lats — //LOVE//

For Rudy Pankow, this year has been all about cracking down on learning from other inspiring creators. Playing alongside an impressive list of castmates in Netflix sensation Outer Banks but films such as 5lbs of Pressure with Luke Evans and Uncharted opposite Fletcher Ruben, Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland, Pankow’s performances oscillate between rapid fire film sets where performing under pressure is at its peak, to 8 months productions where he gets to participate in the evolution of his character. While he relates to JJ, the actor insists on setting a boundary line in understanding his character allowing him to check in and out of their mindset and still maintain respect for them. With the 3rd season of Netflix tropical show Outer Banks freshly released just days ago, we got to chat with Rudy Pankow, the actor behind everybody’s favourite tumultuous character JJ. His investment in his characters’ backstories as well as his ability to perform in both passion projects and intense screenplays, showcase the actor’s bright anticipated future in the industry.

Growing up in Alaska, how does that compare to living the Hollywood dream in LA?

When I first got here it was a culture shock. These places are very isolating. You are here to connect, to network, but you realise how hard that is and then you’re like “What can I count myself on?” And you count on yourself to do the work. That’s what got me through that stage of the Hollywood dream. It’s really not a dream, it's pretty much “Holy cow, I need to wake up out of this dream state to do the work” and that’s when things start happening.

You spoke about learning from your peers, how was it working with Thomas Haden Church in Chocolate Lizards and creating that wonderful bromance?

I think Thomas, I don’t know how aware he is of this but he always kept me on my toes. It was a very fun lively set, when Thomas had an idea, it happened. That was a great exercise for me for my improv training. Thomas was also really willing to talk about it, you can’t always ask your costar to be so open all the time, but he was very into talking it through. I think we talked about it so much that then Thomas was like,”I think it's just best if we just do it, do something ridiculous”.

Your character’s father has a hard time believing in his son’s dream, but I was wondering how supportive were your parents of your career choice?

I would say Irwin’s is a little bit more harsh than mine. I had to break the news to my parents that I wanted to move to LA in a strategic sense cause I knew they were gonna convince me not to take that opportunity. When I was in high school, I was still going to church and my plan was to just break the news to the whole entire congregation. Everybody was like I’m gonna go to Penn State and I’m gonna study biochemistry, and then it gets to my turn and I’m like “I’m gonna move to LA and become an actor”, and everyone was like “Aight Rudy, good luck dude”. My parents were just staring at me. But believe it or not they were actually both fairly supportive and they were like if there’s a time in your life to go try something, it is out of high school.

So you’re going onto your third season of Outer Banks now, how does that feel?

It’s good, it was a fun experience to see just what the writers had in mind. I think everyone was not 100 percent sure of where they were gonna go, and everyone thinks that we’re in on everything but really we don’t get the scripts much earlier than when we start shooting them. It was a little longer than all the other seasons. It took 8 months, so it's been a long time coming, and we hope that the audience likes it.

What drew you to JJ, the character you played? There’s quite a lot happening on the bay, surfing, doing stunts, tell us more about that.

I was very connected to JJ more than any other character because I felt he had more of a predisposed challenge. I connected with not being able to choose your biological family but wanting to choose your friend-family. And his surfing, I've still been trying to figure it out. I wouldn’t say I’m a pro by any means. But I also love that part of JJ, where he’s like “If I’ve got a surfboard in my hands it's where I feel relaxed”, that’s all he needs, his friends and a surfboard. He’s still at the end of the day quick witted and understands that at some point he might have to grow up, but I don't know if he’ll ever address that.

JJ will do anything for his friends - what’s the craziest thing you ever did for yours?

Yeah I can’t say I would buy my friends a hot tub. OBX makes me laugh a little bit because it's a show that barely takes place in the Outer Banks, they’re always travelling somewhere, and I would say that’s what I would do with my friends, I would travel the world with my friends no matter what.

You filmed a lot during the pandemic. What would you say has been your biggest challenge in your career so far?

