Austin Crute – Call Your Mother

By starrymag | February 24, 2021

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for “Call Your Mother.”

 

A) “Call Your Mother” is about a midwestern, empty-nester mom, Jean (played by Kyra Sedgwick), who unexpectedly butts into her kids’ lives in LA. I play Lane, a Midwestern, gay boy who is trying to figure out his identity in LA same as Jean. He loves her nurturing, maternal spirit probably because he wishes he had more of that energy at home.

 

Q) How was your character Lane originally described to you?

 

A) The character breakdown read: “Shy, cute, nerdy, gay. Jackie’s roommate. Also, from the Midwest. His parents stopped talking to him when he came out,” as well other descriptors. I originally came into the audition super straight because he’s used to living a lie. But then Kari [Lizer] goes, “What if he was obviously gay? And Jean just can’t tell because she doesn’t know about that kind of stuff.” My read became so much funnier! And, honestly, I grew up in a very conservative environment myself, but I’m the type of guy that when I get a little femme you can see the gay on me from a mile away. So, it makes sense that this character would be the same way. He is so fun to play, I love it!

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of this series?

 

A) It’s always been a life-long dream of mine to do a sitcom ever since those days we would all collectively watch Disney Channel and Nickelodeon as our primary source of entertainment. This is a first for me in a lot of ways! It’s my first time on a sitcom. This is my first time on network television. I’m so happy it’s on ABC too (Disney Gang!). And I relate to my character so much. It’s that much more fun and natural to play him. Plus, I’m my own mom’s empty-nester baby, so if anyone can relate to this show, it’s her.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them on the show?

 

A) I met everyone fresh at the audition, but I did know Rachel [Sennott] from her viral “This is LA” video. [laughs] I told her that when we made the final rounds of callbacks. Joey [Bragg], I was familiar with from “Liv & Maddie,” even though that was a little after my time watching Disney Channel. Emma [Caymares], I met at the audition.

 

Q) Talk about working with iconic actress Kyra Sedgwick.

 

A) Kyra is a wonder to work with. She is so focused, and she takes her work very seriously. She’s so sweet and she has so much experience under her belt. Watching her is a masterclass!

 

Q) How much room is there for improving when it comes to shooting this series?

 

A) With COVID, things get tricky. We get tested four times a week. We eat our lunches alone. We can’t have a massive studio audience because: COVID. So, we try to have as much organic fun as possible. If we find the jokes funny, they stay! If we do it and the writers don’t like it, we come back the next day and the whole script may be changed. The scripts change daily right up until shooting day. And even on the day we get alternate lines and riff and have spontaneous moments. So, the show is constantly changing, improving, morphing, growing and the flow of the comedy really translates that way.

 

Q) What have been some of your favorite episodes to film?

 

A) I loved filming Episode 5, Episode 8 and most recently Episode 12. Episode 12 is so, so fun. Ya’ll will love it.

 

Q) Does the cast spend much time together off set as they do onset?

 

A) It’s so hard to “hang out” on set with the COVID protocols so we find time outside of work to hangout. When lockdowns started it became even harder to bond and goof off because we couldn’t just go to the bar across the street anymore. We find time between scenes, we mess around in rehearsal, we have a group chat. It’s not always easy to “spend time,” but we make the most of the time we do spend.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. What kind of fan feedback have you been receiving to the show?

 

A) People have been loving it! They love my character and have a lot of fun watching. I’ve definitely gained a lot of older fans. Most of the outright response has been on Twitter. I’ve even seen a response on TikTok, too. So many people from my hometown (Atlanta) have seen me on TV and they hit my mom to tell her, “We saw Austin on TV!” Cable, am I right? It reaches everyone.

 

Q) What do you think it is about “Call Your Mother” that is going to make it a fast fan favorite show?

 

A) I think it’s the relevance. So many moms are experiencing empty nest syndrome. My mother is, too. It’s a real thing that doesn’t get highlighted enough in the media. And it’s not just the moms who have to redefine their relationships with their children. We, as the children, have to set new boundaries with our parents, too. The only difference in this particular season of life is that the children have to make an effort to define their own boundaries when, up till this point, it’s always been the parents who tell the children what to do. I’m going through it myself actually. Between the parent/kid dynamics and the post-Corona escapism, this show is a recipe for a hit.

 

Q) We loved seeing you on “Daybreak.” What did you personally take away from your time working on it?

 

A) Thank you! I loved to play Wesley. This was my first taste of being in an action flick. Everything my child self would want in a show was in “Daybreak” and I’m so blessed to have been able to be a part of it. I had swords. I actually learned how to wield them! We fought zombies, I madeout with a hot boy (hey Cody) and I became a Netflix baby! I left that experience more confident in myself than I’ve ever been. To be honest, I wasn’t as comfortable with my sexuality at the time and this gave me the boost of a lifetime. I gained so much experience (not to mention followers) and I gained some lifelong friends. Special thanks to Brad Peyton, Jeff Fierson and Aron Coliete for giving me the opportunity they did. To this day, it’s the most exhilarating, professionally satisfying project I’ve ever worked on.

 

Q) Please talk about your upcoming mixtape?

 

A) My mixtape TWENTIES will be coming out closer to this Summer. Till then, I’ll be releasing mad singles and doing covers on TikTok and IG. Keep up with me. I’m tellin’ you, I’m your new favorite artist! Mark my words.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

 

A) Thank you to everyone who supports me and follows me on IG, TikTok and Twitter! I’m just a pastor’s kid from Cobb County, GA that had a dream and it seems I’m making it happen. I’ll continue to push forward, and I’ll see you guys along the way! Follow me @austincrute everywhere. I try my best to respond, I’m always around.