” and what’s next for her

128

JACQUES COLIMON is paving the way for new directions

CHAPTER TWO 132

BEACH ESCAPE A fashion story in Malibu by Emily Sandifer

CHAPTER THREE 146

MEGAN STOTT is all fired up and ready to ignite the industry

152

FIONN O’SHEA photographed by ‘‘Dating Amber’’ co-star Lola Petticrew in Dublin

158

MILLICENT SIMMONDS is making waves and breaking barriers for deaf actors

164

WYATT OLEFF interviewed by Jaeden Martell on growing up in the industry

CHAPTER FOUR 172

LORENZA IZZO interviewed by Brianne Howey on her conquest of Hollywood

178

JUSTIN H. MIN is redefining representation

184

JULIA SCHLAEPFER on her gripping performance on ‘‘The Politician’’

190

KAREN FUKUHARA catches up with ‘‘The Boys’’ co-star Erin Moriarty

CHAPTER FIVE 198

CAMERON MONAGHAN reflects on his rise to stardom with Liana Liberato

1112

HANNAH JOHN-KAMEN speaks to Kadiff Kirwan about her climb to success

1126

TOM ELLIS gets candid on his bi-continental acting career with Sam Heughan

from Hull to Hollywood

CHAPTER SIX 1140

A COLLECTION OF Q&AS WITH ARTISTS DEFINING THE SOUND OF NOW featuring Oh Wonder, Gavin James, Sasha Sloan, Jeremy Zucker

Vinti Andrews FW20 Presentation | London, UK Photographed by Jasmine Perrier (January 2020)

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JONATHAN DAVISS Outer Banks Words by Thilda Riou

Photos by Allegra Messina over FaceTime

Producer Jasmine Perrier

ORN AND RAISED IN TEXAS, JONATHAN DAVISS HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR A WAY TO WORK HIS WAY UP THROUGH THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY SINCE HE WAS A KID WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH MOVIES. “ACTING

WASN’T A REALLY BIG THING OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY WHERE I GREW UP AROUND HOUSTON. THERE WASN’T A LOT OF ACTING CLASSES AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING IT,” THE 21-YEAR-OLD ACTOR RECALLS WHILE WE MEET OVER A ZOOM CALL. HOWEVER, AS HE PURSUES HIS JOURNEY WITH PASSION AND DETERMINATION, JONATHAN’S TIME TO

SHINE HAS FINALLY COME, NOW GRACING OUR SCREENS WITH HIS PERFORMANCE AS POPE HEYWARD ON NETFLIX’S RECENT HIT OUTER BANKS.

hile Jonathan grew up watching superheroes and reading comic books, acting sparked his interest at an early age. ‘‘That was something our family shared. When I was young, it was a big treat for our father to take us to the movies,’’ he says, explaining that he would constantly watch all the bonus features of the DVDs he had. As he had his first gig in a local commercial at only 8 years old, followed by his first on-screen appearance on NBC’s show Revolution, the young actor was already eager to climb Hollywood’s ladder. It is in that state of mind that he took a leap of faith at 17 years old and decided to move to Los Angeles. ‘‘It was a way tougher decision than it seems,’’ Jonathan explains. ‘‘I was doing pretty well at school, and I had worked so hard to balance school, football, and acting. I had to make sure how serious I was about it.’’ Ultimately, Jonathan’s hard work paid off, and everything has fallen into place since we couldn’t imagine a better actor to take on the role of Pope in adventure-mystery YA series Outer Banks. ‘‘When I first saw the script at the audition, I expected teen drama. But it was different. I loved the rawness of the characters and their friendship,’’ he tells. ‘‘This was my first leading role, but this is something that I had been preparing for since I was 10 years old. I was ready, and looking for help from other people and getting their opinions is very important to me. I don’t think I know everything. On set, we were all open with communication and figuring stuff out with the characters.’’ Pope is smart, ambitious, and a bit awkward. But most of all, ‘‘He’ll stand up for his friends and fight for them,’’ Jonathan lets me know, as he mentions that he is actually a lot like his character. ‘‘Characters like Pope can so easily be taken for a joke, so it was important to show that people are the way they are because of circumstances,’’ he adds. ‘‘He is that reserved, I-don’t-wannacause-confrontation type of person because he doesn’t want to lose his scholarship. And when he does lose it, there is nothing holding him back from being like JJ [Rudy Pankow] or John B [Chase Stokes].’’ Pope loses so much that, by the end of the show’s first season, he ends up having the courage

to confess his feelings to Kiara [Madison Bailey]. ‘‘Especially in TV shows like this, you don’t get to see a lot of black couples. It’s not a big represented thing, so it was cool for me to do that,’’ he says. ‘‘With Pope and Kiara, it’s a very unexpected type of relationship. It’s gonna be interesting to see what does the supposed death of their best friend mean to that.’’ Among a mysterious treasure hunt, gasping action, and blooming romance, the show also portrays a very clear social stratification between the working-class, known as the ‘‘Pogues’’ and the privileged ‘‘Kooks,’’ alongside a racial divide — an issue that undeniably echoes with our society. ‘‘It was very important to me that the African American community, my community, is represented accurately. I grew up with that social, class, and racial divide, and it’s subtle. There are not a lot of people now who are overtly racist or overtly classist, but it’s in small ways,’’ Jonathan shares. ‘‘People do not know things matter until they are in it. But you can’t explain it, it has to be something that is felt. You have to listen and understand. It takes bringing it to attention and people wanting to change consistently. On the other part, accepting that people can change. Because that’s something that is hard too.’’ Since the 10-episode drama has officially been renewed by Netflix, Jonathan is looking forward to seeing the group of friends get back together in Outer Banks’ second season. ‘‘The adventures of the first season were so much fun. I want to see a bigger adventure and more stakes. I want to see the Pogues do Pogues things and be the treasure hunters they are supposed to be.’’ As far as his future in the industry is concerned, the actor mentions some of his dream roles. ‘‘A Marvel or superhero project would be a dream come true. I would probably cry and pass out,’’ he laughs. ‘‘I also want to do a biopic. My favorite rap group is Outkast, and playing André 3000 in a biopic is another huge dream of mine.’’ ‘‘There’s a lot of hate and rejection, and wondering if you are good enough to do it,’’ Jonathan shares when being asked about the challenges he’s had to face in the

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MASON GOODING Love, Victor Words by Thilda Riou

Photos by Emily Sandifer

Styling by Adam Ballheim for The Only.Agency

Grooming by Simone for Exclusive Artists using Drunk Elephant and Maapilim Producer Jasmine Perrier

Photography assistant Marci Manklow

Location Loft 1923

ROWING UP SURROUNDED BY THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, IT’S NO WONDER THAT MASON GOODING WAS DESTINED TO APPEAR ON OUR SCREENS AT SOME POINT, AND WIN THE HEARTS OF VIEWERS WITH HIS TALENT

AND NATURAL CHARM. HOWEVER, BECOMING AN ACTOR HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST OBVIOUS CAREER CHOICE FOR HIM. “IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE THOUGH MY FATHER [CUBA GOODING JR.] IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS, IT DIDN’T REALLY STRIKE ME AS A VIABLE OPTION UNTIL LATER IN LIFE,” HE RECALLS, AS I MEET HIM OVER A ZOOM CALL CONNECTING PARIS TO HIS LOS ANGELES APARTMENT. FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE 23-YEAR-OLD ACTOR HAS BEEN EXPANDING HIS RÉSUMÉ AND MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF, STARRING IN OLIVIA WILDE’S MOVIE BOOKSMART, FREEFORM’S COMEDY EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE OKAY, AND MORE RECENTLY, HULU’S COMING-OF-AGE SERIES LOVE, VICTOR.

