full look. Diesel
shoes. Dolce & Gabbana
Outer Banks star Austin North credits his sister and a poster in a Georgia mall of Dylan Sprouse’s face as the reason he has a career in acting. North was your typical sports-loving boy when his sibling unknowingly signed him up for an acting showcase that would put him in the room with Hollywood executives and would ultimately lead him to landing a leading role in Disney Channel’s I Didn’t Do It.
Coming off of his two-year stint on Disney Channel, you’d imagine that he’d be able to quickly land a role based on that credit alone – however, North hit a bit of a speed bump that led him to launch a marketing company, running social media accounts for a handful of companies while still regularly auditioning for anyone that would see him. Years went by with no luck, and just as he was ready to call it quits, he got the call that would change the trajectory of his career forever– a main role in Netflix’s Outer Banks, one of Netflix’s most successful and longest-running original series to date. North plays Topper Thornton, one of the more polarizing characters on the show that fans love to hate. But behind the scenes, he’s anything but Topper– grounded, reflective and passionate about his journey, North approaches his work with authenticity and compassion for his on-screen persona.
Coming off the success of Outer Banks season 4 and the announcement that the show will conclude with season 5, Austin North reflects on his time on the show with Schön! and opens up about what it means to be a part of something bigger than he could have ever imagined after almost giving up, his appreciation for his time in Topper Thornton’s shoes, and his hopes for his career after Outer Banks.
coat. Michael Kors
turtleneck + sunglasses. Dolce & Gabbana
opposite
full look. Dsquared2
flannel. Isabel Marant
shoes. Kenzo
Congratulations on the release of Outer Banks Season 4! How does it feel that the latest season is finally out?
It feels amazing! You know, it took a year to film the entire season from start to finish. There was a writer’s strike during filming so it pushed us back a little bit. We shot during the winter and through the summer, and there are a ton of moving parts in this season. The response has been incredible so far.
I saw you recently had the second Poguelandia event recently as well. What was it like basically having a music festival to celebrate the 4th season of a show you’ve worked so hard on?
Yeah! We just had the second one – it was actually in an airport hangar in Santa Monica and it was incredible. They set up this stage and they had Jungle headline, which is one of my favourite bands! It was really special to have the whole cast and whole crew there in one place just celebrating the show and the fans. It was a great way for us to connect with the reason the show is what it is, which is all because of the fans. I took my family with me and it was a blast. We’re doing these cool events all over for this season – I was recently in Toronto and Houston, and some of the cast went to Miami and Seattle. We’ve all spread out and then all came back together for Poguelandia in LA.
Yeah! It’s really cool that the show has cultivated the sort of fanbase where you can actually pull off a Coachella-style music festival. Were you able to connect with some fans in person? What has the reception been like so far for this season?
Yeah! I mean, it was a little hectic being able to just run into the crowd and hang with the fans one-on-one [laughs] but we definitely had the chance to meet some of them and the response has been so amazing. I did an Instagram Live on the Outer Banks’ official Instagram page giving a tour of Poguelandia, we ran around for about 40 minutes or so chatting with the fans and it was a really cool way to connect with them on IG Live and in person at Poguelandia. It’s so fun to be able to meet the fans one-on-one too – people think that we will be like our characters in person, and are sometimes shocked to realize I’m not actually like Topper [laughs]. I think it’s fun for the fans to see who we are as people.
full look. Isabel Marant
opposite
full look. Brunello Cucinelli
trousers. Brioni
hat. Isabel Marant
I’m sure! Especially since the first two seasons were released during the pandemic when you couldn’t really meet fans in real life.
Yeah – it was in 2020, right after lockdown is when the show came out. The show definitely holds a special place in people’s hearts because that was such an interesting and weird time for everyone. Still, to this day people talk about how this show was their ‘quarantine show’ and that the show helped them get through such a tough time. That’s really fulfilling for me when parents come up to me and tell me that this is a show they can all watch together and help them bond – I hear endless stories like that and that’s really meaningful to me.
I am going to get into the new season a little bit more, but first I wanted to chat a bit about your background. What events led you to pursue acting?
It’s kind of a wild story! I am from Ohia originally and I moved to Georgia when I was 10. I was living in Georgia, playing football and basketball and didn’t really have a passion for acting. Acting wasn’t even on my radar, it was just sports. And, long story short, I was going to see a movie at the mall with my dad and my sister, and my sister ran off to this little acting booth that had Dylan Sprouse’s face on it and it read “do you want to be an actor?” and my sister was like “yes, I want to be Hannah Montana” [laughs]. So she runs over there and puts her name down for this company called 21st Century Entertainment, and also puts my name down and I had no idea.
