Keiynan Lonsdale
I actually don't label myself, but... Some people call me queer; some people call me bisexual, whatever it is now. I'm happy with all of it 'cause it all sort of represents me, in a way. I spent a majority of my life in the closet.
At some point, I came out to a lot of friends and some family, but then I went back in the closet when I started working as an actor in America.
I'd only been out for, like, six months before I booked 'Insurgent'. It was my first role in America, and it was a huge movie franchise. All I'd ever hear at the time was how Hollywood treated gay men or queer men, so I was, like, 'Well, I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot before I've even started life here,' you know?
I think, in general, straight actors should be able to play queer roles just as much as queer actors should be able to play straight roles. I think the reason why the debate is there is because we haven't had enough queer actors being cast in anything. People are in need of that representation in general.
It's important that I work with people where they know why they're hiring me and that they're looking to create art without fear. Anyone who uses those excuses to not cast people or to create extremely stereotypical characters, they're creating out of fear, and to me that's really boring.
I'd be really honored to do more LGBTQ stories.
As much as I think that in the future we won't need labels, at the moment they're really important. So I'm making myself embrace that. I truly am proud to be queer. Even watching 'Queer Eye' is something that inspired me to say that. So that's the power of representation.
There's a lot to the story. And there are a lot of things I've learned about myself and about love, and I'm really grateful for the lessons, and I hope I can share that through art. I look for projects that allow me to do that, whether it's music or acting.
I started writing when I was, like, eleven. We couldn't afford private lessons, so I had to teach myself how to sing through recording songs on GarageBand.
No one really had to encourage me to become an artist; it was just something I knew I had to do. I was drawn to things that seemed impossible.
I grew up with my mom, and my mom had six kids, and I was the youngest, but I had a different father than my brothers and sisters, and I only met him when I was ten years old. Then he introduced me to his other children.
I record into my phone as soon as I hear a track. Melody comes first for me, and then my gibberish usually forms into lyrics and a concept from there.
When we have a lot of the running, which we do on green screen, that is actually the hardest... I swear I have, like, four separate scenes in a row running, and I'd only done one at a time before.
From, like, two, three years old, I was obsessed with Michael Jackson and just wanted to be on stage with him. And my mum put me in dance classes, but I had a lot of social anxiety and didn't want to be around people; I didn't like to look at anyone in the eye, so that was a difficult thing to get over.
I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be on stage.
I was the youngest of the house that I grew up in, so I feel like, as the youngest, you have it pretty good. At the same time, I guess I required a lot of attention, being afraid of so many different things. So I was never seeking attention; I wanted the opposite.
I suffered a lot from social anxiety, and being on set was really scary to me. That fear can cause limits in your art and your performance because you're not going all in because there is this little thing in your head.
I think what's really important is valuing friendships and family a lot.
Some people think 'Higher' is about literally getting high, and other people think it's more in a spiritual sense. To me, it's all that. To me, it was like I need to escape from this down state - emotionally, spiritually, mentally, everything. I want to be above this. Wherever we are now. I need to go up.
I have a lot of brothers, and three or four of them love 'The Flash'.
L.A. is cool because its still got the beaches and stuff like Sydney. But I can't get Tim Tams. They're, like, these chocolate biscuits with chocolate on the inside and on the outside, and they are the best.
I just pack up my pantry with lots of Oreos and other chocolate treats to disguise the fact that I don't have Tim Tams.
Once I wrapped 'Insurgent', I went to Boston and shot a film called 'The Finest Hours.' It's based on a real story in 1952 about a Coast Guard mission to rescue these sinking ships that are caught in a blizzard.
I reckon my fear landscape would be me having to jump out of a plane or having to skydive. I would see that as one of the scariest things ever. And then also, I'm really not a fan of spiders and bugs.
People often expect that I should know a lot of things because I'm black. I don't really explain it to people, but it's like, I'm from Australia, my Mum's Aussie, and I grew up with five other Aussie brothers and sisters.
I think younger fans can't quite grasp that's what you do as an actor. They're like, 'It doesn't make sense. How can he talk like this when he talks like that on the show!' It's really cute, actually.
You can live your dreams and wear dresses. You can live your dreams and kiss the one that you love no matter what gender they are.
You can live your dreams, and you can believe in magic. You can live your dreams, and you can be yourself.
If you really are passionate about it, you're just going to find a way to make it happen.
My main advice is, if it's something you really want to do, then just go for it.
I always said to myself the only reason that I won't get what I want in life is if I give up.
I think being back in Australia has kind of helped a little bit because you just feel really comfortable around everyone, and it's the same environment that I've grown up in.
I originally went up for a role on the spinoff show, 'Legends of Tomorrow,' and that led me to audition for Wally West in 'The Flash'. I enjoy auditioning in general, but this was a particularly fun process because it was so unexpected.
Hearing that you fit into someone's idea of a superhero is a huge confidence builder.
'The Flash' comics are visually amazing and so well done. I wish I had been introduced to them when I was growing up.
Spent way too many years hating myself, thinking I was less valuable because I was different... which is just untrue.
I've become bored of being insecure, ashamed, scared... no one should feel like that about themselves, especially when there is so much good life to live.
I hope we can all learn to embrace who we are & not judge people who aren't exactly the same as us.
If you truly love something, fight for it every day, as long as it makes you happy.Collection: Fighting
Don't ever deny yourself a chance at your dreams. We're all meant for great things, but not everyone believes that can happen.Collection: Dream
You have to go through tough experiences and go through some battles, in order to be stronger.Collection: Order
Sometimes I fall into the trap of keeping too much to myself, but I think it's important to preserve certain things, it leaves something to the imagination.Collection: Fall
If you're gonna take in the love, you've gotta take in the hate. Or at least recognize it.Collection: Hate
I don't really know anything about fashion, I just kind of wing it and do what I want at the time.Collection: Fashion
I respect anyone who achieves something that countless others have dared to try before and failed.Collection: Trying
I was the youngest of the house that I grew up in, so I feel like as the youngest you have it pretty good. At the same time, I guess I required a lot of attention, being afraid of so many different things. So I was never seeking attention; I wanted the opposite. I just knew that when I saw Michael Jackson on the television screen once, it was, like, "That's it! That's what I'm doing for the rest of my life." I never questioned that.Collection: House
I'm living for myself, everything I do is to achieve my goals, so I'd love to stop caring so much about what I want by then and maybe focus on a bigger picture.Collection: Caring
I love music. I seriously cannot wait until the day comes that I get to perform around the world for people, I've wanted to do that my whole life.Collection: People
Michael Jackson has been my idol since before I could even walk.Collection: Idols
America was always a huge goal, if not the goal. I always wanted to move to America. I always wanted to come here and see what opportunities were around. I really only got a couple of auditions a year when I was in Australia, for acting work.Collection: Couple