ason was studying writing at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, when he realized that acting wasn’t only his ‘‘true passion,’’ but also a career he wanted to pursue. ‘‘When you have someone like my dad who has put in the work and laid such a strong foundation for young actors today, it’s really inspiring and only works to push me to want to be better everyday,’’ he shares. ‘‘He, in tandem with my lovely mother, were super supportive in everything I did, specifically artistically.’’ Although the actor got to be involved in a bunch of student films while he was still in college, his first paid acting job was on the TV series Ballers, alongside Dwayne Johnson — an experience he describes as ‘‘nervewracking,’’ since he did not exactly know what set life was like at the time. ‘‘I’ll never forget my first day. It was supposed to be a surfing scene and I showed up at 5AM. I was all ready to go and I guess they ended up using the stunt double the entire time, because I didn’t leave my trailer until 7PM,’’ he laughs. ‘‘But it’s all part of it — you live and learn.’’ Indeed, climbing the ladder of success is a treacherous journey where each experience gives you an opportunity to grow. When Mason was cast in the 2019 comedy movie Booksmart, opposite Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, he learned everything that he could. ‘‘The main thing I took away from that experience is how immensely talented the industry is in wealth of female actresses, directors, and everyone behind the camera. If you create and foster a sense of community on set, if you harbor young talent and listen to your cast and crewmates, it makes a much more inclusive and entertaining film. In Booksmart, I feel like every character and every part of the movie felt true and cared for.’’ As he continuously picks projects that are close to his heart, it’s not surprising to see that he was drawn to the comedy series Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and shortly after, Hulu’s Love, Victor. While Love, Victor is inspired by and set in the same world as the 2018 sensation Love, Simon, and aims to expand the message of that original book and movie, the show offers a much more intricate narrative. Here, we focus on Victor Salazar [Michael Cimino],

a Creekwood High student who has recently moved from Texas with his ColombianPuerto Rican family, and is coming to terms with his sexuality. ‘‘I’m all about inclusivity and creating stories that speak to a broader scope of audience,’’ Mason says, when I question him on what drew him to the project in the first place. ‘‘I knew I wanted to be a part of this [because of] the way Love, Victor tackles not only an LGBTQ+ narrative, but also the Latinx family dynamic, or even just any religiously inclined cultural background, and how that affects who we are socially and even romantically.’’ In the Hulu series, he plays Andrew, a high school basketball player who, in the same way as his two previous roles, is perceived as the popular kid on campus. But in that case, Mason’s profound performance, as well as the storylines developed throughout the show, allow us to dive more into his character’s complexity. As a matter of fact, having conversations with the writers in order to better understand his role was essential for the actor. ‘‘Andrew is more of an antagonist and a bully, but I love the idea that even in his giving people a hard time, he has his morals and lines,’’ he explains. ‘‘As most people lack when they’re 17, he at least shows the hint of empathy and accountability for his actions and his words. That’s important to show a young audience you can make mistakes, but you can always make up for it and apologize.’’ When talking about how he prepared to take on this role, Mason lets me know that mastering the sport of basketball was quite challenging, training ‘‘every other day for at least two months’’ with his co-star Michael Cimino. It’s not just multi-layered characters the show gets right. At a time when social media displays some unattainable standards for young people, Love, Victor thrives to offer an honest look at teen romantic relationships. ‘‘Andrew is maybe very brash and brazen in his basketball playing or his social circles, but when it comes to Mia, he’s very delicate, passionate, and methodical,’’ Mason comments about his love interest in the series, before adding, ‘‘Rachel [Hilson] is such an amazing actress and has no difficulty of creating an atmosphere of

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SOFIA BRYANT I Am Not Okay With This Words by Thilda Riou

Photos by Allegra Messina over FaceTime

Styling by Britt Theodora

Producer Jasmine Perrier

OR SOFIA BRYANT WHO GREW UP IN FINLAND BEFORE MOVING TO NEW YORK, THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY REALLY CALLED HER. FROM VISUAL ARTS TO THEATER, AND THEN TV AND FILM, THE 20-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN

FINNISH ACTRESS HAS BEEN GETTING HERSELF READY TO AMAZE VIEWERS WITH HER UNDENIABLE TALENT SINCE HER CHILDHOOD. HER BIG BREAK CAME ALONG NO LATER THAN THIS YEAR, AS SHE WAS OFFERED ONE OF THE LEADING ROLES IN NETFLIXâ€™S COMING-OF-AGE COMEDY-DRAMA SERIES, I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS. WE TALKED TO SOFIA TO TACKLE EVERYTHING FROM HER JOURNEY IN HOLLYWOOD TO HER WORK IN THE SERIES.

s far as her earliest acting experiences are concerned, Sofia tells us all about her first-ever role, which happens to be the iconic Tiger Lily in Peter Pan. ‘‘I was in school in Finland, in second grade. My mom always knew I loved to perform, but that was so important to me because that was the first time I got to do it for a lot of other people.’’ Although she was first fascinated about visual arts, her interest shifted towards theater when she moved to New York. ‘‘When we moved here, I didn’t really have a lot of friends. I was 9 and all of my friends that I had up until then were in Finland. So my mom was like: ‘We’re gonna sign you up for some classes.’ From there, I went to this musical theater camp and I ended up loving it.’’ As she recently dived into TV and film, Sofia took the industry by storm back in February, portraying the lovable Dina in Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This. Based on the comic book of the same name by Charles Forsman, the series follows high schooler Sydney [Sophia Lillis], navigating the complexities of her family, her sexuality, and mysterious superpowers just beginning to arise within her. ‘‘When I first read the character breakdown for Dina, I was like: ‘I totally know this girl,’’’ the actress remembers. ‘‘My best friend is exactly like Dina in a lot of ways. It was almost like stepping into shoes that weren’t mine, but [were] very familiar to me.’’ Dina is friendly, supportive, and fun. She is one of Sydney’s best friends alongside Stanley [Wyatt Oleff], and in a relationship with football-playing star jock Brad [Richard Ellis]. ‘‘What I really like about her is that she can recognize when she’s been wrong, and she can apologize. She is with this complete idiot boyfriend but she is such a whole-hearted person, and really loves to see the best in everyone,’’ Sofia states. ‘‘Because the series is an adaptation and the book ends differently than the first season of our show, it was cool to take that same idea of Dina, but turn it into a way more complex version. We were able to give each character way more layers.’’ Set in high school, I Am Not Okay With This aims to portray teenage experiences in the most authentic way. ‘‘When I read the script, it was

nice to see words that I felt true to a person my age, and I knew other people could relate to,’’ Sofia says. ‘‘One of our goals was not to glamorize high school, because even though we’re playing characters, people like this exist all around the world and we want them to be recognized.’’ By doing so, messy and uncomfortable high school relationships are shown as well, like Dina and Sydney’s friendship slowing growing into romance. ‘‘This is a story that’s told all the time but needs to be told through this lens, which is so much more real. I would love to see their relationship flourish. They both deserve it.’’ However, teen romance and superpowers can be a risky mix, as we’ve seen in the unexpected and explosive series finale depicting Brad’s head suddenly combusting in the middle of homecoming. ‘‘That scene took about one week to shoot,’’ Sofia shares as she recalls the unusual experience of being covered in blood from head to toe. ‘‘I was hot and it was sticky, but honestly it added to the intensity and made it so real for us. I was very excited because most of the effects we were using in the show were all manual.’’ Although a second season of I Am Not Okay With This won’t happen — as Netflix sadly recently announced the cancellation of the show — Sofia’s fans will be seeing more of her remarkable acting skills in the upcoming film Mark, Mary & Some Other People, a comedy about a couple embarking

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JACQUES COLIMON The Society Words by Thilda Riou

Photos by Allegra Messina

Styling by Kim Johnson

Grooming by Grace Phillips using Oribe and Make Up For Ever / TraceyMattingly.com Stylist assistant Serra Geris

Producer Jasmine Perrier

CTOR, POET, AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST JACQUES COLIMON HAS A BACKGROUND DEEPLY ROOTED IN THEATER. AT 11 ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. FROM VISUAL ARTS TO THEATRE, AND THEN TV AND FILM, THE

20-YEAR-OLD ACTRESS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN PREPARING TO AMAZE VIEWERS WITH HER UNDENIABLE TALENT SINCE HER CHILDHOOD. HER BIG BREAK CAME ALONG NOT LATER THAN THIS YEAR, AS SHE WAS OFFERED ONE OF THE LEADING ROLES IN NETFLIXâ€™S COMING-OF-AGE COMEDY-DRAMA SERIES I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS. WE CAUGHT UP

‘‘ didn’t really get into film until I graduated from high school,’’ Jacques tells us as he looks back on the beginning of his acting career. Passionate about theater since his childhood, he got the opportunity to act in his first independent film — Sweet Old World — shortly after his work in several musicals caught the attention. ‘‘It was love at first project,’’ he says. ‘‘I was playing a marching band leader and I had to learn saxophone. This was also while I was just beginning college, but it was a lot of fun.’’ Alike a lot of actors in this day and age, Jacques made his breakthrough when he was cast in a Netflix original series, mystery teen drama The Society. ‘‘The initial appeal of it was this combination of a teen drama and a political series, which isn’t really something that I was seeing a lot of,’’ he explains. Premiering in May 2019, The Society quickly became a fan favorite all around the world. The story follows a group of high schoolers who are mysteriously transported to a nearly exact replica of their Connecticut town — named West Ham — and must learn to run their own community. ‘‘You got a whole bunch of teenagers who are forced to survive, without parents and without authority. We all have to help each other out, or we are doomed.’’ Jacques portrays Will LeClair, a foster kid driven towards independence and freedom. ‘‘The most fascinating part of Will is his ability to adapt,’’ the actor says. ‘‘We see at the very beginning of the show that he had to learn to be able to navigate a lot of different household situations, which is a truth among foster kids. But over the course of the show, we see how Will develops this notion of really feeling at home in this new world, with people who are his closest friends and that he can trust.’’ The Society tackles a lot of heavy topics such as democracy, gun, and sexual violence, in an environment where food is in limited supply and it is unclear how long resources will last — a situation that alludes to the challenges Generation Z and millennials deal with in today’s world. ‘‘I said in another interview that a lot of young people are nihilists in the face of genocide,’’ Jacques shares. ‘‘A main thing that the show explores in this first season is trust. Who do you trust? Who needs protection?

