He might be the dreamy but chaotic older brother in Outer Banks, but in real life, Drew Starkey is pretty private when it comes to his personal life. Here’s everything we know about who he’s dating and all of his past
Drew Starkey rose to prominence when he was cast as Rafe Cameron in Outer Banks. He’s starred in many other coming of age movies like Love, Simon and The Hate U Give and now he’s set to star in Luca Guadignino’s film Queer. The 30-year-old actor is taking fame in stride and told GQ, “If this was my story in my early 20s, I don’t think I would handle it very well. I was a bit too wild. I was a train wreck…I feel like I would probably self-destruct in some way.”
Drew Starkey hasn’t publicly confirmed his relationships with anyone, but it’s rumored he’s dating Odessa A’zion. Take a look at his rumored relationships below.
Rumored: Odessa A’zion (2021 – present)
Drew Starkey was rumored to be dating his Hell Raiser co-star Odessa A’zion in 2021. The two were spotted going to events together like an Outer Banks activation called “Poguelandia.” According to fans on Reddit, they have been “inseparable” and are going on “double dates, traveling together, spending holidays with each others families.” However, the two have never publicly confirmed their relationship.
Odessa made a birthday post for Drew Starkey in 2022, “Happy birthday Joseph. Keep eating that pb n j once a day, it’s really good for ur bones. P.s. don’t play hat wars unless you want to not be alive,” she wrote in the caption.
In an interview with Screen Rant, he talked about the romantic dynamic between his character Trevor and her character Riley. “That’s what makes it interesting; the relationship between the two kind of goes along with the theme of desire and temptation,” he said. “What you want in your life or what you desire, ultimately the further you go into it, it just hurts you more and more. It was really fun to play.”
He continued, “And it’s messy; it’s not a lot of clean lines. I think that’s what makes it [fun]—at least that’s what I was drawn to about it. I’m sure Adam was too. These characters were fleshed out and complex, and it just added more layers to it.”
Claire Van der Linden (2010 – ?)
Drew Starkey dated Claire Van der Linden when they were in college together, according to The Sun. They starred in the short film The Radical Notion of Gene Mutation, and reportedly posted photos of each other on Instagram until 2014, and he archived most of the photos he had together.
For those of us who love the glamor and the glitz of the entertainment industry, September passes by in a train of tulle and sartorial spectacle. Fashion weeks across New York, Paris, London, and Milan take the cake.
Packed front rows and celebrity-studded catwalks keep the internet entranced. From my couch – clad in my hole-ridden sweatpants – I judge couture and ready-to-wear fashion shows from the mega-brands and the sparkling stars who actually attend these exclusive events.
But to me, fashion week is just the punctuation to the summer film festival season. There’s the Tribeca Film Festival and Cannes, Toronto Film Festival, and Venice International Film Festival to name the heaviest hitters. Some films premiere across all these festivals; others are more selective. But each one has its headlines: the drawn-out standing ovations, the celebrity attendees, the future award winners.
Indeed, September marked the Venice Film Festival, one of the most anticipated film events of the year, and spawned some of the most talked about films of the year. The 2024 Venice Film Festival’s pomp and circumstance – arguably the film festival circuit’s glittering crown jewel – transforms the floating city into a playground for the cinematic elite.
Venice has long been the preferred launchpad for Oscar hopefuls and auteur passion projects alike. In recent years, Timothee Chalamet used it to flex his fashion prowess, the cast of The Idol used it to gaslight us into thinking it was going to be a good show (as we extensively reviewed: it wasn’t), and the Don’t Worry Darling cast played out their workplace drama for the world to see. This year was no exception. Lido was alight with couture gowns and paparazzi flashes, albeit a lot less drama and gossip to satiate us. So, rather than hashing out the latest cast feuds, let’s talk about the films.
What to watch at the Venice Film Festival 2024?
The 81st Venice International Film Festival is organized by La Biennale di Venezia and ran on the Lido di Venezia from 28 August to 7 September 2024. A parade of A-listers descended upon the city, ferried to Lido in glamorous water taxis to promote some of the films we’ll be seeing at award shows this year, and….some films that flopped.
Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore – those chameleons of the silver screen – graced the red carpet for Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut, The Room Next Door, which ultimately snagged the coveted Golden Lion (Venice’s top prize). The ever-ethereal Nicole Kidman turned heads alongside her fresh-faced co-star Harris Dickinson after her turn in The Perfect Couple. Meanwhile, Daniel Craig proved he’s still got it, swapping his Bond tuxedo Loewe alongside new It Boy Drew Starkey in Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer.”