I think any creative suffered during the pandemic, because art in itself is about connection. It sparked a lot of creative thinking, and we’re coming out of it now so there’s gonna be new ways of thinking, thoughts, stories that are gonna come from this crazy challenge. But I also think attention spans suffered. That being a problem nowadays for television and movies, people’s attention spans are just like 4 seconds on one thing and then they’re moving onto the next thing, and I think that can hurt not only art but people’s mental places. You feel like you’re just not doing enough but it's just your attention span.

…

Discover the full story in our upcoming SS23 WILDSIDE Issue - End March release.

Rudy is wearing full EMPORIO ARMANI

Interview by Gabrielle Valda Colas

Photography by Emilia Staugaard

Fashion by Caroline Orrico

EIC Michael Marson

Casting by Imagemachine Cs

Grooming by Candice Birns at Statement Artists

Photographer’s assistant Kevin Ipalari

Salford-born Tom Glynn-Carney was still in drama school when Christopher Nolan cast him opposite Harry Styles in ‘Dunkirk’, which had fans sleuthing out any and all details about the upcoming actor.

Since then the 27 year-old has earned a smattering of credits to his name, including the medieval epic ‘The King’, working alongside Robert Pattinson and Timothée Chalamet - the ‘Tolkien’ biopic, and the stage play ‘The Ferryman’, a West End and Broadway transfer directed by Sam Mendes. Soon he’ll star in Tennessee Williams’, ‘The Glass Menagerie’ in London, with actress Amy Adams, and appear in SAS: Rogue Heroes for BBC1 TV, which tells the story of the early beginnings of the SAS and the bravery of some of Britain’s most ungovernable soldiers. Possessing that very British quality of being confident without basking in the pulsating glow of his own talent, here he talks to us about pinch-me acting moments, exploring new genres and maybe making music with Harry one day…(Styles that is).

Left Jacket **John Lawrence Sullivan**
Right All **Givenchy**

I read that when you were younger, you liked to imitate others and do impressions, so you obviously weren’t the shy and introverted type?

Ha! Yes, that’s true. I didn’t have the most pleasant time at school. Bullies made me a target for a while and so I tended to use this on whoever made me feel small or threatened. It was my defence mechanism. It made people laugh and deflected the attention from me being a victim.

My impressions of the teachers got me into a lot of trouble. Both at school and drama school, but we’ll leave that there…

I watched people a lot, studied their movement, speech, idiosyncrasies all the elements that made them unique and often challenged myself to convince them I was the same as them. Often I would make a new friend and ally. Other times, I’d just be a nuisance.

Left Coat Loewe & pants **John Lawrence Sullivan**
Right All **Givenchy**

So what lit the acting fire for you, is there a particular performance on screen seeing someone transform into character that was fascinating to you?

I grew up watching the classics, one that stuck with me was Brando in ‘Street Car’. His performance made me feel like I was intruding. He was able to make time stand still, a sensation I’d seldom felt. Then there are performances like Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, Mark Rylance in Richard II, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, Seymour Hoffman in literally everything he ever did. I wanted to have a stab at what these guys were accessing. If I can do 50% of what these guys did, I’ll be a happy man.

Left Full look **Dior Men**
Right Full look **Charles Jeffrey Loverboy**

What about when you were acting in your teens, was there a performance you did that really made you think about inhabiting a person and living those moments, not as yourself, but still, feel like you’re experiencing it?

I remember playing Billy Elliot at school, and this was the first time I’d had a real chance to get stuck in with a role. I was at school, so obviously there were boundaries and distractions, but it was the closest I got to trying on a new skin at that age. It definitely gave a me a flavour of things to come and the escapism I could one day find.

Left Full look **Maison Margiela**
Right Full look **Celine Homme**

Did you know what you were getting into, with how competitive the industry is? Did anyone around you at the time say, “Listen, this can be really hard”?

Oh yes, I was reminded on a daily basis of how ridiculous I was being to be pursuing a career in

acting. I guess I was just stubborn enough to ignore the “get a proper job” mantra and stay focused on the task. I had a supportive family who encouraged me to go for it. I always felt that a plan B was pre-empting the corrosion of plan A. I was very very lucky.