Who gotta be checked? There is a power balance and a power struggle. There are a lot of parallels that we explore in this kind of sci-fi fantasy world and what a lot of teenagers are facing right now. They don’t know who to believe.’’ Moreover, the core mystery of the show has inspired a lot of speculation. ‘‘There are some really cool theories, but I think that Chris [Keyser] has done a really great job at keeping us in the dark about a lot of the future of the show, and where our characters are going. That’s really stimulating because we all get to dream about what would happen.’’ While fans won’t be able to discover the truth behind West Ham’s events — because of the unfortunate recent cancellation by Netflix — Jacques reveals that he would have loved to see Will lead a revolution. ‘‘This first season definitely raised more questions than providing answers, but I like the fact that we don’t have the ability to predict what’s gonna happen next.’’

Look Lacoste

‘‘BE YOURSELF. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE’’

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Brittany (Photogenics LA) | Malibu, California Photographed by Emily Sandifer (August 2020)

Chapter II Chapter II

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Dress Rita Vinieris Earrings Noa

Dress Elisabetta Franchi Earrings Misahara

BEACH ESCAPE

Photos by Emily Sandifer Model Brittany Battisti at Photogenics LA Casting by Jasmine Perrier Styling by Amanda Lim Makeup and hair by Harper for Exclusive Artists using Giorgio Armani Beauty Photography assistant Marci Manklow Location Malibu, California GRUMPYMAGAZINE.COM

Y/Project FW20 Backstage | Paris, France Photographed by Jasmine Perrier (March 2020)

Chapter III Chapter III

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MEGAN STOTT Words by Thilda Riou Styling by Madison Guest

Photos by Lissa Chandler

Makeup and hair by Vanessa Moates

Producer Jasmine Perrier

‘‘EVERYBODY SHOULD BE LOVED NO MATTER WHAT’’ 46

LOOK 1 | Dress Asos LOOK 2 | Dress WAYF

ANDING A LEADING ROLE IN A HULU SERIES, ALONGSIDE ACTING POWERHOUSES LIKE REESE WITHERSPOON AND KERRY WASHINGTON, SURE IS A DREAM FOR MANY ACTORS. HOWEVER, MEGAN STOTT’S FANTASTIC WORK ON

EMMY-NOMINATED SHOW LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE IS EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE AS IT WAS HER FIRST-EVER ROLE ON TELEVISION. “I HAD DONE A COUPLE OF PILOTS BEFORE, BUT I NEVER HAD A LONG-TERM EXPERIENCE. THE FIRST TIME I WAS ON SET, I WAS SURPRISED BY HOW BIG THE CAST WAS,” THE 17-YEAR-OLD ACTRESS LETS US KNOW FROM HER ROOM IN ARKANSAS AS WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER BACK IN MAY. “BEING ABLE TO BE WITH MY IDOLS FOR MY FIRST JOB IS SOMETHING THAT I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD EVER HAPPEN.”

egan’s passion for acting began at an early age, as she remembers setting up theater performances with her brothers and cousins when she was only 3 years old. ‘‘We had this book and it had all these plays in it, so we decided that we would dress up and I would try and memorize these scripts.’’ She also got into dancing, cheerleading, and gymnastics, before eventually turning to acting. From then on, it was the start of a successful journey, which led her to the groundbreaking role of Izzy on drama web television miniseries Little Fires Everywhere, based on the novel by Celeste Ng. ‘‘When I first heard that I was somewhat in the mix and that Reese [Witherspoon] was gonna be in it, I bought the book,’’ Megan explains when being asked about the auditioning process she went through. ‘‘I thought Izzy was complicated and different, and someone I couldn’t relate a bunch to. I was a little weary at first, but the more auditions I had and the more I got to meet everyone, it all fell into place.’’

I also did journaling, which was probably the most in-depth thing that I would do to explore her emotions a little more and keep track of everything that was happening.’’

As the actress dedicated herself to a specific method to get into Izzy’s mind, she paid extra attention to the thoughts and feelings that her character expressed in the novel. ‘‘Once I started to get to know her better, I would listen to Alanis Morissette, My Chemical Romance, and Billie Eilish.

Portraying a ’90s queer teen while being born in the 2000s, Megan was driven by the challenge of doing her character justice. ‘‘I was lucky enough to have so many people around me who have experienced that through their lives. Liz [Tigelaar] was a tremendous help because I was able to ask

Described by Megan as ‘‘the black sheep of the Richardson family,’’ Izzy is a bright and passionate young girl, coming to terms with her own sexuality while dealing with bullying. ‘‘She is the one who nobody talks to and who gets her feelings hurt the most. She just wants her family to love her and accept her for who she is. And that’s why she’s so drawn to Mia [Kerry Washington]. Nobody had called her an artist before.’’ Alike her character, Megan has a knack for music, an artistic background which allowed her to fully get into Izzy’s mindset. ‘‘I’ve played violin for a couple years when I was little. I played a lot of instruments like piano, flute, guitar, ukulele, so I understand where she’s coming from in her musical aspect, and how she releases her emotions into the violin.’’

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FIONN O’SHEA Words by Thilda Riou

Styling by Oisin Boyd

Illustration by Jenny Sorto

Producer Jasmine Perrier

Special thanks Instax Fujifilm UK

Photographed by Lola Petticrew with Instax Ssquare SQ6

‘‘

Fionn O’Shea is truly my best friend. It’s been around two years since we met at the chemistry read for Dating Amber and immediately I knew we were of the same ilk. We sat outside the audition building for over an hour after chatting away, secretly thinking the other person was so cool. He makes me laugh like no one else in the world can, he is without a doubt the funniest person I know. His kindness and compassion knows no bounds. He would give you the shirt off his back. We spent 3 and a half months in isolation together during the pandemic and every day I woke up grateful to be stuck in a caravan in rural Ireland with him. Fionn’s talent speaks for itself — from cold callous Jamie to lost and lonely Eddie. He is a character actor and loves his job beyond measure, which shows in every performance. Filming Dating Amber felt more like running around Dublin having the craic with my best friend and a camera following. The job was like lightening in a bottle and now I can’t imagine a world where Fionn isn’t beside me constantly asking for snacks and hugs — which I am more than willing to give. There is so much of ourselves that we poured in to Eddie and Amber, most of all our real life friendship. But how could you not fall head over heels in love (platonic or otherwise) with Fionn O’Shea?

’’ 52

Lola Petticrew Dating Amber co-star

HEN WE LOOK AT FIONN O’SHEA’S WIDE RANGE OF PERFORMANCES, WE CAN BE SURE THAT THE FUTURE OF HOLLYWOOD IS IN GOOD HANDS. STARTING HIS ACTING CAREER AT 11 YEARS OLD, IN THE OSCAR-NOMINATED

SHORT FILM NEW BOY, THE IRISH ACTOR HAS CONTINUOUSLY BEEN TAKING ON ROLES AFTER OTHERS, PROVING TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY THAT HE IS RIGHT WHERE HE BELONGS. TODAY, THE 23-YEAR-OLD ACTOR CAN BE SEEN IN NUMEROUS PRODUCTIONS, SUCH AS HANDSOME DEVIL, BBC SERIES NORMAL PEOPLE AND MORE RECENTLY, THE COMING-OF-AGE COMEDY MOVIE DATING AMBER. I CAUGHT UP WITH FIONN FOR A SOCIAL DISTANCING INTERVIEW AS HE WAS QUARANTINED IN IRELAND, AND GOT THE FEELING THAT HE IS NOT PLANNING ON SLOWING DOWN ANYTIME SOON.

‘‘ started [acting] really young. I would always do these performances for my family in the kitchen,’’ Fionn starts. Originally from Dublin, his journey began when he joined his sister’s drama class and was brought to the open audition for the poignant short film New Boy. ‘‘I did a horrendously bad audition,’’ he laughs. ‘‘It was awful and I was painfully shy, but I ended up getting offered the part.’’ Working on sets for the rest of his childhood while going to school, the thought of making a career out of acting really struck him when he graduated and went to university. ‘‘I went to a business school, and then I dropped out three months in, when I got cast in The Siege of Jadotville. That was the transition from doing it semi-professionally to doing it professionally.’’ From then on, Fionn joined a series of great productions and worked with acting powerhouses such as Jamie Dornan, Mark Strong, and Guillaume Canet — in Netflix’s The Siege of Jadotville, and Andrew Scott, his co-star in Handsome Devil. ‘‘It’s amazing working with people like that, because you just learn so much. And with all of those people, they were everything I expected them to be and more,’’ he says. ‘‘I don’t think I’ve ever had a day on set where I haven’t learned something new, whether it’s about acting, stuff behind the camera or

anything.’’ It was actually when Fionn was shooting The Siege of Jadotville in South Africa, that one of the actors recommended him to the director of Handsome Devil, a comedy-drama about two teenagers in an all-boys boarding school in Ireland. ‘‘I guess the main message of the film is about not using a borrowed voice, and being true to yourself. It’s a film that focuses very heavily on male friendship and identity.’’ In April, Fionn got back on our screens in the critically acclaimed Irish drama series Normal People, portraying the role of Jamie alongside main characters Connell [Paul Mescal] and Marianne [Daisy Edgar-Jones]. Based on the novel by Sally Rooney and produced by Element Pictures, the show has been getting amazing feedback all around the world, praised for its beautiful, realistic, and heartbreaking portrayal of first love. ‘‘I had seen an article about Element and Lenny [Abrahamsson] adapting Sally’s book, and I was always a massive fan of Lenny’s and of Element. I read the book and fell in love with the story like everyone else,’’ the actor recalls. ‘‘I found this part in it, Jamie, and I was just really drawn to him. I remember at the time, I started recording voice notes about how I’d play that part and recording videos on my phone, before I even knew if I was gonna audition.’’ While Jamie is introduced as one of Marianne’s friends

