The actor reflects on his Nickelodeon days and the fame that followed in his new poetry book, “Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob).”
“There’s nothing more painful than trying to be serious about something that is truly silly,” he says of his ‘Victorious’ days—and whether he’d be open to returning for the reboot. “And that’s the joy of it and it’s the levity of it. Especially in a world that is so dark. It’s nice to have levity. I know what we meant to a whole generation. I understand.”
On his publication day, he took Esquire’s @trishnarikhy along for a hectic night in the East Village. Hit the link in bio now to read the full story. Photos by @adamkudeimati .
Having fun with my book tour. Been really great to share the book with you all. Hear your favourite poems. It’s been truly a joy.
Shot and edited by my brother @cineraat
@jogia says he’s skeptical of the public’s interest in the outcomes of child stardom and the #QuietOnSet documentary: “It’s ambulance chasing.”
He joined @tomjoepower to talk about his new book of poetry, Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob) which takes a critical look at the culture of celebrity and the sinister side of fame.
He also talked about how starring on a #Nickelodeon show felt like he was “performing adolescence and purity,” what he thinks about the documentary Quiet on Set, and why he’s chosen poetry to reflect on his time as a teen star.
Watch his full interview on our YouTube channel or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 🔗Link in bio.
There are several poems that grapple with suicidal thoughts and ideation. What was it like writing about such a vulnerable topic?
Well, I think being alive is complicated, and I think that if you are alive, and you are conscious and aware and present, being alive is exhausting and painful. A lot of poetry seems to me to be about reflecting on your trauma. And that’s not what this book is to me, even though we dance into darker places. Life is absurd first, for me, before it’s depressing. I don’t think of writing poetry as healing. I think my poetry is better when it’s observing and discovering as opposed to trying to fix and heal.
Throughout the book, there are a few poems about trysts with older women when you were a young adult. How do do you look back on that time now?
It’s interesting to be in a position of being a young man in this situation and be in those dynamics. I think you retain your power a little bit more naturally as a man in those situations. And I think when you’re a young man, specifically — and a journalist and a detective and an observer — there’s a lot of roaming around the world, discovering. The idea of being with somebody who’s older than you is probably an act of curiosity about the world. Being in your 20s, I think that whole section of your life is an act of curiosity.
It’s pub week. I can’t really communicate how excited I am to have this book out. Reading it last night at the strand to you all made it feel real to me for the first time. It was actually sort of more nerve wracking than I thought it was going to be. But it couldn’t have been nicer.
This is too long a thing for instagram, everything must be 7 seconds and have a hook in the first three seconds. But listen, I’m doing all this promo myself so you get what I got.
Here are the lovely people who made the promo a reality. Love you all.
Avan Jogia - Director
Isabelle Deluce @isadeluce - Producer
Adam Kudeimeti @adamkudeimati - Cinematographer
Marz Mejia - Sound
Dorothy Hoover - Production Designer
Katie C. Sunderalingam - Art Assist
Niko Baur - Gaffer
Arthur Grigoryan - Swing
Lyn Alyson @lynalyson_ - Stylist
Ashley Frangipane - Make up
Eli Hollett @destrata.dj - Sound Designer