Vest and shorts **Lacoste,** boots **Celine Homme**, & bracelet **Sweet Lime Juice**

So when you eventually left drama school in 2016 after being offered the part in the blockbuster Dunkirk, it must have been quite nerve-wracking on set, was everybody acquainted with each other in some way before you all got there? Or was it like a group of very different people all having to get to know each other very quickly?

Well, Chris [Nolan] is a very clever man and knew how much the offscreen chemistry of the lads would translate onscreen. We trained together, ate together, went on nights out together, it became somewhat of a brotherhood by the end. We’re all out at sea every day, on a massive film set, most of us had never been on a set that big or any set at all, so it was a communal baptism of fire. We looked after each other and learnt from the best.

It must have been quite a pinch-me moment, working alongside Mark Rylance in that film too, as you kind of idolised him in your teenage years right, watching endless YouTube clips of the actor’s shows at Shakespeare’s Globe?

Mark has always been a hero of mine. He’s an actor who just get’s it. He’s a chameleon. He is fearless and will take on any challenge. When I was cast as his son in Dunkirk I couldn’t believe it. I learned so much from him. He took me under his wing and gave me the confidence to play and explore with him. I owe a lot to Mark. We are still friends today. I can’t wait to see him as Rooster in the revival of Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem this year!

Left Full look **Dior Men**
Right Vest and shorts **Lacoste** & bracelet **Sweet Lime Juice**

So since then, do you feel like you’ve approached acting in a different way?

Oh definitely, you learn something new on every job. I feel I have a tendency to let the work come home with me. Sometimes it can be a good thing, to sit in it, work things out, live with, and as this person for a while. I like that way of working. But also, there is a time and a place. It can get stifling and oppressive if done incorrectly and can subsequently damage the work. I am still relatively new to it all, so naturally I am still honing my process.

Left Full **Givenchy**
Right Full **Maison Margiela**

What other roles would you like to explore then, different realms and themes you want to break into and challenge yourself with?

I’ve been lucky with the roles I’ve played so far. They’ve challenged me and pushed me far outside my comfort zone. Not the roles I was told I’d play when I was younger. I would like to explore comedy one day. I have lots I’d love to do. I want to keep operating outside my comfort zone and collaborate with great film makers, theatre directors and likeminded creatives. I want to play Chet Baker in his biopic. This is something I’ve always wanted. Spread the word…

Nice! He’s one of my favourite jazz legends. So say you get to play Chet, how you do prepare and spend time discovering parts of a character you’re about to bring to life, do you create a little world for yourself inside of the person?

My first area to explore is music. What music does my character listen to? Era dependent, mood dependent. I find music to be a vital part of understanding a person, place or time vividly and emotionally. Next would be how they dress, have their hair, how they like the world to see them. I often inadvertently wear clothes that are similar to that of my character, for rehearsals or just around the house. I think it feels like this lessens the transition from me to them.

Left Sweater **Etro**, denim pants **Emporio Armani** & bracelet **Sweet Lime Juice**
Right Full look **Givenchy**

Talking of music and fashion (idols), a certain Mr Styles starred alongside you in Dunkirk! Did you both talk music on the breaks from filming, as you’re also frontman for the band Sleep Walking Animals - planning on any collaborations together soon?

Ha! No we didn’t. At that stage in my life I wasn’t writing music or performing. It’s a pretty recent thing for me. But I have mentioned it to him since. Obviously, it would be great to collaborate with the big man, I’m sure we’d compliment each other’s sounds. Never say never. Watch this space.

And for now… what else keeps you motivated and busy outside work?

I have a beautiful Golden Retriever called Ziggy. He keeps me busy and my heart warm. Trips in my camper van, long walks in the countryside, a good plunge in some wild water. All things I like to do.

…

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Emilia Staugaard

Fashion by Steven Huang

Casting by IMAGEMACHINE cs

Production by FERN

Hair by Josh Knight at Caren Agency using MoroccanOil

Stylist’s assistant Nathan Fox

The photographer is represented by FERN