Kevin Quinn

 

We catch up with actor and star of Netflix’s new film A Week Away, Kevin Quinn. We cover all the bases from the dancing and singing in the film, to his album on the horizon. We also hear more about his Spider-Man audition, and who he admires in the DC universe which is no joke. Kevin Quinn is on the rise from starring in his own Netflix movie to recording his new album with Justin Bieber producer, Theron Otis Feemster here is our conversation.
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MM: We know your background is not just in acting, but in music as well which makes a lot of sense why you are the star of ‘A Week Away’.  What singers and musicians inspired you when you were growing up?

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KQ: Anything by the Beatles. Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s songwriting partnership really is one of the most successful in history and I just always admired the way they collaborate with each other. Another personal favorite of mine is John Mayer. I grew up listening to Continuum and Room For Squares, if not even more than the Beatles he might have been my biggest influence.
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MM: You started really young on the acting side, and how have your influences shifted from doing Disney-style stuff to now that you are the star of your own film on Netflix?
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KQ: As a kid, my biggest influences were leading men. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, that kind of caliber. Maybe it was just because they were huge movie stars growing up in the early 2000’s but I was a big fan of Titanic. I would watch Romeo & Juliet. As I have gotten older I have become interested in niche actors, for instance, Emile Hirsch. I like a lot of the Horror stuff he does. Riz Ahmed, who was just in Sound of Medal; I watch that and ‘The Nigh Of’ I am a huge fan of Riz Ahmed. I think as I get older I am finding actors that I really enjoy watching for a specific character.
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MM: There has been a lot of terrific films that have released via streaming services including a lot of series. Additionally, Tik Tok and YouTube have had a huge impact on pop culture this last year due to the pandemic. Did you discover any new obsessions across these platforms over the last year?
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KQ: I will say that I joined Tik Tok right before the pandemic started. I still feel like I am weirdly too old for the platform. I can’t quite figure it out. I am trying to put out real content as the actor they may have seen growing up. I post a lot of film clips, stuff from ‘A Week Away’ there was a time where I was posting Disney episodes that I have done. Just giving the kids stuff that to watch that is professional-looking. I don’t think there is enough of that type of content yet.
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MM: Talk to us about what your streaming obsessions or guilty pleasures are lately?
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KQ: There are a few on Netflix that I really enjoy. OA with Brit Marling was so underrated. It was so out there and so sci-fi. I even wrote a pilot after seeing it that I tried to model some of those sci-fi elements. I had a lot of downtime in this pandemic like everyone else. I was trying to write stuff. I wanted to create a musical version of the O, but instead of musical theatre kind of stuff, it was more ambient or classical music. I watch a lot of True Crime and that has been a guilty pleasure as I get older. I don’t know why. I watched one called Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. I thought it was going to be a homicide story but it ended up being a really eye-opening and important story on mental health. It took a turn in the last episode and I wasn’t expecting it at all. The discussion of mental health was opened up for me and I talked to some other people about seeing it. I really thought it brought some nice awareness to some common misconceptions regarding mental health.

 

