Q&A With Off Campus Star Josh Heuston

As Australian actor Josh Heuston continues his rapid rise onto the global stage, The Hollywood Reporter Australia publisher Paris Raine sat down with the Off Campus star to speak about navigating sudden international visibility, protecting privacy as success accelerates, and why curiosity may be one of the defining qualities driving the current wave of Australian talent breaking through globally.

Fresh off the series reaching more than 36 million viewers worldwide, Heuston remains surprisingly grounded, thoughtful, self-aware and still very much figuring things out in real time. From Heartbreak High to Off Campus and beyond, the conversation moves between career momentum, creative instinct, Australian identity and the realities of building longevity in an industry moving faster than ever.

THR Australia: Okay, so Off Campus — I don’t know if you’ve heard — but you guys have now reached 36 million viewers in 12 days, becoming Prime Video’s third-biggest debut ever behind only Rings of Power and Fallout. When numbers like that start to roll in, how does it feel from where you’re sitting?

Josh Heuston: Well, from where I’m sitting, it feels pretty nice, I guess. Yeah, 36 million people is more than the population of Australia, so that’s weird. But yeah, it feels good. I’m happy.

THR Australia: Your career feels like it’s accelerating really rapidly at this moment. What are you actively trying to protect as things get bigger?

Heuston: I think as things get bigger, I’m having more of a focus on privacy and keeping things to myself. But other than that, everything just stays the same, really. My friends are the same, my family’s the same, obviously. And yeah, that’s basically it. I love it. I think my career’s gradually grown as I’ve taken on different roles, so I’ve kind of had a little baby taste of it at each level. Obviously, this is the most widespread thing that I’ve done, but yeah, it just feels kind of natural.

THR Australia: Because of projects like Heartbreak High, Dune and Off Campus, do you feel like the industry has accurately understood what kind of actor you are?

Heuston: That’s a good question. Yeah, I think I’ve tried to pick projects that are different in a lot of ways. I try to jump genres as often as possible. But yeah, I think I’m still trying to figure out what kind of actor I am as well.

THR Australia: We’re seeing this incredible wave of Australian actors really cutting through globally right now — Sarah Snook, Jacob Elordi, yourself and so many others. What do you feel is resonating so deeply about Aussies internationally?

Heuston: I think Aussies are naturally curious about a lot of things. It’s why we kind of find an Australian in every corner of the globe. We’re always travelling and wanting to learn things and have new experiences. Because of that, I think it translates into the work that we do. If you want to see the world, we’re in Australia, so we’re so far away. You have no choice but to be curious about a lot of things. I think you can see that when we’re on screen.

THR Australia: Is there a particular note or piece of advice you’ve received as an actor that’s really stuck with you?

Heuston: Yeah. It’s something I’ve said a few times. It’s like, “fall up”. If you’re going to fall over or mess something up or make a mistake, you might as well try and do it with forward momentum. But yeah, just give it a crack.

THR Australia: What are you creatively obsessed with outside of acting right now?

Heuston: I feel like everything kind of has something to do with my job at the moment. But I mean, I’m pretty obsessed with Royal Otis. I’ll say that again. I listen to them continuously. They just followed me on Instagram actually. I fangirled. I was like, “Yeah!”

THR Australia: Ten years from now, what are you hoping people are saying about Josh Heuston that they’re not currently saying?

Heuston: Hopefully that he’s still working. I think that would be something people are saying. Yeah, I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out. I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow, let alone ten years from now.

THR Australia: When you’re back in Australia, what’s the most normal thing you still do that people might be surprised by?

Heuston: I don’t know… everything. My whole life is pretty normal. I eat the same fast-food stuff. Go to the beach. Go to the pub.

THR Australia: What’s the biggest misconception people had about you when you started acting?

Heuston: That I went to film school. Yeah, I never went.

THR Australia: What piece of advice would you give your 17-year-old self?

Heuston: Just keep swimming, like what Dory said.

THR Australia: What was the last text in your Off Campus group chat?

Heuston: Oh, I feel like I can’t say that. I don’t have my phone on me, so I can’t even check.

THR Australia: Lastly: kiss, marry, kill — Garrett, Logan, Dean.

Heuston: I’ll marry Logan, I’ll kiss Garrett and I’ll kill Dean.

THR Australia: And if you were Hannah, who would you pick?

Heuston: Out of all of them? Justin. Like… come on. Please.