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MILLICENT SIMMONDS Words by Jasmine Perrier Makeup by Kim Bower at TMG-LA

Photos by Jess Farran

Hair by Matthew Monzon at TMG-LA

Styling by Jenn Rosado Special thanks Cara Vision Studio

‘‘ENJOY EVERY MOMENT. WE’RE NOT GUARANTEED TOMORROW’’ 58

ILLICENT SIMMONDS HOLDS ALL THE CARDS TO BECOME HOLLYWOOD’S LATEST GEM. THANKS TO HER MAJOR ROLES OPPOSITE INDUSTRY-LEADING FIGURES IN TODD HAYNES’ WONDERSTRUCK, AND JOHN KRASINSKI’S A

QUIET PLACE, THE 17-YEAR-OLD DEAF ACTRESS IS A POWERHOUSE TO IMPROVE THE REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE FILM INDUSTRY. WE FIRST CAUGHT UP WITH MILLIE — AS MANY REFER TO HER — IN MARCH FOR A PHOTOSHOOT IN NEW YORK’S FLOWER DISTRICT, TWO DAYS AFTER THE NEW YORK PREMIERE OF A QUIET PLACE PART

II. AN EXCITING WORLDWIDE PRESS TOUR WAS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE YOUNG PERFORMER — UNTIL ALL PLANS GOT POSTPONED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, AND PARAMOUNT DECIDED TO PUSH BACK THE RELEASE TO APRIL 2021. “RIGHT AFTER THE PREMIERE IN NEW YORK WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE LONDON PREMIERE,’’ SHE RELATES. “I’VE NEVER BEEN AND HAVE BEEN WANTING TO GO FOR THE LONGEST TIME. I WAS SO DEVASTATED, OR HOW NOAH [JUPE] WOULD SAY ‘GUTTED.’ IT WAS AND HAS BEEN VERY SURREAL TO HAVE IT PULLED AT THE LAST MINUTE.’’

fter what felt a lifetime, we reconnected with Millicent to check in on her and see what she has been up to during her time at home. ‘‘I think like most people, it’s been a real reflective time for me. It’s also been pretty emotional at times,’’ she says. ‘‘I’ve had the time to do things that I normally wouldn’t have time for. I’ve read a lot, started painting again, and even started writing stories which I’ve always loved to do.’’ Even if this period has allowed her to slow down quite a bit, the Young Hollywood newcomer states she misses traveling and being on set. ‘‘It’s been bittersweet for me.’’ With just three feature film credits to her name, Millicent’s short but impressive career is marked by her breakout performances that cannot be ignored. ‘‘It’s really not something that I planned on but now that I’m here, a lot of people have influenced me and helped me along this path,’’ she says. Having her roots in Utah, she was first introduced to performing arts at her local deaf school when she joined a drama club and got her starts on stage. ‘‘My first performance was in front of 100 people,’’ she tries to recall. ‘‘It was for a conference and I played Puck in A

Midsummer Night’s Dream. We would travel around and perform mostly Shakespeare plays.’’ Growing up, Millicent affirms she never saw deaf kids on screen and didn’t really think it was a possible career option for her. ‘‘I feel like I accidentally fell into this path rather than chose it,’’ she says. At the request of her drama teacher, Millicent auditioned for Wonderstruck and made her big screen debut opposite Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams as Rose, a 12-year-old deaf girl living in 1920s New Jersey. ‘‘I didn’t think there was any chance I would get it — I’m happy I did,’’ she shares. ‘‘When I was offered the role, I was extremely overwhelmed, and questioned myself and my ability. I was used to the stage and felt very much out of place, [because] playing to a camera is nothing like playing to an audience.’’ Wonderstruck premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2017 which Millicent attended with her co-stars. ‘‘I had no idea what to expect. I remember the flashes and the photographers yelling at us — it was very intimidating and scary at first,’’ she recalls from the red carpet. ‘‘I remember taking a deep breath and turning around — seeing it all from the top was electric. I saw

ISSUE NO.16

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Set Death to Tennis Rollneck COS

WYATT OLEFF Interviewed by Jaeden Martell

Photos by Emily Sandifer

Styling by Adam Ballheim for The Only.Agency

Grooming by Harper for Exclusive Artists using Skyn Iceland Producer Jasmine Perrier

Interview transcribed by Parker Schug

Photography assistant Marci Manklow

Location Loft 1923 Illustration by Kendall Wisniewski

T 17, WYATT OLEFF IS PART OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNG STARS WHO WILL ONE DAY RULE HOLLYWOOD. WITH HIS ROLES IN SUCCESSFUL MOVIE FRANCHISES — INCLUDING MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY AND

HORROR CLASSICS IT AND IT: CHAPTER TWO ADAPTED FROM STEPHEN KING’S 1986 NOVEL — HE HAS BECOME AN UPAND-COMING TALENT TO WATCH. WYATT STARS AS THE MALE LEAD IN NETFLIX’S I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS OPPOSITE SOPHIA LILLIS, BRINGING TO LIFE ANOTHER CHARACTER NAMED STANLEY WHO IS DESCRIBED AS “ADORABLY AWKWARD BUT COOL.” A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE SHOW PREMIERE IN FEBRUARY, WE INVITED WYATT’S FELLOW IT CO-STAR AND BEST FRIEND JAEDEN MARTELL FOR A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH HIM. THE TWO ACTORS SAT DOWN TO OFFER US A WINDOW INTO THE MIND OF A YOUNG RISING STAR GROWING UP IN THE INDUSTRY.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Cardigan No! Jeans T-shirt COS Pants SCYLT Bandana Greyscale Trainers Pierre Hardy

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Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France Photographed by Jasmine Perrier (June 2020)

Chapter IV Chapter IV

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LORENZA IZZO Interviewed by Brianne Howey

Photos by Sara Newman

Creative direction by Sophie Tabet

Makeup and hair by Alexia Molinari Producer Jasmine Perrier

Styling by Jenn Rosado

Stylist assistant Khoi Le

Interview transcribed by Parker Schug

Illustration by Jenny Sorto

ORENZA IZZO HAS GRADUALLY MADE HER MARK IN HOLLYWOOD. BORN IN SANTIAGO, THE CHILEAN ACTRESS HAS BEEN TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HER NATIVE COUNTRY AND THE UNITED STATES SINCE HER TEENAGE

YEARS — WHICH IS WHY WE DON’T PERCEIVE AN OUNCE OF SOUTH AMERICAN ACCENT IN HER VOICE, AS SHE EXPLAINS IT. TODAY, SHE RESIDES IN LOS ANGELES WHERE SHE FILMED TWO OF HER LATEST PROJECTS, INCLUDING QUENTIN TARANTINO’S NINTH FEATURE FILM ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD — OPPOSITE LEONARDO DICAPRIO AND BRAD PITT— AND JOHN LOGAN’S SERIES PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS IN WHICH SHE PORTRAYS THE MAGNETIZING

SANTA MUERTE, THE MEXICAN FOLK SAINT OF DEATH. INTERVIEWED BY ACTRESS BRIANNE HOWEY, LORENZA DESCRIBED THOSE MONTHS AS “THE HAPPIEST MOMENTS OF HER LIFE” AND RECAPPED THE KEY MOMENTS OF HER JOURNEY THAT HAVE BUILT UP HER PROMISING CAREER THUS FAR.