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MM: Switching gears let’s talk about this film you did with Netflix. You star in A Week Away which is a musical basically. Tell us how you got involved and ended up getting the lead role?
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KQ: The audition process for the film was irregular for me. I originally auditioned for the role of sean the antagonist of the movie and I was offered the part. I did my due diligence and asked if there was a script from the production I could read. I did that actor thing where I was reading another character’s lines and imagining myself as the character. We called casting and said I could play Sean, but I think the better character for me is Will. They said no, we want more of a Charlie Sheen type dark hair and your eyes are too light. I said just give me a chance and if I don’t get it I don’t get it. I had a couple of call-backs and eventually, I got the role. I think part of the reason why I had such a great audition and was able to secure that role was that I was dealing with a bit of an existential crisis myself. I was dealing with a lot of feelings, frustration, life, and just questions about my existence. Things that someone doesn’t usually think of as a teenager. I was asking myself what is the meaning of my existence here? That questioning reintroduced me to God, and the idea of faith and I brought that into the audition room and I think that ultimately helped me get the role.
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MM: Can you tell us more about the show and your character Will Hawkins?
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KQ: I play Will Hawkins. We follow him on this journey from basically being at a crossroads between juvenile detention or Christian summer camp. He chooses the camp and along the way, he meets a special girl, a new best friend, and finally has a community for the first time. Now there is a little twist, he doesn’t like who he is and he is worried about the other campers finding him out. Basically, we see themes of love, acceptance, and community. The movie does take a dramatic turn from comedy to very emotionally intense. It was so refreshing to be able to do that kind of material and reminded me of my Chicago theatre days.
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MM: Ok, we have to talk dancing. Was it hard, was it easy?
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KW: It is harder than people think it is. The five main cast members look better in the movie than we actually are. A lot of that is due to the skeleton crew. They are assigned to each of us specifically. They dumb down the choreography and teach it to us one on one. They are like your dance stunt double and they look like us which is funny.
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MM: Any more plans to add more dancing on Tik Tok?
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KQ: I posted my first dancing Tik Tok with Bailee, to the Best Thing Ever dance and I don’t know I either got heavier or taller because of the pandemic and it was easier for me before. Now I just feel so heavy and lethargic. I guess I am just out of practice, but I promise there will be more dancing on Tik Tok coming soon. I promise.
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MM: Let’s talk Edge of the World, your first EP, and tell us what you are working on right now?
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KQ: I did that EP independently I did not have a label partner at that time. I just wanted to get something out there. I have been very cautious about what I put out there. I had written 50-60 demos at that point. It was close enough to good. The five tracks were the best of the 50-60 from the demos. I had just started songwriting two years before that. Now looking back, it is not totally representative of what I want to do or what is actually coming. Since that time I have doubled the number of demos I have written, I have written 120 songs and I secured a label partner in Capitol Records. Now I have my own project and we are hoping to get a new single out here in two or three months. Capital has hooked me up with some really incredible producers and the stuff I am working on is going to blow the other EP out of the water.
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MM: Can you give us the vibe of the album?
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KQ: We had referenced Justin Bieber’s Purpose since it was a nice balance about talking about God and Faith. It is kind of disguised as a pop album. I wanted to do pop, I am a pop artist at heart. Even if you are not Christian this music will be for everyone. It will have very subtle faith aspects. We were really lucky to get a lot of producers on this album including one of Justin Bieber’s producers Theron Otis Feemster, also known as Neff-U. This stuff is just going to be very inspirational, clean, and have an R&B and pop vibe like Justin Timberlake.
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MM: How do you manage your own expectations with this industry and also not lose yourself in the process?
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KQ: I have a lot of career goals. I would love to do my own tour. I really would like to stay true to my songwriting and luckily Capitol Records has been so great about that. Since I have had more time due to the pandemic I have been writing screenplays and I am writing a book of poetry. I am just really finding different avenues to expand my entertainment empire here during the pandemic.
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MM: Since you mentioned the pandemic, and free time and writing poetry; we have to ask what you think about all of Taylor Swift’s albums she has released during a lockdown?
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KQ: Some of Taylor’s earlier stuff I had a bit of trouble getting into. I think the reason why I really really like them is she took a turn with Folklore. I especially like her work with Bon Iver and that song Exile. The acoustic version blew me away, goosebumps. I am a huge fan of Justin Vernon and Taylor Swift now I guess. I really really enjoyed these two albums.

 

 

 

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MM: Let’s have some fun with these comic book movie franchises. If you could play any character in Marvel or DC in a film or a series who would it be and why?
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KQ: So I will admit, I was almost in a Marvel project. Before I joined Disney when I moved to LA I was in unofficial talks to play Spider-Man. Tom Holland was way more right for the role than I was, but I could do backflips. It didn’t go further but I think I would be able to do a Spider-Man role. I know it got mixed reviews but I really liked Suicide Squad. I thought it was a good movie. Margot Robbie was great. I have been told that I kind of look like Jared Leto. I would really like to play the evil little brother.  He did a really good job with Joker. Even Heath Ledger, I loved The Dark Knight.  I really enjoyed Jared Leto in Requiem for a Dream as well. That movie just hit me hard.
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MM: Let’s wrap up with your Summer plans?
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KQ: I have family friends in Wisconsin I plan to visit while I take a much-needed break. My family used to have a cottage up there we would frequent. Every summer I try to get back to Wisconsin and enjoy Door County, Wisconsin; it is a little peninsula and so beautiful. That is my zen zone!

Kevin Quinn

PHOTOGRAPHER Gina Gizella Manning
CREATIVE DIRECTION Gizella
LIGHTING DIRECTOR Mike Pecci
WARDROBE Toye Adedipe
HAIR & MAKEUP Jenna Nelson
IMPRINT PR Maria Candida
FILM DEVELOPING HOUSE Digital Photo Printing & Studio