Austin Crute, a Quadruple Threat, Is Our Swoon-Worthy Guy of the Week
Austin Crute is a quadruple threat. The Georgia-native is an actor, artist, songwriter and producer — and at 25 years old, he’s just getting started. Most known for his roles in the feature film Booksmart and, most recently, the sitcom Call Your Mother, actor Austin Crute has also made appearances in FX’s Atlanta and Orange Is the New Black.
Did we mention that his single “Twenties” is a certified banger? His mixtapes can be found on Soundcloud. And based on his already impressive résumé, we can’t wait to see what he does next.
Here are five reasons we’re swooning over artist, songwriter, producer and actor Austin Crute this week:
1. His immaculate sense of style.
The man exudes cool, and we’re here for it.
Check out his Instagram for more looks.
2. His genuine and frank outlook on sexuality.
When discussing labels while relaying an incident he had with another man, Crute had this to say: “I feel like people wait until they have a label on them, straight or gay, to then pursue what they want, and it’s like, no, it’s a spectrum. We don’t have to operate like this. We can operate on a desire-based basis. You don’t have to operate on an identity-based basis. Hopefully I have given some permission, some leeway to people to just chill out. It’s not that deep.”
3. Actor Austin Crute’s role as Wesley Fists in Netflix’s Daybreak.
This post-apocalyptic dramedy was canceled after only one season, but Crute shined in his role. An ex-bully trying to make amends for his past behavior, Crute’s Wesley Fists is a dynamic and complex character — and he’s queer, too. The relationship he has with another jock in the show is complicated; it isn’t exactly healthy, and it certainly isn’t a relationship you’re rooting for. But Crute makes a point of portraying all aspects of queer life in the roles that he picks.
“Showing that difference, that disparity between different types of gay people, especially black gay people, is important,” he says. “I, personally, had never seen anything like that growing up, so it is like the best make believe, the best play, the best opportunity that I could get awarded, to just play and live freely in a world where I’m accepted, or my character is accepted completely for who they are, regardless of how they live their personal life.”
4. His effort to bring authentic LGBTQ representation to wider audiences.
In Booksmart, actor Austin Crute played a vastly different character than in Daybreak. Alan is eccentric, loud and very into musical theater; he is also completely, unapologetically himself. “Alan basically gave me as Austin the liberty to explore queerness in a more organic feminine energy way,” Crute has said about the role.
That film as a whole had very sincere moments of queer representation. “This movie is authentic … because Amy had come out for two years and still hadn’t kissed a girl, and that kind of phenomenon has to be recognized,” Crute says. “[Coming out] is a very wide spectrum of exploration, insecurity, inexperience and a whole bunch of stuff.”
5. His video for the It Gets Better Project.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” he says. “However, just know, there comes a season of your life where independence is inevitable, and you will be able to make the choices that you want to make.”