This year’s theatrics were at their peak – enough to manufacture and stoke social media chatter. And it worked. Brad Pitt and George Clooney played up their pairing’s nostalgia factor by chasing each other around the red carpet, reliving their youth but also relying on the reputations of their glory days. Luca Guadanino took a selfie with his absolutely stacked cast. Jenna Ortega looking fabulous in one of her gothic Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice outfits proved that thematic press tour dressing is far from dead.
But this year’s films were just as conversation-worthy. Let’s dive into the films that have everyone talking:
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Tim Burton returns to the 1988 classic that launched his career, reuniting with Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder while adding Gen Z darling – Jenna Ortega – to the mix. After her turn in Wednesday, Scream, and even the video for Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste,” it’s clear that Ortega can handle horror – she’s a scream queen with the acting chops to back it up. The result is a nostalgic trip that manages to feel fresh, thanks in large part to Ortega’s deadpan charm (honed to perfection in Wednesday) as set in counterpoint to Keaton’s manic energy. It’s a welcome return to form for Burton. His triumphant release is a rare example of commercially and critically successful and was an energetic opening to the Festival.
Babygirl
The latest in the buzzy pantheon of female-driven age-gap dramas, Babygirl carves out a fresh niche for our darling Ms. Kidman. After her comic turn in A Family Affair, A24’s latest offering sees her playing an all-business CEO who becomes entangled with her much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Fans of Triangle of Sadness, Scrapper, or The Iron Claw will recognize Dickinson and admire his remarkable range. It takes an impressive young actor to shine alongside Kidman but Dickinson is up for the task. Director Halina Reijn – fresh off her Gen Z slasher hit Bodies Bodies Bodies – brings a distinctly female gaze to the May-December romance trope. The result is a steamy, thought-provoking exploration of power dynamics that will have HR departments squirming in their seats.
The Room Next Door
Pedro Almodóvar ventures into English-language territory with this Golden Lion winner, proving that his particular brand of melodrama translates beautifully in any tongue. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s book What Are You Going Through, the film pairs Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, two of cinema’s most captivating chameleons. It follows a writer who reconnects with an old friend after years of distance in a tale of friendship, grief, and deep discussions about what it means to be a writer. It’s intimate and intellectual but feels accessible and human thanks to Almodóvar’s direction and the nuanced performances of these two powerhouse thespians.
Maria
This year’s Venice International Film Festival was a big one for shimmering stars of the silver screen. Angelina Jolie triumphed as opera legend Maria Callas, securing instant iconic status and positioning herself for Oscar recognition. The gravitas she lends to Pablo Larraín’s portrait of Callas reveals that Jolie’s side projects (like her fashion brand, Atelier Jolie) have not dampened her acting skills. Following in the footsteps of Natalie Portman’s Jackie and Kristen Stewart’s Spencer, Jolie disappears into the role of the troubled diva. Larraín’s dreamlike direction and Jolie’s raw performance make for a haunting exploration of fame, art, and the price of genius. When picking Jolie for the titular role, Larrain said he wanted an actress who would “naturally and organically be that diva,” and Jolie delivered with aching nuance. Oscar buzz is already building, and rightly so.
Queer
Speaking of actors challenging themselves, no one is in their comfort zone in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. For this adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novel, Guadagnino reunites with his A Bigger Splash star Ralph Fiennes and ropes in Daniel Craig. Craig shed his 007 persona entirely in order to play Lee – a Burroughs stand-in – as he navigates the seedy underbelly of mid-century Mexico City. It’s a mix between last year’s Venice darling Strange Way of Life by Pedro Almodóvar and Guadagnino’s famous Call Me By Your Name.Drew Starkey – of Outer Banks fame – is the object of his desire, with Guadagnino’s camera lingering on his lithe frame in a manner that would make even Timothée Chalamet blush. It also stars singer Omar Apollo in his first major acting role. Between unflinching sex scenes and luscious landscapes, it’s a heady blend of desire and ennui that solidifies Guadagnino’s place as cinema’s Yearner In Chief.
Disclaimer
Venice isn’t all movies. Some limited dramas also make their way to Lido. Two years ago, The Idol got the full Venice treatment, but we know how that went. Luckily, Alfonso Cuarón’s return to the festival circuit fared better. This twisty psychological thriller stars Cate Blanchett – last at Venice with Tar. This time, she plays a documentary filmmaker whose life unravels when a mysterious novel appears on her bedside table. As always, Blanchett is a force of nature, her icy exterior cracking as she realizes that she’s the subject of a book that will reveal her long-buried secrets. Cuarón proves he’s as adept at space epics as he is with intimate character studies, crafting a nail-biting exploration of truth, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves.
