Two years ago, Drew Starkey found himself at a breakfast table in Los Angeles with Luca Guadagnino, the acclaimed Italian director behind Call Me by Your Name and Challengers. For Starkey, it was a surreal moment. Guadagnino, known for his moody, hyper-stylized films, had worked with Hollywood powerhouses like Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, and Zendaya. Meanwhile, Starkey had spent the past three years playing Rafe Cameron on Netflix’s Outer Banks, a wildly popular teen drama that felt worlds apart from the director’s signature arthouse style. Yet, Guadagnino had been impressed by Starkey’s audition tape for an unrelated project and invited him to breakfast.
The conversation that morning revolved around Queer, a film adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel about a gay heroin addict in 1950s Mexico City. Guadagnino was preparing to direct the project and had Starkey in mind to star alongside Daniel Craig.
Initially, Starkey found the experience hard to believe. “Halfway through the first meeting, I was like, ‘This is amazing, and I don’t really care what comes of it,’” he later recalled. “I’m getting to sit down and have deep conversations with a director—an artist—that I really look up to? That’s incredible. The whole time, I was thinking, ‘It’s not gonna happen.’”
But it did. Following their breakfast meeting, Starkey immersed himself in Burroughs’ novel, reading it multiple times. Over the next two months, he engaged in long conversations with Guadagnino, undergoing what he described as a “vetting process.” No formal audition was required. Once cast, he dedicated himself fully to the role, losing thirty pounds and studying the book’s historical and emotional depth. He became deeply familiar with Burroughs’ writing, memorizing passages and exploring the author’s personal history—including his lifelong, unfulfilled longing for the real-life figure who inspired Queer.
Set for release on November 27, Queer has already generated early Oscar buzz. Starkey’s growing presence in the entertainment industry has also captured the attention of the fashion world. He has appeared front-row at runway shows and starred in a campaign for Loewe, the luxury brand whose creative director, Jonathan Anderson, designed the costumes for Queer. He now joins an elite group of “Loewe Boys,” which includes actors Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, and musician Omar Apollo, who also appears in Queer. Starkey has described this experience as feeling like “a really dysfunctional family.”
With Queer on the horizon, the fourth season of Outer Banks in full swing, and high-profile fashion collaborations in motion, Starkey has found himself at the center of Hollywood’s cultural moment.
During an evening out in New York, Starkey’s personality shines through. One moment, he speaks thoughtfully, taking long pauses to find the right words, and the next, he is distracted by a passing dog or jokingly mimicking a German shepherd with a dramatic, intense stare. His laid-back charm and unpredictable humor make him effortlessly engaging.
Dressed in a Carhartt jacket, baggy jeans, and black Samba sneakers, he embodies a casual yet stylish aesthetic. His closely cropped mullet and silver hoop earring complete the look—though he jokingly refers to it as his “basic bitch” outfit. When told that his style would fit right in with Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, he laughs and responds, “Ah, fuck! I just need some American Spirits.”
As Starkey steps into this new phase of his career, he remains a rising star—one whose blend of talent, humility, and humor makes him impossible to ignore.