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JUSTIN H. MIN Words by Emily Pitcher

Photos by Raul Romo

Styling by Evan Simonitsch

Grooming by Sonia Lee for Exclusive Artists using Oribe Haircare

Producer Jasmine Perrier

‘‘WE ARE ALL SEARCHING FOR CHARACTERS WHO HAVE A LOT OF HISTORY AND FLAWS’’ 78

CTOR JUSTIN H. MIN IS PAVING THE WAY FOR AUTHENTIC POC REPRESENTATION WITH HIS COMMITMENT TO PLAYING THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS WHOSE IDENTITIES AREN’T DEFINED BY THEIR ASIANNESS. GETTING

HIS START IN WONG FU PRODUCTIONS, A YOUTUBE CHANNEL ABOUT ASIAN AMERICAN STORYTELLING, JUSTIN HAS SINCE PROPELLED HIMSELF INTO THE WORLD OF NETFLIX BY PLAYING BEN IN THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, AN ACTION SHOW BASED ON THE AWARD-WINNING COMIC SERIES BY GERARD WAY. WE SAT DOWN WITH JUSTIN TO TALK ABOUT THE SIMPLISTIC, GEOMETRIC STYLE OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHY, HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH NETFLIX, AND HIS IDENTITY AS A KOREAN AMERICAN.

escribed as an ‘‘incubator’’ for Asian American filmmakers, Wong Fu Productions was how Justin first learned how to experiment and take risks as an actor. He starred in the short How I Became An Adult, a light comedy about the everyday difficulties of growing up. ‘‘It was such a powerful experience because there is something so moving about being on a set with all or primarily Asians. There is an unspoken language that we share with people of the same heritage and background. As an actor, when you’re in that sort of environment, it’s freeing and liberating. I remember being on Wong Fu sets and feeling like I could try new things because I felt empowered in this environment.’’ Justin cites his experience as a training ground for the magnitude of traditional Hollywood. ‘‘The transition into something like the insane machine that is Netflix — I’m grateful for the platform, but it’s a very different experience. The crew and the production [are] a million times bigger. At times, it can be overwhelming. As an artist, what more can we do but hope that people are being entertained, moved, and inspired by the things we do? Wong Fu has pioneered the way for so many of us. We practice in this slightly smaller scale so that when the opportunity comes, we’re ready for it. They’ve done that for me.’’ One aspect of Justin’s work at Wong Fu and

Netflix has remained consistent — he is playing roles that aren’t centered around Asianness, but simply happen to be Asian. When asked about this more profound form of representation, Justin answers, ‘‘I gravitate towards characters where their Asianness is not the one personality trait that they have. When their heritage is not the end-all-be-all for a character, you often find roles that are more three-dimensional and well-rounded. As an actor, those are the characters we are drawn to. We are all searching for characters who have a lot of history, baggage, and flaws, and these are the characters that I hope Hollywood will continue to write.’’ As for successful films that he admires for its portrayal of POC, he describes, ‘‘The reason that movies like Always Be My Maybe and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before are so powerful is you could’ve had anyone play those roles. They didn’t have to be Asian. Of course, their Asianness is imbued in small, subtle things, but it’s not, ‘Hey, let’s always talk about the fact that we’re Asian.’ That’s not what those stories are about.’’ Justin is clear to differentiate himself as a Korean American actor, which is why he includes the middle initial ‘‘H’’ whenever writing his name. As for why he made this choice, he discusses that the ‘‘H’’ reminds him of his family. ‘‘It’s a disservice to people of color sometimes to have to change their

ISSUE NO.16

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JULIA SCHLAEPFER Interview by Vicenté

Words by Jasmine Perrier

Photos and styling by Sarah Slutsky

Assistant Gina Brase

‘‘I’VE BEEN TRAINING TO BE IN A RYAN MURPHY SHOW SINCE I WAS A CHILD’’ 84

ULIA SCHLAEPFER IS JUST STARTING OFF HER ACTING CAREER, BUT SHE IS POISED TO BECOME A NAME TO KNOW IN HOLLYWOOD. THE 25-YEAR-OLD ACTRESS AND FORMER BALLERINA FROM BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, APPROACHED

HER BREAKOUT ROLE AS THE ICY, SHARP, AND STRATEGIC THINKER ALICE CHARLES ON NETFLIX’S THE POLITICIAN WITH DETERMINATION AND DEDICATION. AS OPPOSED TO HER ON-SCREEN CHARACTER WHO ASPIRES TO BECOME FIRST LADY, JULIA IS LAID-BACK, THOUGHTFUL, AND VERY FRIENDLY. SHE CHEERFULLY TELLS US SHE HAS BEEN TRYING SOME HAIR EXPERIMENTS AT HOME DURING QUARANTINE — GOING FROM BLONDE TO PINK AND EVENTUALLY BLUE. LET’S REFER TO HER AS THE LIVE VERSION OF NYMPHADORA TONKS FROM HARRY POTTER, WHICH SHE RECEIVES AS “THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT.” HERE, WE CHAT WITH JULIA ABOUT HER GRIPPING PERFORMANCE IN RYAN MURPHY’S SHOW, HER COMMITMENT TO HELPING MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE YOUNG ACTRESS IN HER TWENTIES.

he Politician is a comedy-drama that allows us to dive into what it takes to become a politician, and look at it with some distance through a comedic and satirical eye. For Julia, one of the goals of the show is to encourage the next generation of voices and voters to be aware of the change they can enact and not underestimate themselves. ‘‘It’s so amazing and inspiring to watch young people killing it out there, and I want to make sure that they know they got this, she says. ‘‘One thing [Ryan Murphy] did say was that our season 2 was a love letter to young people who are out there right now speaking up and organizing protests, and are gonna be our next politicians.’’ Before even auditioning for The Politician, Julia had already immersed herself in Ryan Murphy’s body of work. ‘‘I’ve been training to be in a Ryan Murphy show since I was a child,’’ she laughs. ‘‘I have watched every single one of his shows since as long as I can remember — I was a ‘Gleek’ in high school and dressed up as the characters for Halloween.’’ Therefore, she was immediately interested in the storyline of her character who goes through a lot of growth between season 1 and 2. ‘‘[Ryan’s] way of writing felt really natural — the character just

made sense to me,’’ she says. ‘‘I don’t even remember deciding that I was gonna do that lower Alice voice — it clicked.’’ In addition to watching interviews of the most iconic American First Ladies, Julia explains she took inspiration from some of Ryan Murphy’s other characters, citing Billie Lourde’s performance in Scream Queens, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow’s delivery in Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. Given that it was Julia’s first series regular job, the Hollywood newbie admits she was intimidated at first, but she wasn’t alone. ‘‘In season 1, most of us were pretty new to the world, so we were all very scared [as a group] to do anything,’’ she says. ‘‘In season 2, we were very loosed. Ryan always says, ‘You guys know the characters. We are going to write these things for you, but have fun.’’’ With a large ensemble cast, including both established actors and newcomers, Julia learned a lot from her co-stars. ‘‘It was a very educational experience for me watching [Zoey Deutch]. She is incredible.’’ Forming the power couple of The Politician with Payton [Ben Platt], Alice is also one of the show’s leading ladies and really stood out with her iconic lines. ‘‘I love her — she

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KAREN FUKUHARA Interviewed by Erin Moriarty

Photos by Katie Levine Hair by Derek Yuen at A-Frame

Styling by Kim Johnson Producer Jasmine Perrier

Makeup by Tomoko Illustration by Jenny Sorto

N SUPPORT OF THE RETURN OF AMAZON’S HIGHLY PRAISED SHOW THE BOYS, WHOSE SEASON 2 PREMIERED ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, WE WANTED TO REUNITE KAREN FUKUHARA WITH HER CO-STAR ERIN MORIARTY — WHO PLAYS

ANNIE JANUARY/STARLIGHT — FOR A UNIQUE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION. WHEN WE ASKED ERIN TO JOIN US, SHE WAS IMMEDIATELY KEEN TO HEAR MORE ABOUT KAREN IN A PERSONAL WAY AND HER SILENT CHARACTER KIMIKO/THE FEMALE, WHOSE BACKSTORY GETS MORE REVEALED IN THE SECOND SEASON. BORN IN LOS ANGELES AND COMING FROM A FIRST-GENERATION IMMIGRANT FAMILY, THE JAPANESE-AMERICAN ACTRESS IS NO LONGER A STRANGER TO HOLLYWOOD. RAISED IN A HOUSEHOLD WHERE BOTH CULTURES COHABITED, SHE MADE HER BIG SCREEN DEBUT IN 2016 AS KATANA IN DAVID AYER’S SUICIDE SQUAD. WITH HER STANDOUT PORTRAYALS OF INTENSE AND COMPLEX CHARACTERS, KAREN IS FUELED BY HER PASSION FOR ACTING THAT SHE INTENDS TO PURSUE WITH PERSEVERANCE. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Ile d’Oléron, France Photographed by Jasmine Perrier (July 2020)

Chapter V Chapter V

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Cameron M onaghan REFLECTS ON HIS RISE TO STARDOM Interview by Liana Liberato Photos by Sami Drasin at Walter Schupfer Management Styling by Jessica Loria at Atelier Management Florist Brandi Bombard at Forma Floral Grooming by Andrea Pezzillo for Exclusive Artists using Lancôme and Kevin Murphy Stylist assistant Camille Rousseau Producer Jasmine Perrier Interview transcribed by Parker Schug Illustration by Kendall Wisniewski

AMERON MONAGHAN IS THE TYPE OF ACTOR WHO HAS PROVED THROUGHOUT HIS MANY YEARS WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY THAT HE CAN DO IT ALL. AS HE JUST TURNED 27, CAMERON HAS CLAIMED HIS OWN SPACE AT

THE FOREFRONT OF A GENERATION OF ACTORS COMMITTED TO TELLING STORIES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO TODAY’S SOCIETY. GROWING UP IN FLORIDA, HE HAS BEEN CLIMBING THE STEADY ROAD TO SUCCESS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, DIVING INTO TELEVISION, FILM, AND NOW VIDEO GAMES. HE WAS THAT DEEPLY DISTURBED KID IN CULT SITCOM MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, AND HAD SCREEN TIME WITH HOLLYWOOD ROYAL MERYL STREEP IN THE GIVER. BUT HIS MAJOR BREAK CAME WHEN HE WAS CAST AS IAN GALLAGHER IN SHOWTIME’S SHAMELESS AND BECAME A FAN FAVORITE. SINCE, HIS OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, INCLUDING HIS INTERPRETATION OF “THE JOKER” IN FOX’S GOTHAM.