The Order
Starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, and Jurnee Smollett, The Order is a historical crime drama that plunges us into the action-packed world of counterfeiting operations, bank robberies, and armored car heists in the Pacific Northwest. Told through the eyes of the lead detective, these crimes are deemed acts of domestic terrorism, revealing the deep-seated hatred and violence in the United States. Inspired by the January 6 insurrection – when nooses were hung in front of the Capitol Building – this film references a fictional white nationalist insurrection that’s at the center of William Luther Pierce’s 1978 novel The Turner Diaries. Taking this hatred back to its roots, The Order explores how these same psychologies have been buried in the US consciousness for decades.
Joe Alwyn, Taylor Swift’s ex-London Boy, sauntered through Venice alongside castmates Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist. This sprawling epic follows a Hungarian immigrant architect (Brody) navigating love, loss, and artistic integrity. Initially forced to toil in poverty, he soon wins a contract that changes the course of his life for the next 30 years. Clocking in at a hefty three-and-a-half hours, it’s not for the faint of heart. But those who stick with it will be richly rewarded with a deeply felt meditation on the American Dream and the cost of creation. Corbet’s ambition is a labor of love, as his official statement expresses how he spent “the better part of a decade revving the engine to bring this particular story to life.” His toiling is definitely worth it.
Joker: Folie à Deux
Closing Venice was the ambitious, melodramatic Jukebox musical Joker: Folie à Deux. It’s the polarizing sequel to the controversial original, and although everyone’s talking about it — no one can make up their minds about whether or not it’s good. Todd Phillips returns to Gotham, bringing Lady Gaga along for the ride as Harley Quinn to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. The addition of musical numbers is either a stroke of genius or a bridge too far, depending on who you talk with. Phoenix and Gaga commit fully to the madness, their chemistry undeniable even as the plot threatens to buckle under the weight of its own ambition.
This is a swing for the fences that doesn’t always connect, but you have to admire the creative audacity. Gaga is electric, though you can’t help but wonder if her talents are wasted in this convoluted film that, just like the original, isn’t always sure what it’s trying to say.
As the curtain falls on another Venice Film Festival, one thing is clear: cinema is alive and well, continuing to push boundaries and provoke thought even in the face of industry upheaval. Whether these films will stand the test of time remains to be seen, but for now, they’ve given us plenty to chew on as we sail away from the Lido and into the heart of awards season.
Before you come at me: I’ve seen the thirst trap TikToks about Drew Starkey as the erratic Rafe in Netflix’s Outer Banks. I know he’s been White Boy of the Month for a select group since 2020.
Sure, Outer Banks has a cast of overly attractive adults playing teenagers ripping off The Goonies. It’s terrific television due to how outrageously good-looking the cast is…and every viewer has their own personal favorite.
For many, that is Drew Starkey’s reckless, violent and unstable Rafe Cameron. If you search “Rafe Cameron edit” on TikTok, there are a multitude of videos with millions of likes. His Outer Banks clips alone have been repurposed and replayed billions of times.
While Drew Starkey made a name for himself as a heartthrob in the industry, he’s on his way to becoming a serious actor. This time, he’s in the same league as Daniel Craig in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer.
The film — which received a nine-minute standing ovation at this year’s Venice Film Festival — is the most daring movie of either actor’s career. Famous for his portrayal of LGBTQ relationships, Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name is a highly regarded film for this generation.
You already know who Daniel Craig — AKA 007 — is…but with the serious buzz around Starkey, everyone’s wondering: who the hell is he and — more importantly — is he single?
What is Queer About?
Queer is a historical romance drama that follows American expat — William Lee — in 1940s Mexico City as he falls in love with a younger man — Eugene Allerton. The film is based on a short novel that was written in the 50s by William S. Burroughs and published in 1985.
The book is semi-autobiographical and tracks Lee as he travels through South America and Mexico in search of sexual gratification and drugs. Lee — played by Daniel Craig — grows infatuated with fellow drug-addict, Allerton, who is played by Starkey.
It’s a complex, controversial novel for many reasons: mainly being that the novel came out during the rampantly homophobic 80s. This won’t be an easy love story to consume by any means.
The film debuted at Venice Film Festival on September 3, 2024 to rave reviews. Many are saying it’s the best performance from either actor. And there’s already Oscar buzz for Craig.
