Austin Peyton’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Austin Peyton. Check out our conversation below.

Austin, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Honestly, I feel like I’m being called to write—something I never expected. Writing was always the thing I avoided. I wasn’t the best writer in school, and I never enjoyed it, so I never saw it as part of my path. But recently, almost out of nowhere, I started experimenting with screenwriting, and it’s opened up this whole new part of me. I’ve been writing short films, and now I’m deep into a feature, and I’m genuinely loving the process.

What’s surprised me most is how healing and empowering it feels. This feature I’m working on explores my experiences as a young gay man in the entertainment industry today, and also just the reality of trying to find my place in the queer community in LA. It’s been one of the most rewarding creative challenges I’ve taken on recently.

So I think what I’m being called to do now is to tell my own stories—honestly, vulnerably, and without apologizing. It’s something I used to be afraid of, but now it feels like exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Austin Peyton, an actor based in Los Angeles whose work spans film, theatre, and digital platforms. I trained at The Chicago Academy for the Arts, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and CalArts—training that gave me a strong classical foundation while shaping the contemporary, emotionally driven perspective I bring to every role.

I recently shot the feature film Brief Candles and appear in several short films, including Why Can’t We All Get Along, Through Your Lens, Senior Night, and I Didn’t Know. I’ve also been working closely with my new reps to expand my audition experience and build deeper connections with casting directors.

Across social media, I’ve built a community of over 2.4 million people who connect with my authenticity and my passion for telling emotionally resonant, multidimensional stories.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
The people who’ve seen me clearly are the ones who’ve encouraged me to bring myself fully into every role and audition, rather than trying to be what I think creatives expect. I’ve been lucky to have amazing teachers and coaches who’ve guided me in doing that. Recently, my acting coach Kay Aston has been incredibly helpful with some of my bigger auditions. Even if I don’t initially relate to a character, she helps me find the role within myself and use my own experiences and instincts to bring it to life.

As a gay guy in the industry, there’s often pressure to be more ‘masculine’ or ‘manly’ to book roles outside of gay characters. But I don’t believe that’s the path to truth in performance. There are so many facets of who I am that have nothing to do with being gay, and the people who truly see me help me embrace all of that. It means so much when the industry supports, understands, and encourages me to express the full, authentic version of myself rather than just trying to get me to act like what they think a ‘straight’ guy should act like.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
As an actor, you’re faced with rejection every day. Every week, there are auditions you don’t hear back from—emails and scenes you’ve spent hours, sometimes days, preparing for, and then they just disappear into the void. At first, that felt like constant failure. But over time, I’ve learned to reframe it: just because I don’t book something doesn’t mean I’m not being seen.

I’ve really worked on loving the audition process itself, rather than fearing it or letting anxiety take over. When you get an audition for a lead in a feature, or a series regular role—something that could literally change your life—it’s easy to put a ton of pressure on yourself. I’ve learned to focus on the audition itself as an exercise, a chance to dive into a character, to experiment, and to enjoy it.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely still struggle with letting go of my auditions afterwards. I fall in love with every role I read for, so it’s impossible not to carry that with me. But I’ve come a long way in using that vulnerability—the fear, the longing, the hope—as fuel. It’s become a source of energy and excitement rather than something that weighs me down.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’ve really worked on making the public version of me match who I actually am. When I used to post on social media daily, there was a big disconnect between the Austin people were seeing online and the real me. People connected to one specific version of me, and I felt this pressure to give them that—even if it was only a small slice of who I am, or sometimes felt a little fake.

Now, I post a lot less and have stepped away from the idea of being a ‘social media content creator,’ if that’s what you wanna call it haha. Because of that, even if it’s harder for people to immediately know me based on what I share publicly, there’s far more honesty there. I also get to preserve more of my personal reality for my work as an actor, which is where I feel I can truly express myself.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, I would stop comparing myself to others immediately. As an actor, it’s constantly in your face how successful other people are, or the roles they’re booking that you didn’t. It’s so easy to compare yourself, especially to actors your age—and in the age of social media, it’s everywhere. You can scroll Instagram or log into IMDbPro and see lists of people you know who are booking projects, or reminders of auditions you didn’t get.

But I’ve been learning that everyone is on their own journey, and the opportunities that are truly meant for you will come. Comparison really is the thief of joy, and it doesn’t get you anywhere. I have such a hard time reminding myself of that, but it’s something I’d stop doing immediately if I could.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://austinpeyton.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austin_peypey/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AustinPeyton/videos
• Other: imdb – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11883645/

Image Credits
Jonny Marlow Photography