Shirt Sandro Tank Stylistâ€™s own Pants COS Necklace COS Ring COS Boots The Kooples

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H annah J ohn-Kamen ON HER CLIMB TO SUCCESS FROM HULL TO HOLLYWOOD Interview by Kadiff Kirwan Photos by Rosie Matheson Styling by Karen Clarkson at The Wall Group Makeup by Alex Babsky at Premier Hair & Makeup Hair by Stefan Bertin at The Wall Group Photography assistant Flossie Hughes Stylist assistant Jonathan Johnson Producer Jasmine Perrier Location Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch Illustration by Jenny Sorto

S FAR BACK AS HANNAH JOHN-KAMEN CAN REMEMBER, SHE DOESN’T HAVE A MEMORY OF NOT WANTING TO PERFORM. BORN AND BRED IN EAST YORKSHIRE, UK, TO A NIGERIAN FATHER AND NORWEGIAN MOTHER, SHE

HAS SPENT THE LAST FEW YEARS MASTERING HER CRAFT ACROSS TV AND FILM SINCE HER PROFESSIONAL DEBUT IN BBC’S DRAMA WHITECHAPEL. HER FIRST LEAD ROLE AS DUTCH IN SYFY’S SERIES KILLJOYS EXPOSED HER TO A WIDER PUBLIC, WHICH PREPARED HER FOR THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS CATAPULTING HER INTO HOLLYWOOD — FROM HER BIG SCREEN DEBUT IN STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, TO A TRIO OF BLOCKBUSTERS IN 2018 INCLUDING TOMB RAIDER, STEVEN SPIELBERG’S READY PLAYER ONE, AND MARVEL’S ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. THIS YEAR, THE HULL NATIVE CAN BE SEEN IN NETFLIX’S THE STRANGER AND PEACOCK ORIGINAL SERIES BRAVE NEW WORLD, BASED ON ALDOUS HUXLEY’S CLASSIC DYSTOPIAN NOVEL. WITH HER LIMITLESS IMAGINATION, THE 31-YEAR-OLD ACTRESS THOUGHTFULLY SHAPES HER CAREER WITH COMPELLING PERFORMANCES AND ROLES THAT PUSH HER BOUNDARIES.

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Brave New World is coming to Starzplay in France later this year.

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Tom E llis GETS CANDID ON HIS BI-CONTINENTAL ACTING CAREER Interview by Sam Heughan Photos by Allegra Messina Styling by Warren Alfie Baker at The Wall Group Grooming by Lilly Keys at A-Frame using Dermalogica and Kiehl’s Producer Jasmine Perrier Interview transcribed by Parker Schug Illustration by Jenny Sorto

AILING FROM WALES, TOM ELLIS HAS BEEN IN THE FILM INDUSTRY FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. BUILDING A PATH TO THE LEADING-MAN STATUS CAN BE IMMEDIATE FOR SOME, TAKE A LIFETIME FOR OTHERS. STARTING

OUT ON BRITISH TELEVISION, HE VIEWED THE UNITED STATES AS AN OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING THE PARTS HE WASN’T GOING UP FOR IN HIS NATIVE COUNTRY. WITH HIS NATURAL CHARISMA AND ON-SCREEN PRESENCE, THE

ROLE OF “THE DEVIL” ON THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES LUCIFER LAUDED HIM AS AN ESTEEMED ACTOR OF HIS GENERATION. IN REAL LIFE, THE WELSH ACTOR IS KIND-HEARTED AND SHOWS A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR — JUST LIKE HIS BELOVED ON-SCREEN CHARACTER. PART ONE OF LUCIFER’S FIFTH SEASON PREMIERED AUGUST 21ST ON NETFLIX WITH ITS SURPRISES AND SPARKLES, AND THE POPULAR SHOW IS ALREADY RENEWED FOR A SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON.

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Nouvelle Aquitaine, France Photographed by Jasmine Perrier (July 2020)

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Chapter VI Chapter VI

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OH WONDER Interview and photos by Jasmine Perrier

ONDON-BASED ALT-POP DUO OH WONDER, COMPOSED OF ANTHONY WEST AND JOSEPHINE VANDER GUCHT, HAVE MADE IT TO THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SCENE SINCE THEIR EPONYMOUS DEBUT ALBUM SELF-RELEASED IN 2015.

FIVE YEARS LATER, THEY COUNT BILLIONS OF STREAMS, THREE ALBUMS, AND MORE THAN 300 HEADLINE SHOWS ACROSS THE WORLD. AS THEY RELEASED THEIR THIRD ALBUM NO ONE ELSE CAN WEAR YOUR CROWN EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE DUO PROVES TO BE A SYMBIOTIC COUPLE ON AND OFF STAGE. I FIRST CAUGHT UP WITH JOSEPHINE OVER THE PHONE BACK IN FEBRUARY, RIGHT AFTER THEY PLAYED A SHOW IN OXFORD. THEN, I MET UP WITH BOTH OF THEM THE FOLLOWING MONTH IN PARIS, AND IT WAS A LIVE SHOW TO REMEMBER, AS IT WAS THE LAST ONE FOR ALL OF US BEFORE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY GOT HIT HARD BY THE PANDEMIC. THANKS TO THEIR WONDERFUL STAGE PRESENCE, AND THE PASSION OF THEIR FANS WHO KNEW EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THEIR SONGS, THE DUO BROUGHT A POSITIVE NOTE WITH THEIR SWEET VOCALS, CAREFULLY CRAFTED LYRICS, AND COMMUNICATIVE CHEERFULNESS.

For those who don’t know Oh Wonder, can you tell us how you went from uploading tracks on Soundclound to releasing three albums and having sold-out shows around the world?

JOSEPHINE VANDER GUCHT: [Laughs] I wish I knew how we did that. We met eight or nine years ago, and we were friends for a long time. We used to hang out and write [together]. And we had this one song that we’ve written together that we really wanted to release, then somehow found ourselves on this long tour of the world, which is crazy, and highly unintentional — we felt blessed. Now [that we are] releasing our third album, and still have the privilege of being able to play shows all around the world, I don’t even know how or why it happened.

Anthony and you started your music project as friends before ultimately working as a couple. How would you say you complement each other when it comes to creating music and building your brand as a duo? JVG: We’ve always been a couple, we’ve always been writing songs. [As a band], we wanted to put the music first, but it’s pretty amazing doing the thing you love with the person that you love. It’s also brilliant because there’s no ego in the room — we trust and respect one another. There’s no judgment or nobody ever takes it badly. We just support and love each other. And touring is a very crazy lifestyle, but the fact that we have each other and get to be so vulnerable together, it’s awesome.

Talking about your album ‘‘No One Else Can Wear Your Crown’’ — you wrote, recorded, and produced your music in your studio in London. It includes very intimate, candid, and personal songs. Was it challenging to find yourself sonically and lyrically when you were working on it?

JVG: We took a year off from touring to decompress and process what had happened over the last few years. When you’re on the road and you’re playing all these shows, you’re in ‘‘album touring’’ mode — you don’t really get a chance to sit and understand how you’re feeling and what you’re doing. You’re on a treadmill. It was only after we completed the writing of the album and then recording it at home in our garden, that we kind of [knew] what the themes were, and we realized you spend so much of your youth being encouraged to pursue certain avenues. But actually, how does anybody know what is best for you?

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The title of the album is a good reminder that everyone needs to hear in their life. How did you come up with it? JVG: Everybody has a metaphorical crown. They are the king or the queen, or the ruler of their own life. What they want to do with it is up to them. We’ve been very fortunate that we chose to do music, and it has worked out. I guess it’s just trying to encourage others to also believe in themselves and push [them] to fulfill their dreams. It’s an empowering album, for sure.

Your album talks a lot about self-acceptance, empowerment, and joy, which are such important topics — especially when it’s very easy to feel let down nowadays. For example, your song ‘‘Alleluia’’ says, ‘‘I don’t think my mamma thinks I’m good enough to be a superstar. But one day I will show her I’m a diamond.’’ That inspires people to keep chasing their dreams. Overall, what do you want people to take away from your album? JVG: One thing is, as said before, that their dreams are worthy and valid. Some people aren’t able to love who they want to love, or they can’t believe in a God they want to believe in because society doesn’t support it, or they can’t wear what they want to wear because their friends will not support them. I hope that the record is preaching a message of self-empowerment, self-belief, and compassion for yourself. And I think the other theme of the album would be, ‘‘It’s okay not to be okay.’’ Everybody has days where they doubt themselves, it is part of being human. Everybody has days where they don’t feel like they’re good enough, or they don’t deserve what’s coming for them. Try to have compassion for yourself and others.

