Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Andrew Matarazzo

Andrew Matarazzo is an exciting up-and-coming actor who is all about his craft. He got his big break on MTV’s Teen Wolf, impressing creator Jeff Davis, who extended Andrew’s contract after being blown away by his performance, and even wrote him into a pivotal moment in the series’ finale.

Andrew’s additional credits include Jane the Virgin, Criminal Minds, Faking It, and the soon-to-be announced new animated series from the creators of Rick and Morty.

Pop Culturalist caught up with Andrew to chat about his career, life as a working actor, and his upcoming new series.

PC: You joined the cast of Teen Wolf in its final season, and it was a breakout role for you. What was the biggest takeaway from that experience?
Andrew: Teen Wolf was the first project where I played the same character over an extended period of time. The biggest takeaway from that experience was a different way of working. Prior to that, I was used to doing these guest starring roles. With Teen Wolf, I was only supposed to be in two episodes and then my role kept getting extended. I was really living day-by-day, script-by-script, and that’s how I approached the character. It was cool because I didn’t know what was next, which is really similar to life. We never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, and it challenged me as an actor.

PC: Like you said, you were only supposed to be in two episodes, but your contract kept getting extended. How did that change your preparation?
Andrew: I touched upon it a bit, but it kept me present during the whole experience. I was able to enjoy the whole experience and get to know my cast mates quickly because I thought every episode was my last. I didn’t know that I was going to be asked back again.

Every time I was on set, I was so present. It was the first time that I felt I was really taking it all in. A lot of an actor’s life is auditioning, so once you finally get it and you’re on set, everything moves fast and I think actors tend to already be thinking of the next project without realizing. With Teen Wolf, I experienced everything so vividly.

PC: Teen Wolf has this massive following. How early on did you realize the magnitude of this fandom?
Andrew: I realized it pretty early on. Since it was the final season, I was one of the only new characters introduced, so there were a lot of eyes on me because everyone was wondering how I’d fit into the final season’s storyline.

The day that they announced my character, I woke up to social media madness! That’s when I knew that this was going to be a crazy ride. I remember thinking, “Wow! All this from an announcement and the episodes haven’t even aired.”

Being on Teen Wolf has created a lot of opportunities! I’m fortunate enough to be asked to some of these conventions around the world and meet these incredible people. It’s mind-blowing. When you get to meet all these fans in person, it really puts things into perspective. You never really get used to 45 people waiting for you outside your hotel. [laughs]

To get back to your original question though, I realized early on because of how interactive the fandom is with the cast. I’m really, really lucky because not every show has this. The fans have been so dedicated and continue to support all our projects.

PC: When did you first learn about the Teen Wolf conventions around the world? How challenging is it to balance your convention obligations and life as a working actor?
Andrew: [Laughs] I never knew about this world. I always thought they were run by the people who started San Diego Comic-Con. I never knew they had show-related cons for series with big fandoms, but then I started to realize that a lot of my cast mates were doing them.

When I was invited to my first one in Paris, it was my first interaction with that world. There are fans who go every year. Some of the fans are friends with some of the cast because they’ve gotten to know each other over the years.

Last year, I did three in a row—all in July. I was in Europe for 28 days and in four different cities. I was blown away when I saw the same fans at each event…I was like, “I just saw you at this city!” They’re incredibly dedicated and had already bought tickets for a convention in another city because they wanted to keep supporting us. It gets me emotional thinking about the fans who save up money to attend. They give so much and are so passionate.

It’s really hard to put into words how incredible it is. I will say that personality-wise, I’m not always comfortable being around so many people, but these fans are always so warm and welcoming. Being able to do these conventions has been a huge blessing. I’ve been to places that I never imagined I would.

PC: Tell us a bit about your background and journey.
Andrew: I started in the theatre world as a lot of actors do. I studied Shakespeare in England for nearly a year, which is really where I shifted into caring more about the craft. I later spent a few years at two art conservatories with very competitive programs. My biggest take away from my time at these schools was the respect for craft and work ethic. I studied in England, then in Philadelphia, spent as much time in New York as I could, then moved to Los Angeles.

PC: We know you have a new show coming out soon. Is there anything you can tease?
Andrew: I can’t say too much, but it’s by the creators of Rick and Morty. They just announced a few things at San Diego Comic-Con. I just recently got into voice acting because the agency I’m with has a big voice over department. They reached out to me one day and said, “Would you be open to meeting with our voice over department?” They knew that I sang and that I did a lot of character work, so they thought it’d be a good fit. I immediately said, “Absolutely!”

I was thrown right in. It’s such a challenge as an actor because you can’t use your face, mannerisms, looks—anything. You literally just have your voice and you have to infuse the actions and emotions through sound. It’s pretty challenging. In a lot of ways that’s how I try to approach my music.

My agency was shocked that I booked something in the animated world so quickly [laughs] They warned me it was super hard to break into. It’s this massive industry, but one actor can do like five characters, so it’s rare for them to try a new person that they’ve never heard of or worked with. I was really lucky.

PC: In the same vein as Teen Wolf, the animated/voice over community is massive.

Andrew: Yeah! I just did a convention with Yuri Lowenthal, a huge voice actor. He’s the voice of Spiderman and Sasuke on Naruto, which have massive fandoms. I went to a Comic-Con in New Zealand with him and was floored at how many people were there for him. With respect, I just didn’t realize that many people followed actors who played the voice of a character so intensely.

