Owen Thiele Wants to Work With His Friends for the Rest of His Life
Owen Thiele is creating a career all his own. The actor, writer, and podcaster, who appears with fellow Teen Vogue Fest panelists Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone in Overcompensating, stars in the FX/Hulu series Adults, and hosts the podcast In Your Dreams, can do (and does!) it all, and he told Teen Vogue Director of Video Programming and Creative Development at Teen Vogue Amalie MacGown about how he has shaped his own space in the entertainment industry.
Thiele, who began popping up online in the late 2010s, has been busy the past few years, but that hustle is all part of how he’s bringing his big dreams to life. “I’ve always wanted to be a performer, I was dancing on tables at two years old making people record me, and I haven’t lost that,” he shared.
And his next big performance will be a role in the upcoming 13 Going on 30 reboot. “It is a wonderful script, I read it twice,” he shared. “I needed to be a part of it. I auditioned, got a callback, and booked the role—and it’s one of my favorite films.” In addition to that major gig, he’s returning to Toronto to shoot the next chapters of Adults and Overcompensating. His Adults character Anton is dealing with a crush on his roommate, while on Overcompensating, “George and Benny ended on a really tough note, but they find a way back.” Thiele also just wrapped a movie with his friend Molly Gordon, which also features appearances from Dua Lipa and Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie. “It’s great working with my friends and I want to do it for the rest of my lie.”
Thiele is also working on his own semi-autobiographical comedic project for Amazon, called Off Color; he was adopted into a white, Jewish family and grew up in Los Angeles. He reached out to Ilana Glazer, someone he had long admired, and now she’s producing the show and will be starring alongside him. Though they don’t have a release date yet, he said to “keep your eyes peeled” for more.
Thiele said that he’s “always hungry” for what’s next, whether that’s acting, creating, or his podcast In Your Dreams. The upcoming season features appearances from some “really fun guests,” including Kristen Stewart. “I want to do a little live tour,” Thiele added. “I want to put it on its feet.” In the future, he’d love to get Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift on the show, and maybe an appearance from music icon Brandy too.
As for his dream role, Thiele wants to continue playing characters like George and Anton. “I’ve been so lucky to play these gay characters that aren’t just sassy best friends,” he shared. “I want to keep playing characters that have actual arcs and lives.”
