Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Hating Game’s Austin Stowell

Austin Stowell has quickly emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men. From his portrayal of the iconic Larry King in Battle of the Sexes to his enthralling performance in Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island, Austin has established himself as one of the industry’s most versatile young talents.

This December, he stars in the highly-anticipated rom-com The Hating Game. Resolving to achieve professional success without compromising her ethics, Lucy (Lucy Hale) embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship against cold and efficient nemesis Joshua (Austin Stowell), a rivalry that is complicated by her growing attraction to him.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Austin about The Hating Game, bringing Joshua Templeman to life on the screen, and reuniting with costar Lucy Hale.

PC: You’ve played a wide range of characters throughout your career. What was it about Josh and his backstory that attracted you to this role?
Austin: I really like Josh. It’s a romantic comedy and he’s a very deep character in the midst of it. Josh has a really complicated relationship with his family. He puts up a lot of walls, as most people do; they go into self-defense mode when they’ve been hurt. I really liked how misunderstood Josh was and how aware he was of that misunderstanding. He feels like he has to prove his worth to his boss, his family, and Lucy. At the end of the day, he’s trying to prove it to himself as well. That’s a common theme and a common problem with so many people. I was really delighted to get to bring that to the screen.

PC: There’s great chemistry that comes off the screen between you and Lucy. How beneficial was it having worked with her in the past as you embarked on this project?
Austin: To no end. Usually, you don’t have that luxury. For me, this is my first rom-com. Lucy is a veteran. To get to do a romantic comedy with a friend, I was able to lean on her. I was able to take advice from her. She led by example. I followed her lead from day one. I felt really lucky to come into this genre with someone like Lucy.

PC: You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative?
Austin: There are usually less cooks in the kitchen, not to say that more cooks don’t create a better meal, but there’s something intimate about being on a set where you’re working with the writer-director. With independent filmmaking, everyone who’s there really wants to be there; people aren’t just collecting a paycheck, it’s usually because of the words in the script. My whole career, I’ve tried to chase good stories. This was another one that I found really enticing and relatable to audiences, so I jumped all over it.

PC: When you’re adapting a character from a popular book franchise, how do you make sure that you pay homage to the original source material, but also make it your own?
Austin: That’s tough. That’s a really great question. It’s the first time I’ve played a fictional character that had quite a bit of fans already. As soon as I got cast, people were reaching out on social media and giving me their thoughts on me playing Joshua Templeman. I knew I had to do my due diligence for this crowd of fans. I wanted Josh to be what was in their minds already, but with my own take. I wanted to make sure we showed all the levels of him. When a fan creates this person in their mind, it gets fleshed out; it’s very real to them. I really wanted to make Josh came alive for them. I’m excited for everyone to see it.

To keep up with Austin, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch The Hating Game wherever you stream movies today.