Photography by Emily Shur. Styling by Alison Brooks. Hair: Andrew Fitzsimons for Artists by Timothy Priano. Makeup: Amy Chance for Celestine. Suit by Calvin Klein. Shirt and tie by Topman.
YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Last year's gripping, homoerotic ensemble piece The Stanford Prison Experiment; a supporting role in director Kelly Reichardt's thriller Night Moves; a breakout turn in
the Disney sitcom I'm in the Band
WHAT'S NEXT: Playing the lead in the Sundance standout Take Me to the River, which follows a gay teen through a surreal, skeletons-in-the-closet chain of events; parts in this year's drama The Scent of Rain and Lightning and Before I Fall, a Groundhog Day-esque comedy about a girl reliving her last day on earth on repeat
IMPROV IS A VIRTUE: "The audition process for Take Me to the River was a lot different from past experiences. Matt [Sobel, the director] asked me to do this extensive improv with him -- we had a dialogue as the characters instead of a standard interview. It wasn't until a year later that we started talking again, and that's when the process of tackling this film really began."
IN PRAISE OF THE QUEER CANON: "Blue Is the Warmest Color was a beautiful film, and I think Mysterious Skin is amazing and influential. There are a lot of stories about [the queer] community that have affected me -- the work of Gus Van Sant, for example. Milk is a movie I'll never forget."
THE DISNEY MACHINE: "We come from a factory. They make us. We're now just recycled products of other Disney stars. For example, I've got the great energy of Mickey Mouse, but the beautiful face of Zac Efron."