My mom then started getting these phone calls from this company about this showcase that she had signed us up for for these Hollywood agents where we had to do a monologue to potentially get signed. My mom thought “okay, I’ll let Loren do it, but I’m also going to force Austin to do it because he’s so shy and I want him to break out of his shell” [laughs]. And I was – I was a pretty reserved kid, it was tough for me to even order my food at a restaurant. At first, I was like “no way mom,” but then I picked this really fun monologue, and I ended up taking an acting class and people were actually laughing at my scenes and I remember thinking “okay this is kind of fun.” It was a way to express myself in a way that I normally wouldn’t. So, I committed to doing this showcase, and it went really well! I got some callbacks and we ended up flying to LA to pursue some of these callbacks. Me, my mom and my sister stayed for like a month and literally just kind of fell into it. If we hadn’t gone to the mall that day and my sister hadn’t seen that booth, I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now, and that’s just life! It’s so weird to think back on those moments that changed the trajectory of your life, but I do feel like I’m definitely in it for a reason and I have a passion for it now. It obviously took a second, but once I got into acting class I just got the bug for it. I’m definitely grateful for it, and I’m grateful for my sister because she’s the reason I’m here!
It’s kind of wild that it started out with a poster of Dylan Sprouse’s face and now you’re in a movie with him [laughs].
Yeah! It was full circle. I told him that whole story and he was like “woah man, that’s crazy!”
full look. Amiri
trousers. Kenzo
hat. Isabel Marant
opposite
full look. Diesel
shoes. Dolce & Gabbana
And then you landed on Disney Channel, which was every young actor’s dream. Disney Channel has launched so many huge actors and music artists. How has the transition been for you, going from starring in a show like I Didn’t Do It to a huge Netflix hit like Outer Banks?
Yeah, it’s definitely a big change. I think the biggest thing was going from a multi-cam sitcom to a single-cam show, which I had never done before. Anyone that doesn’t know – in a multi-cam sitcom you usually have about four cameras in front of you, and you usually shoot in front of a live audience, and it kind of feels like a play. We would rehearse throughout the week on Monday through Wednesday, and then we would shoot on Thursday and Friday, and then we would do a new episode the next week. Then with Outer Banks it was single cam, how most movies are filmed, and it was just a different way of shooting and a lot of technical things I had never done before. It was a lot to dive into. The call that I got the show was so last minute – I got the call and I had to be there the next day and immediately jump into rehearsals for fight scenes and stunt work. It was amazing. I think half of being an actor is just being able to adapt [laughs] you can’t always plan everything out and you never know what is going to happen on the day of filming, you just have to trust each other. That was the environment from day one – everyone was just in it together and adapting and learning as we go.
That transition out of Disney was interesting, and there was a dry spell coming out of Disney. I thought there would have been some more momentum, but that dry spell was kind of a blessing in disguise. You can’t place your joy and your happiness solely on working constantly, and it really allowed me to get back to acting classes and getting back to the craft and the art, and I really learned to love the ups and downs. There isn’t always going to be this high, there will be some dry spells here and there and moments where you just take time to yourself and grow as an actor. I think once I started to let go and stress about every single audition while waiting for the next gig, there was a freedom that I felt when going into Outer Banks like it was really meant to be. It just felt kind of effortless walking into that room. It was definitely at a moment in my life where I thought I should throw in the towel because I had been to so many auditions. I had even launched a marketing company and I was doing a lot of social media marketing for different companies because I had to think about my future. Of course, acting was still a passion and I was still pursuing that, but I was just in such a weird place in my life where the inconsistency was just so hard, and then Outer Banks happened! The transition was interesting, but I’m so grateful for it.
It’s so interesting how just when you think you’re about ready to give up, that’s when these great opportunities come your way. You mentioned that you had a dry spell and you went on a lot of auditions leading up to getting the role, but what eventually led you to get a role in Outer Banks? Was there something specific that drew you to the role of Topper?
Like most of my auditions, I got an email from my agent for this project, I’m pretty sure it already had the name Outer Banks, sometimes projects are just unnamed in the beginning. I didn’t have a full script yet, all I had were the sides for Topper. I didn’t audition for any other role, and I’m pretty sure the audition sides were that argument scene between Topper and Sarah, the iconic TikTok scene where she says “You love the idea of me, you love being seen with me but you don’t love me” [laughs] from season 1. It was that scene and the one with Ward and Topper about not trusting the Pogues.
I believe I did three scenes total on tape, and of course, there were tons of other guys going out for this role, and as I normally do, I just went in for it and then kind of forgot about it. Then I got a callback, which was a zoom call from the casting office with Jonas and Josh and Shannon, our creatives, and they really just pushed me to go to the extreme emotionally in the breakup scene and the scene where Topper finds out he’s been cheated on. They said they just wanted to see how far I could go. I remember the walls of the room being paper thin and some guys were sitting in the waiting area, and I was just screaming and very emotional, I remember walking out and the guys were like “Woah, dude are you alright?” [laughs] But they had seen one side of me, and I wanted to give them a whole other side of me. I don’t remember how long it was before I got the call that I booked it, I just know it wasn’t too long after, but when I got the call I had to be in Charleston the next day. I packed my bags and went, and it’s been pretty nonstop since.
After the start of production on season 1, did you realize how successful the show was going to be?
