In episode 30 of the Young Entertainment Podcast, Mordechai and Daniella are joined by actor Angus O’Brien, who you might recognize from hit shows like Nightsky and Hightown. He now stars in the Netflix series Boots, which is available to stream on Netflix! Angus chatted all about his preparation for the new series, working with 13 Reasons Why star Miles Heizer, and his best masterclass tips for aspiring actors. 

If you’ve ever wanted a podcast to learn from the stars and get the best masterclass tips and tricks for launching your own career, you’ve come to the right place!

Boots is an upcoming military comedy drama based on the memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White. After impulsively joining the U.S. Marine Corps, Cameron Cope, a bullied teen, finds a new purpose, and unexpected brotherhood, with his team of fellow recruits. Angus plays Hicks and the show also stars Miles Heizer as Cameron, Max Parker, Vera Farmiga, and more. 

Angus is an up-and-coming star, with both Amazon Studios and Netflix projects to his name, and he really resonated with the Boots script, finding ways to relate to all the characters in some way.

“If I could just get a series regular role on a Netflix show, that would be incredible.”

So many actors have their “I made it” moment, and Angus had that with this project, feeling at peace in his career, and he has also found lifelong friends on the projects he’s worked on. His best advice for anyone looking to have this moment is finding roles and types of TV and films you resonate with and putting yourself out there.  

“What you thought was the top of the mountain is just a stepping stone for the next thing.”

To prep for playing someone in the Marine Corps, the cast was set up with advisors from the military to walk them through their experiences and stories. Angus said it was so helpful to draw from these authentic experiences and to see what people in the military do in their free time to prep for these roles.

“Until you actually hear the stories of people in the military, it is a lot different than you might expect it to be.”

One of the most powerful moments for the whole cast was shaving their heads during filming one day. Angus said they all did this together and it was so powerful to feel more in touch with their characters and their journeys. 

The whole cast got close very quickly, spending a lot of time with one another, and Angus became very close with Miles Heizer, who you may recognize as Alex Standall from 13 Reasons Why. The cast filmed in New Orleans on very hot days and all leaned on each other for encouragement. 

“Miles [Heizer] and I became very close through the process of filming, and he is now one of my best friends.”

Angus also gave us some incredible BTS moments, including the day he filmed with a real snake! Thankfully for the handlers, it wasn’t as scary as he thought it’d be. 

Angus was such a joy to chat with and it’s now time to stream Boots! And once again, this podcast is for you, the fans! We want to know who you want to hear and learn from and have many exciting guests and stories coming up in future episodes! We’ll be releasing episodes each week so don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned!

Consider this:

• The more you act, the better you’ll become at it. No matter what the opportunity is, take it for the experience and you will continue to improve. 
• Acting showcases are great ways to get noticed by an agent or casting director- find an acting class near you and see what types of showcases are available for you when you graduate.