Who is Wil King?
I’m an actor, bedroom muso and maker of stuff from Melbourne. I’ve just turned 22 which is a number I’m much more okay with than I thought I’d be, and I’ve somehow ended up surrounded by people who are way too talented and very cool and loving.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
If I wasn’t acting I think I’d just be doing more creating-stuff. Music, film, writing etc. Very possibly more music. I think the indie music scene in Australia is so great, and I think if I had more time I’d be wanting to release music and gig it around. That’d be awesome. Other than creative things, I have no idea what I’d be doing. I did wanna be a spy when I was a kid. Maybe that.
Who inspires you and why?
My Mum inspires me. Just because she’s so full of love and time for the people around her. She’s always there for everyone; you think she’s being this incredible rock for just you and then you realise she’s doing it for like 20 people at a time and everyone feels like they have her sole attention. Which is cool. I’ve also rewatched a bit of The Girlfriend Experience this week, so Riley Keough. My god that woman can act. She’s a boss.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I’d quite like to recast the role of POTUS.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
I’ve been overseas like twice, and the first time was to Bali, so I’m not exactly well travelled. But I really wanna go to Greece. This answer is heavily influenced by my Instagram feed which is currently flooded with friends enjoying euro summers and also how brutally cold Melbs is at the moment. I’m just ready for the Greek food. And Instagram makes it all look picturesque.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I’m bad with this stuff cos I’m not really that much of an ‘attractions’ guy, but I’d probably take them to the Moonlight cinema. That’s always heaps of fun. And feed them Miss Chu’s lemongrass beef and black rice while we’re there. And then maybe go to The Toff in Town afterwards (I’m a sucker for those booths, they feel very Hogwarts Express to me). Maybe I’d take them to the Peninsula Hot Springs even though I haven’t actually been myself (yet). A Yarra Valley Winery tour could also be fun. I’d also insist on drinking some wine along The Yarra at some point. Actually these are great suggestions I take back what I said earlier about being bad at this stuff.
What are you currently reading?
Look, I’m not reading anything at the moment. Every time I’ve tried to pick up a book this year it has been sidelined by scripts that need my attention. I wish I was reading more. I’ve just started watching Pose though, which is a new show about the queer ball scene in New York in the 80s, and that is getting me LIT. It also has a total of 120 trans people working on it, which is exactly what we fkn need right now.
What are you currently listening to?
I’m listening to a fair bit of The Beatles White Album at the moment for various Sneakyville related reasons. I’m also listening to Ariana Grande’s new stuff because she’s my girl and she’s a total boss. Her music video for God is a woman is wild.
Happiness is?
Satisfaction in your work and just doing your own thing and loving it and just jumping on and off other cool things when opportunities arise. Also having people in your life that give you those warm fuzzies every now and then. That’s super important!
What does the future hold for you?
I have no idea. I hope travel. I wanna work on some more film and television projects in the near future. A feature would be incredible. I’d love to do something in ‘The States’ at some point – my best mate Maggie Mckenna has just booked a job over there and it’d be a dream to be able to join her at some stage. I also really want to do some more study over there, I got a taster of working with Steppenwolf Theatre Company earlier this year and I’m hungry for more.
Wil can be seen in Christopher Bryant’s Sneakyville at fortyfivedownstairs: 1 – 11 August 2018. For more information, visit: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com for details.
Image: Wil King (supplied)