Evan Mock may be making his acting debut, but he's already a star, and a famous one at that. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly has been the coolest thing to happen to Mock and his career thus far. Was it the time he went on tour with Travis Scott documenting Astroworld? Or perhaps the time he posed for Calvin Klein in their first-ever combined fashion and fragrance campaign? Either way, it all traces back to a viral Instagram video posted by Frank Ocean and a pink buzz cut.
Set to star as Akeno "Aki" Menzies in HBO Max's Gossip Girl reboot, it looks like the 22-year-old skateboarder and model will be keeping the pink hairdo and the skateboard as he takes on the rich and powerful teens of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Get to know Mock before the reboot hits the streaming platform. I have a feeling his character is going to be a crowd favourite.
Mock has been living his best life to say the least, and there's no doubt a top highlight was his personal invite to join Travis Scott on tour as a behind-the-scenes photographer. In an exclusive interview with his longtime friend and fellow skateboarder Blair Alley, Mock opened up about the experience, including the moment he found out Scott started following him on Instagram. "I was triple and quadruple checking if this was him. He follows like 50 people and now I'm one of those 50," he reminisced.
After introductions were made in person and a quick photo session in Scott's NYC hotel had wrapped up, the gig was his. From there, Mock travelled around the world with him — to places like Los Angeles, Norway, Paris, London, and all over Europe — capturing Scott's Astroworld tour.
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FaceTime Is His Preferred Method of Communication
Image Source: Getty/ John Lamparski
The fastest way to get in touch with Mock? FaceTime. Because of his busy travel schedule, the actor and model would much rather talk to his friends virtually than through text bubbles. "The fact that you can FaceTime and see your friends is fucking epic," Mock said in an interview. "I'm such a social butterfly that I want to see them, and I think it's just so much more turnt up when you can see the reactions on their faces."
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Without Even Trying, Mock Has Become a Sought-After Model
Image Source: Getty/ Francois Durand
You don't often hear about a skateboarder becoming a runway model, but for Mock, it didn't feel that too out of reach: "Growing up in the surf and skate industry, you kind of mildly get a taste of what it is to be a model, because you do catalogueue shoots and stuff," he explained in an interview. From Clavin Klein to Paco Rabanne and Louis Vuitton, the question isn't who has Mock modelled for, but who he hasn't.
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He Founded His Own Clothing Line
Image Source: Getty/ Gotham
As if Mock doesn't have his hands full being a photographer, model, influencer, surfer, and skateboarder, he's also the creative mind and founder behind the clothing brand Sorry in Advance. Mock's streetwear-inspired line offers graphic hoodies, T-shirts, key chains, and crystal-embellished baseball hats.
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Justin Bieber Reached Out to Him About a Collab With Drew House
Image Source: Getty/ Dominique Charriau
During an interview, Mock casually named-dropped Justin Bieber. "Justin reached out to me. It's funny, he sent me a text, which is hilarious," he quipped. Oh sure, we would totally be laughing if Bieber hit us up out of the blue, too.
He continued that Bieber had spelled his name wrong, switching out the "a" with an "e," to which he sent a follow up text (he got a double text from Bieber!!) with his name spelled correctly. "It's Biebs. Rye Good gave me your number. If you're down, let's do a collab with our brands. You're just one of the coolest people in the world, no cap." Mock went on to shoot ads for Bieber's line Drew House.
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The Only Person He's Been Starstruck by Is Dylan Rieder
Image Source: Getty/ Edward Berthelot
Despite the private jets and A-list parties, Mock said the only person he's ever truly been starstruck by is the late professional skateboarder and model Dylan Rieder. "The aura of Dylan was so different. He made you feel like fam, instantly. He put in the time to talk to you. He obviously knew who he was. I only met him in the last year that he was alive, but he made such an impact on me," Mock said, adding, "The way he lived and worked, his style, who he was as a friend, it was such a good example of how to go about your life." Reminiscing on his childhood, Mock said Rieder was a huge influence on his relationship with skateboarding growing up.