I asked him, “Does it feel weird that you get recognized like this when you’re not in front of the camera?” He was like, “Yeah! It’s kind of mind-blowing, but it’s also so flattering that someone took the time to look up the actor who does the voice and wants to follow them.” I think that’s amazing and I want to try to get on that level.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Andrew: It’s funny, I feel like if they ever did a True Hollywood Story on me, it’d be clips of me as a kid doing all these theatrical things [laughs]. I was always doing plays around my house for my parents. I was always singing on stage. I did every single talent show that my school had. I did drama in middle school. Then, there was a pivotal moment for me when I realized that I wanted to do this as a career.

I was thirteen and watched River Phoenix in Stand By Me, and he was around the same age as I was when I watched it. There are four kids that star in the film, and they gave insane performances. I watched it and something clicked. Up until then, I had been doing it for fun, but that’s when I knew I wanted to be an actor when I grew up. I always thought I had to be an adult to pursue it, but I just watched these kids give phenomenal performances. That’s when I stopped treating it as a hobby and started to really put in the work. I started to take all these plays really seriously. Imagine me as a thirteen or fourteen-years-old telling my friends that I couldn’t hang out because I had to go home and memorize lines!

My drama teacher didn’t really like me. I was definitely a troublemaker. [laughs] I was the class clown, but I kept getting big parts because I put the work in. When we would do auditions, I was the only one who could sing nonstop.

These plays and musicals were fundamental in my development. They gave me the opportunity to play leading roles. I had to memorize tons of lines, was on the stage the whole time, and would sing like six songs back-to-back.

When I saw River Phoenix, I realized I didn’t have to grow up to be an actor; this is when I can start thinking about it seriously. That really paved the way for me

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Andrew: Jeff Davis, the creator of Teen Wolf. It was nice that someone acknowledged the hard work that I was putting in and liked it. He didn’t have to put me in more episodes; he did it because he really liked what I was doing with the role. He was the first big show runner/writer who gave me an opportunity.

Jeff is really generous and eager to give people opportunities. He always says, “I’ll let my friends audition for my shows, but they have to be the best person for the role.” I really love that about him.

He’s had a massive impact on my career because he was the first person to believe in what I was doing and saw my abilities. He gave me a lot of scenes that were heavy in its material, which was so flattering. I was honored he trusted me as someone new to the show to do that…I’m specifically thinking of the death scene with Cody Christian. It was such a large moment in the finale, and I couldn’t believe I was a part of it. It was one of the longest scenes in the finale.

I remember having a convo with Jeff and I said jokingly, “At least I die in the finale.” He immediately said, “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t give a death scene to someone unless I believed they could handle it. They’re really hard to do and I would never give that to you if I didn’t believe that you could fully go for it and make it believable.” It was a vital scene because of Cody’s character and his arc. I was really flattered when he expressed that to me.

When I realized what an honor it was, I was a bit nervous. I was with Cody, who’s been one of the leads of the show for a long time, and I wanted to make sure I gave him everything he needed. It was a pivotal moment for the show as well as the character. I remember Cody being equally as generous, telling me that I was doing great. Jeff told me that I totally did the scene justice. It was a huge moment for me as an actor. Something like that really gives you this infinite confidence for the next thing.

Another pivotal moment in my career—the only time when I considered changing career paths—was during my freshman year of college. There’s a lot of money that goes into getting a degree, and I wasn’t sure I was learning what I needed to in terms of the industry. Then, I saw this series This is England 86 by Shane Meadows. It was the first time that I watched a show and felt so invested in the characters. The performances were brilliant and so was Shane’s direction. It clicked in that moment that there was another world out there in terms of style in film and TV.

I was like, “Wow! This is the medium I want to aim for.” It inspired me to re-audition for this school that I didn’t get into: CalArts. It was my dream school and I didn’t get in the first round. I decided I was going to audition again, and I got in with a scholarship! I even got this tattoo from the movie—they all have these little cross tattoos on different parts of their bodies. It’s homage because it snapped me out of that moment of doubt and I moved to L.A., and that’s where it all started.

PC: What’s one thing you would tell your younger self?
Andrew: Don’t compare yourself to anyone else! I suffered a lot of anxiety feeling like I was in this race with other people who were around my age and level. I realized over time that it happens differently for everyone. This isn’t a race; everyone has their own path, especially in this day and age where there’s so much content. We have so many streaming sites and there’s plenty to go around. There’s no point in looking at how it’s happening for everybody else because it’s not going to be the same for anyone.

You also really have to marry this mindset: onto the next! I wish I knew that early on. You can’t sit and marinate. There are ups and there are downs. That’s how the industry works.

I recently got called in for this biopic. I was super excited because when you’re playing a real person, that’s where you let your craft shine. You have to do so much research to look like, dress, and talk like them as well as embody their mannerisms. I was so excited. I had a week to prepare for my audition, and I spent hours and hours watching footage of this guy. I was rehearsing with my friends and they were scared because we were almost the same person. I put in so much work into it. I had five huge scenes to audition with and I was locked and loaded to go. The day before my auditions, they called and told me they offered the role to somebody else, so they were calling off auditions.

I poured my heart and soul into this, and I felt like I had a good chance. Moments like that make you feel so vulnerable as an actor. You’ve put all your emotions into a project and sometimes it feels like it will never be reciprocated.

It’s little weeks like that where you feel like no one will meet you halfway. I always allow myself to be upset for one day and then I have to move on.

To keep up with Andrew, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Mikayla