I don’t think any of us knew. We thought we were shooting something cool and we were all really stoked about it. We didn’t really see any playback, so we didn’t know what the show was going to look like or what the final edit was going to look like, and it’s hard to guess. None of us knew. The show is well done, I’m really proud of it. I think the timing worked in our favour [the pandemic] and everyone had the chance to binge-watch it – it’s a very binge-worthy show, and each episode is left on a cliffhanger, so the timing helped the success. None of us knew what it was going to be, and it still surprises us every day. I went to Bulgaria to film a movie and there were Outer Banks fans waiting outside of my hotel. It’s so international and so big, and so special. I’m very grateful to be a part of it.
full look. Diesel
belt. Amiri
opposite
full look. Isabel Marant
Obviously, a lot has happened from the first season to now. Do you feel like Topper has changed at all from season 1 to this current season?
I think he’s changed a lot. Season 1 you see really one side of him– heartbreak and anger and all of these emotions, but you don’t really see that lighthearted side of him or the reason why he and Sarah got together in the first place. In season 2 you see more of that loving, kind and sweet side of him, where he really goes out of his way to save Sarah when Rafe is trying to drown her. He really put his emotions aside and is mature rather than being quick to react like in the first season. Then in season 3 he goes out of his way to help the Pogues, especially John B, who is an enemy of his and the reason he lost his girl. It was really fun diving into those scenes with the Pogues where we’re going after the cross. I think it showed a little more of a comedic side of Topper and it showcased a lot more of his personality, it was just a really fun dynamic to play with and it’s not often I get to have a scene with all of the Pogues.
Now, in the fourth season, 18 months have passed and Topper has matured a lot. He’s grown up and he’s trying to move on. He has a new girlfriend Ruthie, who may not be the best influence on him, like the turtle scene in episode 4 which got a lot of people fired up – we definitely created some enemies with that one. But I think you see the look on Topper’s face, he didn’t want anything to do with that. He doesn’t want any drama and, in a way, he’s stepping up to be the bigger person. The war between the Kooks and the Pogues will definitely continue on. And has Topper really gotten over Sarah? Probably not [laughs] that runs pretty deep. But yeah, it has been really fun to dive into this more mature version of Topper where he’s really trying to figure out what he wants in life, and he’s pursuing some business adventures and moving away from what his mom has always wanted him to do.
I feel like there’s a good guy in Topper somewhere! I’m just waiting for his redemption arc. Do you think there will be a moment in the show where he’ll turn around and show that part of him?
I mean, in this season the war is on and he’s on a mission to get Poguelandia, and he’s in deep on that. He’s not really thinking about the Pogues’ emotions, but he always comes around. Throughout every season, I feel like he always ends up coming around and showing a bit of that kindhearted side of him and being a good guy. I think if we continue this journey on, we will see more of that side of him, but for now the war is on [laughs].
full look. Amiri
trousers. Kenzo
hat. Isabel Marant
opposite
full look. Dsquared2
flannel. Isabel Marant
I have to start off by asking about that epic scene in the first episode. What was it like filming that dirt bike scene? Did you do your own stunts?
That was by far one of the coolest scenes I’ve ever filmed on any project, if not the coolest. We were filming that for like a week and a half straight, right on the beach. We had the most incredible stunt team and all these guys on their dirtbikes just going up and down the beach, making us look incredible. We didn’t ride those bikes ourselves, but the stunt team had everything in place to make sure everything was safe. It was a special scene – I think every single cast member was involved in that scene. We were all ready to work when it was time to work, but we all were goofing off and having so much fun when we had downtime. We filmed that like last November– it was winter time and it was chilly out. It was chaos– it was a lot of fun. I had no idea how it was going to turn out, but when I saw the cut of that scene it was so epic. I’m really happy with how that turned out.
We recently got the news that Outer Banks will end with Season 5. How does it feel knowing that it’s coming to an end?
It’s definitely emotional for sure. This show has been life-changing and it’s touched a lot of people and the fans feel really connected to these characters and have followed along all of our journeys. We’ve all become so close as friends, so it’s weird to think about. I don’t think I’ve fully processed it just yet, but at the end of the day I’m just really grateful. I’m grateful to have season 4 come out, and I’m so happy to be back for a fifth season. It’s not often that a show goes on for this long. It’s an iconic show and it’s so great to be a part of it. It’s so crazy to think that TV is immortal and it’s out there forever, for generations on end, and we’ve all just come together and created something so special.
Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?
I do! I have the two movies that came out this year already – Beautiful Disaster with Dylan Sprouse and One Fast Move with KJ Apa. I do have another project I’ve already filmed, it’s a movie and my first leading role. I wish I could say more about it, I don’t have a release date yet, but I’m really excited for people to see that. It definitely shows a different side of my acting and it’s a very different character from what I’ve played in the past, and it was really fun to dive into it. I can’t say too much yet, but I’ll keep you updated!
coat + trousers. Michael Kors
turtleneck, shoes + sunglasses. Dolce & Gabbana
Outer Banks season 4 is streaming in full now on Netflix.
photography. Tyler Patrick Kenny
fashion. Nico Amarca @ Forward Artists
talent. Austin North
grooming. Colleen Dominique @ Exclusive Artists using Candera + Lab
creative production. Clara La Rosa
fashion assistant. Leah Garcia
interview. Rachel Martin