As the film ended in Venice, Guadagnino was met with chants of “Luca! Luca!” His recent success with Challengers starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist was another amazing homoerotic blockbuster.
But there’s another pressing fact that’s becoming increasingly prevalent: Drew Starkey is about to become the people’s princess.
If you thought the thirst traps were bad when Drew Starkey starred as deranged sociopath Rafe Cameron…wait till you see Eugene Allerton in Queer.
The ladies have been swooning over his red carpet outfits, his press circuit quips, and steamy photos of him during this era. And while the film’s release date has not yet been set, I’m sure theaters will be packed.
His appearance at Venice Film Festival already stirred up internet memes, with his blue suit giving people PTSD flashbacks to last year’s Harry Styles — Don’t Worry, Darling — SpitGate drama.
He has all the makings for the next Hollywood heartthrob that we’ve been yearning for. Yes, Brad Pitt may be old and a terrible person…but there is a whole new wave of young, handsome actors to usher in.
So, while we gear up for the Drew Starkey inevitable renaissance, let’s answer the question we’re all here for:
Is Drew Starkey Single?
People ship the entire Outer Banks cast together…but don’t let it confuse you. Essentially, no one in the cast is dating in real life anymore.
Since his 2022 appearance in Hellraiser, Starkey has been linked to fellow co-star Odessa A’Zion. With multiple Instagram appearances on each other’s accounts, it looked like the pair were an item….until recently.
Neither A’Zion nor Starkey had confirmed their relationship in the first place…so fans are safe to assume that Drew Starkey is single until proven otherwise.
The Venice Film Festival showered Luca Guadagnino‘s Queer with lots of love Tuesday night at the film’s world premiere. In particular, the capacity crowd inside Sala Grande went wild for star Daniel Craig, who broke away from his James Bond persona for a provocative and challenging role opposite Drew Starkey, who also earned cheers from the capacity crowd that included Pedro Almodovar.
The Spanish auteur, who is also in the Venice competition with his buzzy drama The Room Next Door, was seated across the row from Guadagnino and his cast. He embraced them one by one during the lengthy standing ovation. Craig looked emotional at several points as his wife, Rachel Weisz, was beaming and hollering in unison with the crowd while standing on her feet.
The world premiere, which he ended with a 9.5-minute standing ovation, also marked a triumphant return to the Lido for the Italian auteur after his previous feature, the sexy tennis drama Challengers, was forced to pull out as Venice’s opening movie last year due to delays related to the Hollywood actors strike. Based on the novel by William S. Burroughs and adapted by screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who wrote Guadagnino’s last film Challengers, Queer is set in 1950s Mexico City where the action follows Craig’s character William Lee.
An American expat in his mid-50s, William is leading a solitary existence in Mexico City. Addicted to opiates and alcohol, his life changes when a young man, Starkey’s Eugene Allerton, arrives on the scene, stirring Craig’s character into earth-shattering infatuation. The film — sprinkled with racy, fleetingly full-frontal scenes (including anal sex) — culminates in the search for a drug that William believes will let him communicate with Eugene telepathically.
Daniel Craig and Drew Starky in Queer.
Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis/Courtesy of A24
Guadagnino has said that he and his team saw around 300 young actors for the plum part, but they kept coming back to the Outer Banks star to play Allerton. He credits Call Me By Your Name producer Peter Spears (Nomadland, Bones and All) with alerting him to Starkey’s talents after showing him a self-tape he had from another project. Craig and Starkey topline a cast that also includes Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Andra Ursuta, Andres Duprat, Ariel Shulman, Drew Droege, Michael Borremans, David Lowery, Lisandro Alonso and Colin Bates.
Also notable is that the cast features rising pop phenom Omar Apollo in his acting debut. Apollo, who broke out with a viral single “Evergreen” on his critically acclaimed album Ivory, has also spoken openly about being gay and how his own LGBTQ experience has shaped his music.
The 135-minute Queer — hailing from Fremantle and Frenesy Film Company and to be released by A24 — boasts a roster of fellow boldfaced name collaborators. The Oscar-winning team of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross scored the music while Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson served as costume designer. It’s the fashion designer’s second straight collaboration with Guadagnino after first making his film debut on Challengers starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist.
Perhaps because of Anderson’s involvement, or simply that Tuesday delivered the world premiere of the buzzy new film, it was a fashionable night on the Lido with some of the stars from the film wearing Loewe, including Craig, who went viral earlier this summer when his new campaign for the fashion house dropped.
