NOLAN ALMEIDA KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE THE NEW KID IN A ROOM FULL OF HEAVYWEIGHTS. IN APPLE TV’S BROTHERS – THE COMEDY SERIES BLURRING REALITY WITH FICTION – THE YOUNG ACTOR PLAYS WYATT, THE SENSITIVE, SLIGHTLY AWKWARD SON OF MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, WHO NAVIGATES THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF GROWING UP UNDER A FATHER’S SHADOW. OFF-SCREEN, ALMEIDA FOUND HIMSELF IN A SIMILAR POSITION, WORKING ALONGSIDE MCCONAUGHEY AND WOODY HARRELSON, WHOSE DECADES-LONG FRIENDSHIP AND EFFORTLESS CHEMISTRY OFFER A MASTERCLASS IN BOTH ACTING AND SHOWING UP FOR THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. RATHER THAN SIMPLY TRYING TO KEEP UP, ALMEIDA TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND HIS OWN RHYTHM, DRAWING ON THE SAME INSTINCT FOR EMOTIONAL HONESTY THAT FIRST PULLED HIM AWAY FROM MUSICAL THEATRE AND TOWARDS THE INTIMATE POSSIBILITIES OF ACTING. STILL, THE STAGE HASN’T ENTIRELY LET HIM GO. WITH A DREAM ROLE IN THE OUTSIDERS MUSICAL FIRMLY IN HIS SIGHTS, ALMEIDA IS LEARNING THAT MAKING IT IN THE INDUSTRY IS NOT ABOUT IMITATING THE GREATS BUT RATHER FINDING YOUR OWN VOICE — EVEN WHEN YOUR SCENE PARTNER IS MATTHEW “ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT” MCCONAUGHEY.
Suit Giorgio Armani, shirt Givenchy by Sarah Burton
The show has such an interesting concept, mixing real life with a fictional story. You’re playing Matthew McConaughey’s son, and there’s even a physical resemblance to his real-life son there. What was it like being part of something that blurs those lines a bit?
It’s interesting to me, too. There were a lot of conversations about trying to figure out exactly what it was and being careful about that distinction. My character, Wyatt, is a very specific type of person, and I love him. I think he’s a cool guy, but he’s this awkward kid who really wants to be his dad. Everything I got about him came from the script, so he had no real relation to Levi, apart from us both having curly hair.
I do want to make that clear because Levi’s a much cooler guy than me. And I think Wyatt is, in my opinion, too, so I wouldn’t want those two things to get crossed over. But it was kind of cool because there were a lot of days when Matthew’s kids or Woody’s kids would come and visit the set, and it was like you were seeing double. It was a neat concept, mixing real life and fiction. It also felt helpful to have Matthew playing my dad, but then he’s also just Matthew in real life. Obviously, he’s playing a version of himself, but I was able to get to know him as a person rather than having to get to know the actor and the character as two separate things.
Top, pants and belt Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, sunglasses Past Midnight
What was it like watching the dynamic between Woody Harrelson and Matthew up close?
They’re such different people that it’s honestly like, how are these two dudes the best of friends? But they are, and they make it work. They have this really healthy, loving friendship. It’s cool to watch as a younger guy.
Top, pants and belt Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, sunglasses Past Midnight
They’re also both leading the show and making sure everything works while remaining completely present as actors. What have you learned from watching them on set?
They’ve got a lot on their plate, so it’s great that they’re able to do that and run the set. When one of them walks in, they both have such great energy that it’s very clear. You feel it when either of them walks into a room, and for good reasons. It’s not something negative or anything like that.
But it’s also cool to see how they can do all that and essentially manage everything. This is their baby, but they’re also able to fully commit to being present in the scenes, just playing off each other and you and everyone else. You’d think that, with so much going on, they might get a little distracted, but they’re the most tuned-in people there.
Left Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Right Sweater Dior Men, shirt Sandro, hat Loewe
Let’s talk about Wyatt. He’s a sensitive guy who swears by therapy and journaling, and he’s facing this very macho father figure. What did you relate to most about him, and what was most different from your own personality?
I think Wyatt and I are very similar in a lot of ways. I’m a big journaler myself, and I’m kind of a sensitive guy. Hunting isn’t my thing, though. And I feel like I relate to his awkwardness. He doesn’t really know how to deal with girls or what those feelings are, and I feel pretty close to that.
I think Wyatt spends a lot of the series wanting to be his dad and impress him. And that was something I understood, too. I’ve always looked up to Matthew – I think he’s one of the best actors. So, coming onto the show, there was that initial feeling of, “Oh, I want to impress him. I want to do well.” Wyatt being able to come into his own as the series goes on is something that felt true to my timeline, too. I was able to come into my own and find my own way of doing things. It wasn’t about copying something Matthew was doing, but taking the soul of what he had to say — because he has great things to say — and putting that into my own body and my own cadence. I approached Wyatt in the same way.
Left Full look Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Right Suit Giorgio Armani, shirt Givenchy by Sarah Burton, shoes Adieu
The school dance episode feels like a turning point for Wyatt. He finally gets to express what he needs to say to his dad. What do you remember about shooting that episode?
Yeah, that was a really cool day. I honestly don’t remember too much, but I remember that the night before, I was finishing high school. I was homeschooled, so I was up until about 4 a.m. finishing everything, and then I came to set.
It was really cool to see Wyatt stand up for himself a bit — not necessarily stand up for himself, but just be able to express what he needed to express. I think he has all these feelings and thoughts, but there’s just so much going on that sometimes it’s hard for him to get them out or say the right thing. It was a really fun day, with lots of dancing and whatnot. That was nice for me. I’m not a dancer. I don’t dance, so that’s probably something similar to how it would’ve gone down with me in real life.
Sweater Dior Men, shirt Sandro, pants Todd Snyder, shoes Valentino
What first got you interested in acting?
Initially, I was a big musical nerd. I got really deep into musical theatre. Then, around the time I started high school, I met this woman who taught me that acting could be a real, intimate experience, rather than something entirely performative or put on or predetermined.
That really opened up my world. I remember it coinciding with the fact that I was doing Romeo and Juliet at the time. I watched Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann’s version, and then I watched him in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Maybe that’s a basic choice, but I started watching all his stuff, and it opened up this world of all the different things you can do as an actor. You can do The Wolf of Wall Street, and you can do The Basketball Diaries.
I remember spending three years trying to find The Basketball Diaries because, for some reason, there was a weird distribution thing with it, and you couldn’t really find it anywhere. Then I finally went into this old thrift store in Palm Springs and found a DVD. I was so happy to finally watch it.
Left Suit Giorgio Armani, shirt Givenchy by Sarah Burton
Right Sweater Dior Men, shirt Sandro
Since you started out in musical theatre, is there a dream musical role you’d still love to play?
I really want to be in The Outsiders. They made a musical version of it pretty recently, and I think it’s one of the best stories ever. I did a play version of it when I was younger, and anyway, it’s a great show. There’s a character named Johnny, who’s this timid sort of boy. So, yeah, that would be the dream for me.
Interview by Martin Onufrowicz
Photographer Sam Ramirez
Fashion by Benjamin Holtrop
EIC Michael Marson
Grooming by Courtney Housner
Photographer’s assistant Christian Soria