To what extent would you say that all the topics tackled are relevant to today’s society?

JVG: More than ever, this generation is talking about things like mental health. I think [this album] definitely acknowledges that. You don’t necessarily know where to put [these tricky feelings] or what to do with them. I’m very fortunate that I can feel things and put them into songs. There’s a couple of songs on there about your ex-partners and the various feelings that you can have towards them. There’s a song about someone you love being in hospital, and not being able to do anything. It looks at those moments of difficulty and moments of doubt. And then it also has songs on it that I hope will remind us that it’s normal because life is tricky.

We noticed during your Paris show back in March how close you were to your audience. It was such a lively atmosphere.

JVG: Performing is the best part of the job, really. Being on tour is crazy, you feel so alive. It’s like having a conversation with a room full of strangers. You don’t even have to speak the same language. That is so powerful and it brings people together. I might have the best job ever.

How has your vision for your music project and identity evolved over the years?

JVG: We never really have a vision or a plan [laughs]. We were very cautious and reserved [when we started], but we found so much joy in it. Before, we were very willing to do everything ourselves. And working with that label on this album, we realized that multiple heads are better than one. Now I think the music industry is incredible. It’s basically a collaboration between loads of brilliantly creative people.

What would be one single highlight of your career?

JVG: One of the most surreal moments was [at] Lollapalooza in Sao Paolo. I remember walking out on stage and seeing people watching us. It was one of the most magical gigs, everybody knew the words to every single song. We’ve been very blessed that we’re doing what we love.

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GAVIN JAMES Interview by Emily Pitcher Photos by Ryan Jafarzadeh

ITH OVER 1.5 BILLION GLOBAL STREAMS AND 22 PLATINUM RECORDS IN 8 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, IRISH SINGERSONGWRITER GAVIN JAMES IS A CREATIVE FORCE THAT DEMANDS ATTENTION. YOU MAY KNOW HIM FROM HIS

TOURS WITH NIALL HORAN, SAM SMITH, AND ED SHEERAN, HIS SUPPORT FOR DOWN SYNDROME CENTRE, OR HIS NEW SONG “ BOXES,’’ AN OPTIMISTIC TRACK ABOUT SELF-ACCEPTANCE. WE SAT DOWN WITH GAVIN OVER A ZOOM CALL TO TALK ABOUT HIS UPCOMING DRIVE-IN SHOWS, THE DIFFICULTY OF PURSUING MUSIC, AND HIS NEXT ALBUM. HIS CHEERFUL AND PLAYFUL ATTITUDE PARALLELS THE MESSAGE OF HIS NEW MUSIC: TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE WITH JOY AND SPIRIT.

The lyric video for ‘‘Boxes’’ has you running all over the world playing your guitar. What was the inspiration behind that video? The original inspiration was the fact that we couldn’t do an actual video because of lockdown. Studio Showoff got onto us from Australia and they were awesome. The idea was to walk around in different places. I was a kid at the start, then I fell asleep, dreaming about traveling the world and playing music. It’s a very simple, happy little video. The song is based on following your dreams, doing what you want to do, and not caring what other people think.

A comment on the ‘‘Boxes’’ video reads: “Sounds like a song that would be in the ending credits of a coming-of-age finding-yourself kind of movie!” What led to you cultivating this happy, optimistic sound? I’ve always written ballads so I wanted one that embraced what a happy guy I am in general. I wanted a really optimistic sound to start off the third album. I was lucky, I grew up in Dublin. The whole song is about me growing up in Dublin and people saying, ‘‘You’re going to do music. Music is a really tough choice.’’ Why do people really need to bother saying that? Why don’t they let people do what they do? And if they don’t want to follow the crowd, they don’t have to follow the crowd.

You’re planning on doing drive-in shows all around Ireland, in which a portion of the proceeds is going towards Down Syndrome Centre. What made you think of this idea and why did you choose the Down Syndrome Centre as your charity? My manager and I talked about doing it at the start of lockdown to get people out of their house. The first idea I had was to do live streams, which I did. I loved the reactions of people with a gin in their hands, getting dressed up, and treating it as a night out even though they were at their house watching a live stream. That was the original idea, and to keep their minds off things. The drive-in shows are going to be a learning curve. There are loads of other bands who are starting to do it which is great. When people are not at work, the industry over here is going to struggle. Just a tiny foot in the door, just the idea of doing it is amazing. With the Down Syndrome Centre, I’ve always worked with them because my nephew has Down syndrome and they’ve helped him out over the years. He goes to public school and he’s been given a lot of opportunities because of them.

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How do you feel that your music is influenced by your Irish identity? Growing up in Ireland, I was thrown into music every day so I never had a choice of whether or not to play music. It’s such a huge scene of people who write great songs. There is no competition, everybody helps each other. Everybody gives everybody a leg up.

You once said that you put bullies on the guest list to your shows, and you write music about self-acceptance. So much of your personal brand is about forgiving yourself and others. Why is this so important to you? I met someone at a pub who gave me a crap time at school, and they didn’t even realize that they bullied me. They told me about their lives and they were struggling at home. I wrote a song about it called ‘‘22’’ on the first album that let me forget about everything that happened at school. It made me much stronger as I grew older. I never wanted to treat anybody like that because I knew what it was like to be treated like crap. It made me a better person in the end.

You said that when you were growing up, people told you that the music industry was too difficult for you to pursue. For your fans who may be pursuing creative careers, what advice would you give them? Do it as much as you can, and do it more. I went to play pub gigs from when I was 17-21 years old in Dublin. If I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be able to write or sing at all. I couldn’t really sing when I was 17. I learned a lot from doing 3-hour gigs. As long as you have the will and the hunger to do something, you will do something in that field. It’s all about enjoying it. When you stop enjoying it, you’re probably doing the wrong thing.

Can you tell us about what to expect on your next album? I had it pretty much finished before lockdown, but now I don’t have it finished at all because I’ve been writing songs. At the start of lockdown, I thought everyone was going to write a bunch of songs — there are so many hours in the day now. But in all reality, it’s watching Netflix. It’s ridiculous! Now, I’ve started actually writing and recording in the last month. I’ve been writing every day. The album’s going to drastically change from what I thought it was going to be, but it’s definitely going to be out in January. It’s going to be a lot more thought out than my other albums because I have so much time to think.

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SASHA SLOAN Interview by Jasmine Perrier Photos by David OD

T WAS 9AM IN NASHVILLE WHEN SASHA SLOAN APPEARED ON ZOOM FROM HER HOME IN TENNESSE WHERE SHE HAS RECENTLY MOVED IN — SHE WAS JUST WAKING UP, AS SHE GENTLY MENTIONS IT WITH A GLASS OF COFFEE

IN HER HAND. BORN TO RUSSIAN-IRISH PARENTS IN BOSTON, THE SINGER-SONGWRITER WHO REFERS TO HERSELF AS “SAD GIRL” — WHICH INSPIRED THE NAME OF HER FIRST EP RELEASED IN 2018 — IS THE ARTIST TO HAVE ON YOUR RADAR. “WE ARE GONNA TRY THIS OUT — IF IT WORKS, IT WORKS. IF IT DOESN’T BY THE TIME I’M 25, I’M COMING BACK HOME AND FINISHING COLLEGE,“ SHE TOLD HERSELF WHEN SHE GOT A PUBLISHING OFFER AT 19, DECIDED TO DROP OUT OF HER MUSIC BUSINESS STUDIES, AND MOVED TO LOS ANGELES. NOW THAT THE PIVOTAL AGE IS REACHED AND SHE CLIMBS UP CHARTS WITH HER EMOTIONAL AND HONEST SONGS, SHE CAN LOOK BACK ON HER JOURNEY WITH A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. WHEREAS THE PANDEMIC LED HER TO POSTPONE HER TOUR, WHICH INCLUDED A SHOW AT COACHELLA, SHE HAS USED HER FREE TIME TO FINISH UP HER DEBUT ALBUM ONLY CHILD — COMING OUT OCTOBER 16TH.

You started making music from a young age. How did you get bitten by the music bug? I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. My mom’s side isn’t musical in the sense of professionals, but they all love music. My grandfather plays the violin so I’ve always had singing and playing guitar around me. I grew up with a lot of pop music playing, country music. Then my mom had this piano in our apartment in South Boston — I started playing it and singing. I’m the first artist in my family so far — I’m definitely the black sheep [laughs].

