“In the first episode, I have sex more than I say a word.”
Evan Mock Doesn't Want His Mom to Watch the 'Gossip Girl' Premiere
There's something surprisingly affable about Evan Mock, the surfer-turned skateboarder-turned breakout star of HBO Max's buzzy Gossip Girl reboot. It's Sunday afternoon, and he's speaking to me over the phone from New York while watching the European soccer finals, though his investment in the game's outcome is minimal. “I'm surrounded by English people, so England, I guess,” he says of the team he's rooting for. “I don't really care that much.”
Mock answers all of my questions with the same level of nonchalance, despite the slightly tawdry conceit of our chat. The Hawaiian actor is the latest victim of Glamour's Inappropriate Questions column, designed to get personal with Hollywood heartthrobs by jumping right into subjects best saved for a second date.
Here's what I learned: Evan Mock grew up on the North Shore of Oahu. His father made surfboard fins, so that chill surfer mentality is kind of hard-wired into his brain. At 10 years old, he fell in love with skateboarding, which would eventually inspire his move out to Los Angeles at 18. Just a few years later, after amassing a large Instagram following as a figure in the L.A. fashion scene, he gets a call from Gossip Girl showrunner Josh Safran.
“He was like, 'I've seen your face for the last however long and we would love for you to put a self-tape in,'” Mock tells me as if life-changing moments of this magnitude happen every day. “At the time, I didn't even know what a self-tape was.” Now, here he is with his only IMDb credit, skating into the hearts of teens everywhere as Aki Menzies, the pink-haired, kind-hearted student of St. Jude's School for Boys.
Mock and Aki share a lot; a passion for skating, pink hair, and power-couple status (Mock has been dating photographer and Manhattan elite, Gray Sorrenti, for about a year-and-a-half), but their upbringings couldn't be further apart. For one, Mock was homeschooled, spending just as much time on the beach or at the skatepark as he did with his studies. “This is the first time I ever put on a school uniform," he tells me. Luckily, he wears it just as comfortably as a pair of board shorts.
In the chat below, Evan Mock opens up further about dating rules, Hawaii, and why he doesn't want his mom watching the Gossip Girl premiere.
Glamour: I've gotta ask, is the pink hair all you, or was it a character choice for Aki?
It was a thing for two-and-a-half years before [Gossip Girl]. I lost a bet. I had longer, slicked-back hair before. Obviously, I was attached to my hair because I haven't shaved my head since I was like, 10.
What was the bet?
My friends were at a surf contest, and we were betting against them. The friend I was betting against won, obviously, so I had to shave my head.
And the pink?
I was just like, “I mean, we're already here, we might as well just bleach it,” and then my friend was like, “You have the hard part done so you might as well do a color.” He said pink would look pretty sick and was like, “Yeah, it'll wash out after you surf a couple of times.”
Do you use any products to keep it bright and healthy?
I have my hair guy Jackson at Suite Caroline in SoHo come to my house now. I don't know what magic potion he uses, but I have, in the past, used Manic Panic. Cotton Candy Pink Manic Panic.
In the first episode of Gossip Girl, it looks like trouble is brewing for Aki and Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind), who seems to have her eyes on Max (Thomas Doherty). Is cheating a dealbreaker for you in real life?
Yeah, I would say…I mean, I don't know, it's actually hard to say under the circumstances. It takes two to tango, so I feel like whoever you're dating or whoever you're with has to know what they want. Lust is always going to be a thing.
Have you ever been cheated on?
Yeah. First girlfriend, first love ever…or what I thought was love. It's pretty horrible, but it happens. We're human beings.
What do you look for in a partner?
Drive and motivation. Just wanting to accomplish things and do great things. I feel like if you affiliate yourself with the greats, you eventually turn into one.
Is there a dating rule you think is B.S.?
Having to wait for your partner before you leave the house. You can get in the car, you don't have to walk downstairs or down the elevator together every single time. It's the unspoken rule of having to wait for your partner before you leave the actual house.
That's so specific! Does this come up a lot for you and your girlfriend?
It's actually 50/50. I usually am ready first, but it's not like she takes forever to get ready. She just doesn't rush to do anything? It's funny, like, she doesn't have really that much concept of time when it has to do with strict timing. [Laughs]
What's your favorite thing your partner does for you?
Rubs my head and massages my neck. Love that. I'm constantly tense so those are much-needed.
What's the thing you do that annoys your partner the most?
Want to ask her?
She's there? [Laughs] Okay, Gray, what's the most annoying thing about your boyfriend?
Gray Sorrenti: Nothing! I love him so much. [Laughs]
Evan Mock: That's so not the right answer. You'll just have to follow us around for a week or two, figure it out.
What's the most romantic thing you've done for a partner?
Showing someone I love around where I'm from. Showing them the ins and outs and telling them things about Hawaii. I like showing people the true meaning of Hawaii, through my eyes.
Aki and Audrey hook up in a pretty public space on the show, where is the most surprising place you've hooked up with someone?
Maybe the bottom of a boat in the middle of the ocean.
So you're definitely an ocean guy over a city guy.
I feel like I can adapt to my surroundings pretty quickly. I feel just as much of a city guy now that I live in New York and also a waterman.
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What's been the biggest change for you?
Public transportation is a new thing for me, so maybe that's a big difference. Hawaii's so laid back, you know? There's things going on, of course, but there's also not as much things going on. Compared to New York.
Do you miss it?
I feel like you would miss anywhere that you're from. My destination-wise, so yeah, I miss it extra. Family is everything in Hawaii.
What has your family said about the Gossip Girl premiere?
They're just like, “Make sure mom doesn't watch this.” That's all they've said about it.
Has she?
I've honestly been ignoring her because I didn't want to ask her if she saw it yet. In the first episode, I don't know if you saw it or not, but I have sex more than I say a word.
Do you believe in astrology? What's your sign?
I'm an Aries. I don't believe in it as much as 16-year-old girls on Instagram, but I think there's definitely some really crazy and weird things that I can't even explain. It must be real.
Speaking of Instagram, you have over 500,000 followers. Do you consider yourself an influencer?
I'm more of a storyteller of what I'm doing. I'm not really putting things out there to influence anyone. Hopefully just trying to inspire people.
HBO Max drops new episodes of Gossip Girl every Thursday. Emily Tannenbaum is an entertainment editor, critic, and screenwriter living in L.A. Follow her on Twitter.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Condé Nast
