Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Cruel Summer’s Nathaniel Ashton

Nathaniel Ashton is an up-and-coming actor who’s stolen our hearts (and the show) with his breakout performance as Ben in Freeform’s Cruel Summer. Set in a small town in Texas, the suspenseful drama takes place over three summers in the ’90s, when a popular teen goes missing, and a seemingly unrelated girl transforms from a sweet and awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town, eventually becoming the most despised person in America.

Nathaniel shines as Ben, a character who brings hope and light during the darkest of times.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Nathaniel about landing the role of Ben, bringing authenticity to his character, and how the filming experience changed his life.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Nathaniel: It was a roundabout way. You hear a lot of stories that are like, “I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. This has always been it.” That wasn’t really it.

I started streaming on Twitch when I was a teenager. I was really awkward, uncomfortable, and uptight on camera. I was like, “If I want to do this, maybe I should take an acting class and learn how to be on camera.” That was it. I took one six-week class and never looked back.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Nathaniel: Honestly, it was that acting coach. Her name is Cathryn Hartt. I got so lucky with her; she’s one of those coaches that teaches like a mentor.

It wasn’t even a question. If we needed to stay after class, she would talk to us until midnight, whether it was a personal thing that was going on in our lives or a career thing. She was instrumental in me becoming who I am now. I wouldn’t be here without her.

PC: In addition to being an actor, you’re also a musician. What have you learned from music that you’ve been able to apply to your acting career and vice versa?
Nathaniel: Honestly, just the feel. I’ve learned how to stop thinking about it and just feel it, and if I’m feeling pulled in a certain direction to just try it. It might be terrible, but that’s okay. That’s how you create something.

Music taught me that really early. Getting to come into a field like acting, where it’s so collaborative and creative, you’re often pulling something out of nothing. It’s been really helpful to learn how to develop that feel for it.

Cruel Summer

PC: You’re currently one of the stars of Cruel Summer. Tell us about the series, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Nathaniel: When I read it was in the ’90s, I was like, “Yes, yes, I love it. The grunge, the punk rock—that’s so cool.” Then, getting to play Ben was luck. I got so lucky with it. I got to play this character that’s rich, deep, and has a lot of empathy.

It’s something that you don’t always get to see in a show that’s so dark. There’s constant conflict. You never really know who to trust. You don’t know who’s telling the truth.

But Ben and Vince get to be this beacon that it’s not all bad. There are some good things that happen to people, even in the midst of some of the worst.

PC: You did a lot of research in order to bring as much authenticity to this character as possible. Can you tell us a little bit about your preparation for this role? Were there any nerves heading into this project?
Nathaniel: I was terrified. You’re kidding me? I knew that I was approaching a role that was very close to a lot of people’s hearts. A lot of people have lived this. A lot of people know what that was like.

The last thing I wanted to do was get up there and do a caricature. I wanted to pay respect to somebody who did live through the ’90s and was part of the LGBTQ+ community. I wanted them to be able to see themselves in this character and feel like they’ve been shown in an accurate way.

The most important thing to me was paying respect to them, and to that, and not just researching on paper. I’ve eaten up everything GLAAD has on their website and absorbed as much as I could, but I also talked to people I know that lived through it. I heard what their experience was and tried to understand what that was like.

PC: Great answer. Throughout the series, we get to see how each character changes throughout the years. Which version of Ben was your favorite to play? Which was the most challenging?
Nathaniel: Ben’s transition from ’94 to ’95. I love that because it shows the stages of life. It shows what it is to be a teenager, how different it can be from one year to the next.

That was probably one of the most challenging years as well. As the show starts to come to a close, Ben will have things he has to deal with and struggle through. Getting in touch with that and trying to make sure that I’m representing those struggles and hardships in a respectful way was a challenge.

PC: With social media, you and the rest of the cast are able to watch the show through the eyes of the viewers. They’ve come up with some really fun and crazy fan theories. What’s that experience been like for you to get to now share this show with them?
Nathaniel: That’s what it’s all for. I don’t see any other reason to do this job; it’s about making something that connects with people, that touches people, and hopefully, can shift the hearts and minds of people.

I’m not saying that’s what my performance did, but it’s incredible to hear the feedback and hear people say, “Watching this has made me feel seen, made me feel like it validates what we went through.” That’s all I could ever ask for, and it’s been amazing.

PC: Fans have really taken to your character in particular. Do you have a favorite moment, either that’s aired, or that might be coming up, involving Ben?
Nathaniel: There’s a really sweet moment with Ben and Vince coming up that’s really close to my heart. Of course, the bar scene. I saw the bar scene for the first time when it aired. I was in tears, myself. They did such a beautiful job setting that up and creating this environment that shows even though things are hard on the outside, they can all come to this place and be who they are. I love that.

PC: I was surprised to learn that this is your biggest role to date. Has anything surprised you about the experience? What’s been the biggest takeaway?
Nathaniel: Everything has surprised me. This is my second interview ever. It was a learning curve with COVID, and figuring all that out, but I feel like I came out of this whole experience as a new person.

I learned how it is to collaborate with a team of writers and creators, how to work with an ensemble cast that’s so incredible at bringing all of their individual perspectives to these characters, and figuring out how we all fit in together. That was one of the biggest learning experiences for me.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Nathaniel: Vampire Diaries. I think I’ve seen it four times all the way through.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Nathaniel: Edward Scissorhands.

PC: Favorite book?
Nathaniel: The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Nathaniel: Hamilton. It’s the only one I’ve seen, and it was art. But also, I really want to say Dear Evan Hansen because the soundtrack is heaven, but yeah, those probably those two.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Nathaniel: Born of Osiris. I used to listen to a lot of metalcore and really heavy music when I was a teenager, and some of that still kind of bleeds in.

PC: First album you bought?
Nathaniel: I think it was Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory. I think that was the first one, in my little, like, portable CD player.

PC: First concert you attended?
Nathaniel: It was Avenge Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, Sevendust. I think I was twelve.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Nathaniel: That’s a good one. One that came out recently that I thought was really cool, because it blended two genres, is Machine Gun Kelly’s Ticket to My Downfall. As I’ve come into my adulthood, I’ve started listening to more hip-hop and rap, but it incorporates the Blink-182, Sum 41 pop-punk I listened to when I was a kid. It perfectly blends those two genres that I’ve always liked.

PC: Dream role?
Nathaniel: Anything fantasy. If I could get on a show like The Witcher or something like that, that would be a dream.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Nathaniel: Matt Damon because I’m obsessed with everything he does.

PC: I know you’re focused on the acting right now, but do you think in the future, fans can expect you to release any original music?
Nathaniel: There might be some of that coming soon. We’ve been talking about it. Now that the show’s coming to the later part of it, we’ve been talking about seeing what we can do with finding a sound.

To keep up with Nathaniel, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Cruel Summer every Tuesday at 10/9c on Freeform.