I’m at that point in life where I’m re-watching my favorite comfort shows for the zillionth time because nothing else is on. All of the shows I watch aren’t currently airing, and quite frankly, I’m bored. I can essentially quote New Girl word-for-word now because of this agonizing lull.
And while Zooey Deschanel is never the wrong choice, I’m already counting down the days until I have something new to watch. There are plenty of good shows in existence, but when it takes Euphoria three years to create a new season…times get tough.
Luckily enough for me – and the rest of the world – there have been a few recent announcements that have restored my faith in the streaming service gods. The TV networks have seen me re-watch Ted Lasso for the umpteenth time and decided it’s finally time to give me a new season. We can collectively release a sigh of relief.
HBO Max, Apple TV+, Netflix, and more have been slowly announcing their upcoming shows for spring 2023 and I’m finally feeling better. I can feel myself being released from the grip of excessive reality television as we speak. I’ve even been watching countless re-runs of Degrassi (which is Drake at his best, by the way).
If you’re feeling a little uninspired, underwhelmed, and burnt out from browsing Hulu’s main page for a show to stick out – same. But there’s hope on the horizon. Here are the best shows to stream this spring across all platforms:
Ted Lasso – Apple TV+, March 15
With 40 Emmy nominations and 11 wins, the accolades speak for themselves. Ted Lasso follows Jason Sudeikis as the title character throughout his time coaching AFC Richmond soccer as an American football coach. With lovable characters like Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), it’s hard not to become obsessed with the show.
Everyone loves a good underdog story, and this one is no exception. This season’s dilemma? How will Coach Nate coaching Rupert’s team affect AFC Richmond’s future?
Succession – HBO Max, March 26
Another huge contender at the Emmy’s: HBO Max’s Succession. It’s a drama series reminiscent of the Murdaugh family, with Logan Roy (Brian Cox) heading the media conglomerate Waystar Royco. Although his retirement is ever-looming, his children Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Shiv (Sarah Snook) are constantly competing for a spot at the head of the table.
Viewers go insane for the relationship between Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), but season four is going to be explosive considering all of the children are in their “Reputation Era” of sorts.
Quarterback – Netflix
Announcing Quarterback, a docu-series following the 2022 NFL season through the eyes of @KirkCousins8 , Marcus Mariota, and MVP and Super Bowl champ @PatrickMahomes!
Unprecedented access and for the first time ever players are mic’d up for every game! Premieres this summer. pic.twitter.com/VKC39Vy5fi — Netflix (@netflix) February 22, 2023
Netflix just announced they’re releasing Quarterback, which follows three QBs in the NFL during the 2022 season. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons), and Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) were mic’d up each game and are now giving fans the most intimate look into the season.
Since there are a little under 200 days until we see the next snap of a football, Quarterback will be a great placeholder. Fans of the game will have a chance to see some of the league’s most exciting quarterbacks in action like they’ve never seen before.
It feels like Penn Badgley becomes the most viral person on the internet whenever a new season of You premieres. The newest installment of the Netflix series has been divided in two parts. The first is out now, and the next comes out March 9.
We are finally seeing Joe get a taste of his own medicine. In a Knives Out-style who-dunnit, Joe is surrounded by a group of rich elite in England and someone is out to get him. With rising stars like Lukas Gage (Euphoria, White Lotus), I’m anticipating big things from part two.
Brace yourselves. Soon everyone will be back trying to mold themselves into a John B derivative. Outer Banks is back for another season of rewriting The Goonies and us eating it up. Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Rudy Pankow, Drew Starkey, Madison Bailey, and Jonathon Daviss will take up our social media from here on out.
Netflix knows they have a grip on the TikTok community with this show, so I can only imagine there will be lots of thirst-trap-worthy clips, a run-in with the police and the Kooks, and a plethora of bandanas tied around the neck. The Outer Banks, paradise on Earth.
Daisy Jones & The Six – Amazon Prime Video, March 3
If you know me, you know I’ve been anticipating this show for almost a year now. One of my favorite books of all time by Taylor Jenkins Reid has been turned into an Amazon Prime miniseries. If you’re a fan of Fleetwood Mac and 70’s rock and roll, this show will give you your fix.
With a star-studded cast featuring Riley Keough (Elvis’ granddaughter), Suki Waterhouse, Sam Claflin, and Camila Morrone, I expect nothing less than excellence. Keough and Claflin play TJR’s version of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, as the show follows the tumultuously talented band looking back on their prime years.
