Isaac Powell was made for the stage and loves the adrenaline that comes from being on it. “I miss that continuous experience of doing the entire story at once and getting that marathon feeling of going out there at the beginning of the show and running towards the finish line of the end.”

Recently, the American actor got to enter an equally thrilling dimension of acting – he starred as one of the leads on the latest alien-heavy season of camp horror classic American Horror Story, ‘Double Feature’. This past October, Powell also took part in the instantly-iconic Balenciaga red carpet/The Simpsons extravaganza in Paris – all without knowing that he would in fact be one of the models! “I didn’t realize that I was actually in the show until I walked into the theatre after the red carpet moment and saw that there was already a full audience watching us live! I had no idea that Anna Wintour was sitting inside watching me walk down a step and repeat.”

What excited you the most about your role in the latest season of American Horror Story?

Getting to work within the horror genre and being part of a story with really high stakes – it was a really fun and exciting experience to try my hand at.

What scene or episode was the most memorable to shoot?

I would say that the day that I got to give birth to my alien baby was the one that I’ll remember for a long time. I’ll probably never get to do that again, so that was a fun thing to get to cross off my list. [laughs]

What’s your favourite past season of American Horror Story?

Probably the third one, ‘Coven’ – there are so many wonderful performances in that season! Also, I’ve always had a thing for witches and New Orleans. [laughs] Plus, there are obviously some really fabulous fashions in that season as well!

You’ve also been known for your performances on Broadway. What do you miss the most about acting on stage?

I think what I miss the most is the kinetic relationship you get to have with an audience – being on stage and sharing a story with a group of people who are physically in front of you and whose energy you’re feeding off of. I miss that continuous experience of doing the entire story at once and getting that marathon feeling of going out there at the beginning of the show and running towards the finish line of the end.

What’s a Broadway memory that you think about most fondly?

I would say the invited dress rehearsal for ‘West Side Story’, which was the last show I did pre-Covid [the show wasn’t able to run because of the pandemic]. It was the very first time the audience got to see what we were doing and I remember that while I was doing one of my solos, they started cheering in the middle of the song. I just remember how gratifying it felt as a performer to have such a responsive audience and it was an indication to me that the work I was doing was resonating. There’s always that fear that comes from thinking how your work will be received by the audience in front of you – and to jump off that cliff and be caught felt really wonderful. I’ll always remember that first performance.

In October, you were one of the models in the Balenciaga red carpet premiere show in Paris. How did that moment come about for you?

Yeah, it’s a funny story! I was camping out in California when my manager called and said that Balenciaga wanted me in Paris for their show, and at the time, I interpreted that as them just wanting me to come and attend the event – I’ve never been to Paris before, so I jumped at the opportunity to go. What I didn’t understand was that the concept of the show was a Hollywood premiere and that the red carpet was in fact the runway! I’m not sure if they purposefully kept us in the dark about that or I just missed that part completely. [laughs] But yeah, I didn’t realize that I was actually in the show until I walked into the theatre after the red carpet moment and saw that there was already a full audience watching us live!

Coat, tanktop and pants **Yohji Yamamoto** & shoes **Marsèll**

That’s insane!

Yeah, I had no idea that Anna Wintour was sitting inside watching me walk down a step and repeat. [laughs]

What was the most ‘I can’t believe that happened’ image that is stuck in your head from that night?

It would have to be when Cardi B entered the theatre, pretty soon after I was already in. I remember seeing Anna Wintour looking at her with her mouth open, probably admiring the dress she was wearing, and then seeing Cardi B trying to get past Isabelle Huppert to get into her seat. The image of these three women in the front row of a Balenciaga show that I had no idea how I ended up in was one of those moments where I just had to pinch myself and laugh.

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Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Lorenz Schmidl

Fashion by Aryeh Lappin

Hair by Erin Hirschleb

Make-Up by Yui Ishibashi

Photographer’s assistant Mel Aydin

Stylist’s assistant Sam Knoll