Summer Fun With Rudy Pankow
Rudy Pankow, our current cover feature, jumps us right into Summer. Currently, Rudy is a lead character in the Netflix hit show, Outer Banks. This show presents a mystery for a group of teenagers from the wrong side of the tracks to solve. They stumble on a treasure map that reveals a long-buried secret. Rudy was also seen in Netflix’s hit show, The Politician, which is one of my favorite shows. It has an all-star cast, quirky teenage stories, and election dramas. The show gives us a rare and clever insight into what it takes to become a politician.
It seems that Rudy is on his way, and he tells PhotoBook about it. For the next few weeks, PhotoBook will highlight stories about fashion influencers during a quarantine, the best vintage apps to shop on now, the talented tattoo artist Branson Hoog, and Grace, who returns to takes us on her protests for the BLM movement, “Inside The Revolution”.
Foreword by Alison Hernon, Editor-In-Chief, PhotoBook Magazine
1. Tell us your name.
Rudy Pankow.
2. Where do you live, and where did you grow up?
I currently live in Los Angeles. I used to live in Ketchikan, Alaska. I moved to Los Angeles to follow my passion of acting.
3. How did you discover you wanted to be an actor?
Once I came to Los Angeles, I took an improv class, which opened my eyes to the freedom of this profession. I soon fell in love with scene study. Next, I found myself feeling more connected to myself and understanding my emotions and actions, which only benefitted my acting.
4. Who influenced your career the most as you grew up?
It wasn’t anyone in particular, but a combination of great story telling and music. Music always has been a major influence of my imagination. It explains emotion, which is a major influence of my career.
5. You’ve recently broken out through roles in the Outer Banks and The Politician. Tell us about what it has been like to gain sudden attention?
It has been something. I can tell you that much. Being a part of a show that does very well during a pandemic feels as if you told a joke to your parents and they sent you to your room for saying it, but then you hear them laughing about it. I’m honestly just thrilled that the show connected with an audience and is continuing to do very well.
6. Has acting always been where you’ve imagined yourself ending up?
No, it was not.
7. Besides acting, what are you most passionate about?
I’ve always loved soccer. And, I have worked extremely hard at it in the past. I just knew I wasn’t as connected to it as much as storytelling and the arts. I found this out later in my high school career.
8. Share a memorable moment from filming.
Chase(John B) and I have several scenes in which we said to each other, “nothing to lose”, so on our last scene together, before we started shooting, I took him aside, looked at him and I said those words. We powered through the scene, and it turned into one of my favorite scenes of the show.
9. Where do you hope to go from here?
I hope only up. If it’s a superhero, period piece, non-fiction depiction of someone, whatever it is, I hope it moves the audience.
10. What can you say is in store for next season of Outer Banks?
I can’t because I don’t know, but I’m hoping for a little thing called vengeance.
11. Tell us about your role as Joey in Space Waves.
Space Waves was a fun indie thesis film I was a part of before Outer Banks. Joey Kite is a little similar to JJ in that he knows he is the only one who controls where he goes in life, and no one can take that away from him.
12. What challenges did you run into when getting into the role/mindset of JJ?
JJ came pretty quickly, thanks to the writers, but something that was difficult was finding JJ’s sense of humor. What makes JJ laugh because he’s the one usually clowning around? What does he find funny? That and trying to find out what he wants from life, which I found, and it’s why he’s so loyal to his friends.
13. Your motto in life?
Don’t have one, because living by one motto means you deprive yourself from all the other great mottos you should live by.
14. What are your social medias/websites?
Instagram: @rudeth
Twitter: @rudeth
Crew Credits:
Photographer: Kelly Balch
Editor-In-Chief/Producer: Alison Hernon, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets: Wei Liu, Graphic Designer, PhotoBook Magazine
