Zac Burgess isn’t interested in being an actor— he wants to be a chameleon. Rather than simply play people, he aims to embody them fully, to completely immerse himself in someone else and access parts of himself he never knew existed. This desire isn’t born of artistic impulse alone—it’s rooted in something deeper. For the young actor, each role is an opportunity to unearth a new fragment of himself, to explore a corner of his mind previously uninhabited. His latest endeavor? Lucien Belmont in the Cruel Intentions series, based on the cult classic film of the same name. If the goal was to step as far away from himself as possible, Burgess struck gold with this character: a loving sociopath whose charm masks his venom. But Lucien is much more than a caricature. Even with a character this extreme, the actor manages to find something real—something human. To channel Lucien’s attitude, he sought confidence that felt earned, not performed. For Burgess, acting has always been more than a craft—it’s therapy. We catch up with the young actor just as he’s returned home after an intense press tour, still catching his breath from a whirlwind couple of weeks.

Hi, how are you? I’m sorry to have you wake up so early.

No, it’s good, I’ve been up for a while now, I’m still readjusting to jet lag.

How long have you been back home in Australia?

I got in about 3 or 4 days ago. It’s been a whirlwind but it’s good to be home. I was in LA doing the press junket, then we had the premiere, but I managed to make my way back.

It must be hard to go back and forth between the two. But I’ve heard you say you would never leave. What keeps you tethered there?

I grew up in the countryside, so away from all the major cities. The peace that being back home brings is next to nothing. It almost feels funny, but I grew up with a river in my backyard. I’ve always been close to the water, with animals always around. I’ve got wonderful friends and family who can keep me humble.

Growing up so far away from a city, how did you feel the magnetic pull of acting?

My dad was an actor in Australia, and he passed away in 2016 and I was quite young. I was only 13 years old, and I didn't really know much about his life. I wanted to get a deeper understanding of who he was, and that's why I gave acting a go. I wanted to understand what his career was like and what drew him to acting. I also had all these different emotions that I was feeling at the time, and acting was one of the best ways to be able to move through them, picking up different pieces and expressing some of the deep pain I was going through at the time and turning it into something more tangible.

It's interesting hearing you talk of acting as a sort of therapy or a way to process emotions. Do you still feel that way now?

Definitely. There are times when I feel disconnected or unsure of what’s happening around me because it’s such a chaotic industry. There are all sorts of things happening all the time and being able to jump into scenes with other actors. It allows me to come back into myself, feel my body and respond to those around me. It’s therapy.

Having that said, how do you pick roles? Do you tend to choose characters that feel closest to you?

Oh, absolutely no. I think everything I want to do is stretch myself and have major versatility. I guess my ultimate goal is to become sort of a chameleon, to disappear within roles. I think that is such a gift to be able to work towards. Yeah, something the next thing I do, I hope it's completely different from anything else.

Is that what attracted you to Cruel Intentions? Lucien seems so different from everything else you’ve done.

Absolutely, I think that’s probably the best part of what I got to explore with him. The other characters I've played in the past have been sort of younger teenagers who are going through troubles in their lives—most of them Australian characters too. So being able to find Lucien and play with the American accent dive into, like, the nitty gritty, juicy, raunchy… fun stuff that Lucien represents. I think that’s what drew me to play with those things I haven’t had the chance to do before.

I read that you never actually watched the Cruel Intentions original movie because you didn’t want it to bleed into your performance. How did you find him?

I started with his voice. It was an interesting process. I had never done an American accent before, so it started in a high-pitched octave. But then I saw a clip of Gossip Girl on YouTube—I’ve never actually watched the show, but I think the character’s name is Chuck Bass...

Oh, that’s a great place to start.

Yeah, I really liked the way he sounds. I took inspiration from him in the way he portrayed his confidence. I guess I was trying to find this part of myself I hadn’t experienced yet. I tend to find myself not being super confident in some aspects of life. Something freeing about Lucien was being able to step into pushing myself to find that confidence. Then I was fortunate to be able to sit down with Sara (Goodman) and Phoebe (Fisher), our showrunners, and pull apart who Lucien really was. I had to see his behavioral patterns and the choices he made throughout his life in a different way. I think a lot of it comes down to the trauma he had to endure as a young man. I think the final step into being him was the clothes. Being able to jump into the costume room and pick out this crazy vibrant stuff—which in so many ways act as his cover—was key.

Was the accent part of your character work?

I was fortunate it became second nature, so it wasn’t inhibiting me unless I was stuck on a line. Other than that, it definitely helped inform the character and step into him every time we were on set.

Have you seen the movie now?

I still have not. I think if the series is ever concluded I’ll give it a watch. It’ll be like a parting gift.

You mentioned that you think so much of his actions come from trauma. Do you need to find a level of empathy between you and a character before you play them?

Oh absolutely, I definitely have to. You can never judge a character because it makes it almost impossible to play them. You have to find a way to empathize with what they’re feeling. You’re playing a real person with real feelings. Also, in any relationship in life you need to have empathy, this is just another example of that.

He is human but he is also quite villainous. How did you feel knowing you were about to play a role many people might dislike?

It’s gold as an actor to be able to dive into a character that isn’t necessarily always good because it creates a conversation. It makes people question their morals and ethics.

One of the best parts of the show is the dynamic you have with Sarah and Savannah. How did you develop that chemistry?

We hit it off from the get-go. We really did understand each other from the beginning. We are also quite fortunate because we got to have sessions with an intimacy coordinator. He allowed us to work in intimate spaces and control breath work. That was a big part of understanding intimacy without physical touch.

There’s something about the cult following of Cruel Intentions that attracts so much attention. How has the response been?

I’ve been very fortunate with close people around me who guided me through the process. Let’s say I have felt some nice reactions and tried to avoid others. At the end of the day, I’m incredibly proud of what the cast and crew created. I worked with such amazing people who have creative outlooks and insights that I appreciate so much. I’m incredibly thankful for the whole process.

You mentioned you’re interested in expanding your repertoire. What would be your next step?

I’d love a Western, I think it would be a fun blending of the country I grew up in and what I do. It would be a dream come true. Let me put some muscle on and some fake tattoos. Do an Irish accent. Just something completely different.

Interview by Pedro Vasconcelos

Photography by Lauren Withrow

Fashion by Yuval Ozery

All clothes Celine Homme

Grooming by Destiny Venice

Photographer’s assistant Cameron Lee Phan