You moved from Boston to Los Angeles at 19 in order to pursue music on a professional level. I assume that it was a bit overwhelming. I didn’t know anyone in LA, or anyone legit in the business. I was just like, ‘‘This is my one chance.’’ I didn’t want to be a songwriter for every people, I didn’t even know it was a job because I was always writing songs just for me. I was so excited to move in there, but it was harder than I thought it would be. I was alone and I couldn’t even buy a drink because I was 19. But it worked out so I can’t complain [laughs].

What was the scariest thing of going on your own and deciding to show your inner feelings? Everything — I’m not trying to be like a superstar. That’s actually my biggest fear because the more attention, the more anxiety I get. [...] The scariest for me was being in photographs and videos, having to really look at myself. I have avoided the camera my whole life [laughs]. These thoughts haven’t gone away — they got a little better. I got a little more confident, then I started playing shows, I gained more fans.

How did the ‘‘sad girl’’ territory come to be? Working with different artists and seeing how the system works really allowed me to be myself, and figure out who I was as an artist — helping people write songs that were full of help really made me not be scared to go fully into the ‘‘sad girl’’ territory. I don’t think the music

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I release would be the same if I didn’t have that experience beforehand.

From your debut EP ‘‘Loser’’ to ‘‘Sad Girl’’ and ‘‘SelfPortrait’’ released in 2018 and 2019, how has your vision for your music project and brand changed? In the beginning, I was making music that was independent, so that was really scary because I was funding everything myself and I didn’t have any money [laughs]. When I wrote ‘‘Older’’ about my parents being divorced, I had no idea that was gonna be my biggest song because it’s so niche. I think this new album [Only Child] is the most creative work I’ve ever done. I feel it’s actually who I am as a person. Now I’m at a point where I’m a little less scared and more like, ‘‘This is my project. I’m going to make music I like.’’

What is the most unexpected thing you have learned about yourself through the process of becoming a music artist? Surprising? I think I’m more of a control freak than I thought [laughs]. I try to hide it by being chill. But with this album, I didn’t realize how meticulous I was gonna be. I’m also more emotional than I thought I was because I like to hide behind humor, I love to pretend.

What would be the best highlight of your career so far? My biggest highlight was gaining my own apartment. When I moved to LA, I was working at a gym every day — I remember listening to Spotify playlists, being at the front desk, and being like, ‘‘If there’s ever a day, that I don’t have to work at this gym, I’m writing songs that are making this playlist, and I can pay my own rent — I would be so happy.’’ Slowly but surely it happened, and I started getting songs on those playlists as a writer or an artist even, and I got my first apartment. I was like, ‘‘I’m officially a full-time musician.’’ I was 21 or 22. It might even still be cooler than winning a Grammy, if I ever win a Grammy [laughs].

I also found out that you opened for Oh Wonder. It was actually the last show I attended before lockdown. They are the sweetest people on earth. They took me on tour before anyone would take me on tour [laughs]. They really showed me how you should really treat your openers — they invited me and my band for drinks after. They have such a sweet audience.

What has it been like for you to write, create music, and stay busy during quarantine? I have so much free time and I have been finishing up the album. It’s been great, but this year is so heavy. Especially in the US with the election, it’s kind of all of it at once. It’s hard for me to write a song about how I feel about my body in a time like this. I’ve actually not been writing that much, because that’s something that I find pointless. There are bigger issues going on.

Therefore what are your hopes for the future? I hope this pandemic ends [laughs]. I guess that’s what I’m hoping for right now, but I’m really hoping to keep getting fans. My motto is: ‘‘If I can get a fan a day, then I’m doing something right.’’ I hope that I keep getting to release music I love. I work with a label I love and they get who I am — not everyone is in that position.

What about your ultimate goal? My goal with every EP and album is to not hate it when I look back. I’m a much better writer now than I was a year ago. Every time I put a body of work out, I’m like, ‘‘That was good, but this one is way better.’’

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JEREMY ZUCKER Interview by Emily Pitcher Photos by Stefan Kohli

ITH HIS LATEST CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ALBUM DESCRIBED AS “THE PERFECT BREAKUP ALBUM,” SINGERSONGWRITER JEREMY ZUCKER IS HERE TO STAY. THE COMBINATION OF HIS EMOTIONAL LYRICS AND THE

CAREFREE, SUMMERTIME ATMOSPHERE OF HIS SONGS IS WHAT MAKES HIS MUSIC SO COMPELLING, BOASTING OVER 14 MILLION MONTHLY LISTENERS ON SPOTIFY ALONE. DESPITE THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF HIS WORK, WITH HIS SONG “COMETHRU” HAVING OVER 1.2 BILLION GLOBAL STREAMS, JEREMY HAS ALWAYS ROOTED HIS BRAND IN AUTHENTICITY AND MOODY, PURPOSEFUL VISUALS. WE SAT DOWN WITH HIM TO DISCUSS THE CONFLICTING NATURE OF LOVE, HIS SINGLE “SUPERCUTS,” AND THE POWER OF LIVE MUSIC.

In your latest single “supercuts,” you describe your fear of getting into a relationship you know will be temporary, and being stuck in suburbia — pretty heavy topics over a happy, optimistic beat. What led to this stylistic choice of having the lyrics and the vibe of the song be opposite moods? That’s something that I do a lot in a lot of my songs — ‘‘all the kids are depressed’’ is a sad subject. With ‘‘supercuts,’’ it was intentional. I wanted this acoustic, nostalgic, free, handsout-of-the-window mood. These were the lyrics that worked with it. I was excited to give it a home.

I wanted to ask about this lyric in your song “comethru”: “Ain’t got much to do / Too old for my hometown.” This reads to me as you saying you’ve outgrown your roots. Can you tell us about what led to this feeling? I had just graduated from college and spent that whole summer at home in my parent’s house. The plan was to move into Brooklyn the next fall and then I went on tour. I wrote a couple of songs at home in this limbo period. I was back in my hometown after 4 years of being away for college, and I felt like I had outgrown everything that was once there for me. I knew I wanted to be somewhere where new things were happening, where I could explore, grow and be out of my comfort zone. The same town, the same house I grew up in — [it] wasn’t going to serve me.

You maintain a distinct aesthetic throughout your brand — from the simple, scenic view in your lyric video to “supercuts” to the moody portraits on your Instagram. What inspired your visual style? I like a lot of different random things and collect things, whether that is saving things on Instagram, digging things on the internet, or taking pictures myself. In the beginning, I put a lot of thought into a cohesive brand, but that became boring. My brand is me, and what I want to be known for is what I am and who I am. I’m going to keep gravitating towards things that interest me and what I think is important.

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I love the duality to your latest album title “love is not dying” — it can mean that love will always be there, but can also mean that a way of expressing your love is to literally stay alive. Your songs often describe the conflicting nature of relationships. What do you think is the biggest lesson or universal truth you’ve learned from love? I think that there is a reason why people have been talking about love for thousands of years, and still haven’t been able to describe it. The meaning of it changes and it isn’t this one thing. As far as universal truth goes, love should be healthy. There are a lot of people that feel like they’re in love, but it’s really some sort of codependency.

You have this tweet that reads, “forever writing songs about people who don’t deserve them.” How do you go about writing songs that are authentic to your personal life, yet also realizing that your innermost feelings are revealed to the world, including the people you’ve tried to move on from? Most of my songs are about specific people. Even if I’m writing something that could be hurtful, it’s never in my mind to sacrifice the authenticity of that to compensate for someone, when 99% of everyone else listening to it is different people. If someone wrote a song about me and it was horrible but a banger, I’d be like ‘‘Cool, that’s great.’’

Your songs describe very specific and intimate moments of your personal life — like forgetting your ex’s birthday, the awkwardness of confronting your ex’s family post-breakup. When it comes to the songwriting process, how do you decide which of these memories to frame a song around? There’s this mood or atmosphere that is created when I come up with a specific guitar part or chord progression. What I’m creating makes me feel a certain way, and I write words around that. Things just pop out, and then I’m talking about this thing that happened to me three months ago. When it becomes conscious, I flush it out.

You’ve talked about your inability to tour your latest album due to COVID, and feeling unsatisfied with the end of that era. What about performing live gives you closure towards your music? It gives me closure because I get to see the way it affected people, whether it’s the looks of people in the audience, how loud or how meaningful they scream the words back at me. Those are all indicators to me of what the special part of the song is, which is something that gets lost in my head when I’m making it. It’s lost when it’s just me performing because I don’t get to see it through my fan’s eyes and get a whole new perspective on my music.

I read that you created six versions of “comethru,” and I must applaud you for being so involved in the music production process. How do you decide what musical feeling your song should have to fit with your lyrics? Basically, how do you merge lyric writing and music production? What it comes down to is what feels right. That’s the X factor in terms of artists and original music, that gut feeling of knowing what is authentically you musically.

Your lyric video to “supercuts” is dressed down, you sitting on a boat sailing through the ocean. What led to the simplicity of this video? A couple of weeks earlier, I was down the shore with my parents on my dad’s boat, and we saw these windmills. We thought to go down there in front of the windmills and mess around. What we ended up using was that one long take half-singing the song, and we hired this awesome kid to do lyrics over it.

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