In the past, Owen Thiele has been called the entertainment industry’s “nepo friend.” It’s a name that comes from the fact that he’s friends with the likes of Cazzie David and Molly Gordon, and has had featured roles in their projects. But recently it’s become clear that Owen Thiele isn’t just a featured player in TV. The Jewish actor is a rising star.
Here are 18 things to know about him.
1. Owen was born on Nov. 4, 1996 in Houston, Texas.
2. He’s a Scorpio!
3. He was adopted at birth by music producer Bob Thiele Jr. and Amy Kanter.
“I was adopted into a white Jewish family, and then I went to a school called Center for Early Education, and then Crossroads. Very white spaces,” he told Vanity Fair. “Because my parents were white, I was like, ‘Oh, this is normal.’” It was only later in his childhood that Owen realized his situation was unusual.
4. Owen attended NYU’s Tisch School for two weeks before dropping out and pursuing acting and writing.
5. In 2017, Owen starred in friend Cazzie David’s web show “EIGHTY-SIXED.”
6. He looks great in a Star of David.
7. Owen has been in not one, but two Taylor Swift music videos. He was in the video for “The Man” and “You Need to Calm Down.”
8. Owen has been in episodes of “I Think You Should Leave,” “Hacks,” “Dollface” and “Too Much. But his breakout role came as Gigi Chabonier in “Theater Camp,” alongside Ben Platt, Molly Gordon and Noah Galvin.
9. On “Overcompensating,” Owen plays George, a sophomore who mentors Benny in hopes that he’ll come out.
10. Let Owen give you a room tour for his character Anton on “Adults.”
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11. Owen is dating the Hollywood stylist for all “the coolest girls,” Jared Ellner.
12. Owen has his own podcast called “In Your Dreams,” centered on how he can get famous. Some of his guests have been Cazzie David, Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Hannah Berner and Hailey Bieber.
13. This is perhaps the most iconic prank we’ve ever seen.
14. Owen is currently writing a comedy called “Off Color,” a semi-autobiographical show about being a Black gay man adopted into a white Jewish family. Ilana Glazer is set to executive produce and star as Owen’s party-girl-turned-rabbi cousin, while Susie Essman has been tapped to play his mom.
“I think the saying should be, ‘Never meet your idols, except for Ilana Glazer.’ I want that written on my wall. I am so obsessed with her,” Owen told Teen Vogue. “I have never met someone whose brain works in the way that hers does. She’s a mile a minute, she’s a joke a second and she’s so wise. Usually, people who are that funny don’t have the depth and the wisdom, but she’s like a mother, a grandmother and a child wrapped into one.”
15. Owen has said that one true-to-life moment that inspired “Off-Color” is when his dad took him to a Black barber as a child. When the barber asked him if he wanted cornrows or a fade, he responded, “I’ll just take a blowout with the ends flipped in to frame my face.”
“I was like, that is the show. Not really understanding who I am. Then finally being like, Oh, I’m Black, gay and Jewish in America. What does that mean? How scary? How cool? The power that I have. And also, parts of the world hate me, which is very scary. So it’s a comedy, yes; but also, we’re diving into some topics that I think are really important right now.”
16. Owen is a Jew who loves a Christmas tree. See the Instagram story below:
17. Despite being known as a comedic actor, Owen has said he would like to try acting in a drama or a period piece.
18. In addition to “Off Color,” Owen is currently writing two movies and an animated TV series.
“My whole career is kind of throwing pasta against the wall and seeing if it sticks,” he explained. “Sometimes it slides down and I know I need to keep boiling. Sometimes it works, and I get to eat.”
