“I believe all actors should be in therapy. Put that in all capital letters, please!” Brandon Flynn says with a light-hearted laugh. In an entertainment industry where public perception often overshadows personal truth and where vulnerability is both a tool and a risk, Flynn’s words are a breath of fresh air.
You may know Brandon Flynn as Justin Foley in 13 Reasons Why, the Netflix series that took the world by storm. Flynn’s character, Justin, battles drug addiction, homelessness and other inner demons as he grapples with his past actions and their consequences. His journey is a poignant exploration of the human condition, one that embodies the complexities of adolescence, the impact of trauma, and the possibility of redemption — even in the face of grave mistakes. Not everyone has the ability to bring Justin Foley to life. And for those who have watched Flynn’s portrayal of this multifaceted character, it is pretty clear that Flynn is an actor who does not shy away from vulnerability. “As Hamlet says, acting holds a mirror up to nature, and it really allows me to enter this almost fantasy-like realm and ask myself: how far would I go?”
In a way, Justin Foley was Flynn’s mirror. “Justin had this fraught life with substance abuse issues. When we wrapped the show, I found out I was ready to go head-on with my own issues, and I consider that experience part of the reason why I got sober. This was probably one of the biggest and more profound revelations I’ve had throughout my acting career,” Flynn reveals.
Black embroidery waistcoat, black vest, black trousers, Amiri.
Looking back, he continues: “When I started, I was fresh out of acting school, and I was 22. I was on this hit show like I was doing it all. Back then, I thought that success really does happen overnight, now I know things take time. I read something about a young actor once who was nominated for some awards, and the first line of the article was ‘up-and-coming actor for the last decade is starring in XYZ’ and I was like: What? That makes no sense. But then I started looking around and realised there is this decade-long journey that many younger actors have to go through until they enter another stratosphere.”
Perhaps it’s his introspection or willingness to embrace the raw and the vulnerable, but Flynn is able to bring a certain candour and sensitivity to the table like nobody else. In his historical drama Manhunt, Flynn stars as Edwin Stanton Jr., the son of Edwin Stanton, who led the 12-day chase of Lincoln’s assassination. “When I was researching for my role, I would Google Edwin Stanton Jr., and all that would come up was his father, which I think reflects this underlying pressure that he lived under his whole life, this anonymity and desire to forge his own legacy,” Flynn recalls. The lack of factual information may faze other actors preparing for a historical drama. However, for Flynn, this presented an opportunity to explore the nuanced emotions of a man who still lies in the shadows of his father: the unspoken tensions, the lingering sense of inadequacy, the longing for approval… Under Flynn’s touch, Edwin Stanton Jr. is no longer just an un-Googleable son of a prominent historical figure, but a man who just wanted to be someone — a sentiment many of us can relate to.
Blazer, tank vest, trousers, leather shoes, Dries Van Noten.
When asked what historical figure he would want to play next, Flynn mentions Egon Schiele, the Austrian painter known for his unflinching portrayal of the human condition. “He is one of my favourite artists and lived such an interesting life against the backdrop of war and power shifts in Austria. He often sketched prostitutes and the underbelly of his time,” Flynn explains. “I feel like he had this beautiful understanding of the grotesque. He’s one of those artists like Van Gogh — you learn about them in a textbook, but it’s really when you see their work up close that you’re like: wow, you weren’t just painting the reality, you were painting your reality.”
Flynn, like Schiele, seeks not just to represent reality in his craft, but his character’s reality, often revealing a deeper truth about human nature. Just as Schiele’s art captured the raw, unfiltered emotions of his subjects, Flynn’s portrayals are marked by a profound authenticity that resonates with his audiences.
Oversized coat, embroidery vest, neck scarf, trousers, buckle leather shoes, Gucci.
Oversized coat, Issey Miyake. Denim jacket, tee, denim jeans, A.P.C.
Flynn is, at his core, a storyteller. There isn’t really any other way to put it. Storytelling runs through his veins, fueling his creative spirit. “I’ve been adapting this novel for the last year and I definitely spend a lot of my days right now editing drafts of the script I wrote,” he reveals. “It’s funny though — when you enter this industry, you’re immediately labelled as “actor” and you don’t get these opportunities like I did in my training, which was so much more communal and collaborative. And it’s taken me a while to realise I know how to write scripts and direct. So why am I restricting it?”
Videographer: Talia Goodwin
Production Assistant: K’yana Faulkner-Smith
Editor
Kaitlyn Lai
