Photos / Gabriele Di Martino
Styling / Morgan Bienvenue
Story / Bri Ng Schwartz
My favorite artists to speak to are the multi-hypinates. Those who use one talent to inform their others, creating a well-rounded artistic voice. Andrew Matarazzo is one of those people. Widely known for his role as Gabe in the young adult-cult classic Teen Wolf, Matarazzo is at a pivotal moment in his career as a writer. The BEDLAM trilogy, Matarazzo’s own young adult fiction series, has concluded with the release of the final book, ZENITH. The trilogy is also in the early stages of development for a TV series in collaboration with Bradley Bredeweg, creator of The Fosters and Good Trouble, though this series will take on a distinctly different tone.
Andrew shared more about the conclusion of the trilogy, as well as the relatable themes of chosen family and apocalyptic fiction’s place in our current world. We also learned more about the breadth of his other practices in the music and editorial world that make up Andrew’s creative DNA.
How does it feel to be concluding The BEDLAM trilogy?
It feels insane. I started writing the ideas for the first book in middle school. I wrote it in my journals while my teacher was talking. The writing journey has stretched over so many years, and It’s surreal to actually have a conclusion to this full world that I’ve built and characters that have taken on a life of their own.
What are the themes and plot points that conclude here that you’ve been building toward in the first two books?
The core theme of chosen family is a through line throughout the series. They’re bonded by survival, they’ve lost their parents. It’s a testament to who you surround yourself with and who you connect to on a spiritual level, especially in trying times. I think the third book has a really strong theme of standing up to powers greater than yourself, and takes on a little more of a dystopian tone.
Are there any characters you’ve written that represent parts of you?
The main character, Tye, is very much written from my point of view. Willa, who’s the secondary hero is everything I wish that I was. I think I use tools from my work as an actor because when you’re playing characters on screen, you are pulling from different aspects of your real experiences and your personality traits. Even if it’s not a core personality trait that I use day to day, there’re sides of me, right? We’re very complex. It’s almost like I’m playing all of these characters and figuring out how to infuse my real experience and personality into them as I write them into existence
Are there any pieces of media, whether that be film, TV, books, that sort of helped you create this world or inspired you?
I’m such a fan of young hero focused books. I’m obviously a huge Harry Potter fan. I love Avatar: The Last Airbender. Those have very heavy themes of chosen family and the character development of people growing up together through extraordinary circumstances.
You’re not only a writer, you’re also an actor, a musician, and have your own publication. When you were growing up, what came first for you and how do you think these creative disciplines have informed each other?
I’ve always been hyper creative, super imaginative and constantly daydreaming in class, but acting came first. It was actually the pandemic where this book was born again. When the industry shut down I asked myself “Why am I only focused on acting when I have so many things that I love? Then I started exploring. I wanted to write this book. I started making more music. I started making short films with my music. I learned actually that I’m a better actor when I’m making music. I’m a better musician when I’m writing. I’m a better writer when I’m creative directing.
What was it like being part of the cultural moment that was Teen Wolf?
There’s so many big shows, but not all of them come with this dedicated built-in following like Teen Wolf. I feel like I’m growing up with the fans. I’ve been going to conventions post-Teen Wolf for years and years now, and I see the same fans over and over again. Those are the same people that are buying my book and supporting my music. So it’s a very special thing.
You’re in early development for turning The BEDLAM trilogy into a TV series. What have you learned so far?
We’re just starting to build the deck and flesh out character profiles. I’m partnering with Bradley Bredeweg, who’s a great friend of mine. Bradley has a really good sense of what’s cool, and he really trusts me, which is huge. When somebody who is a very experienced showrunner is partnering with someone who has not created any shows and he’s still able to collaborate with me and trust me, it’s so cool.
Are there any other creative disciplines that you hope to dip your toes into?
I don’t think I need any more! I think if anything, I need to cut back, but I definitely want to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m already working on another book. I am looking to make other films and stuff on my own while I’m playing the acting game. Music is a passion that just fulfills me in a different way. I’m the creative director and co-founder of a magazine that works with craft-driven actors called Nineteen92 Magazine. And that has been evolving so fast into something that I didn’t even expect, and that’s been really fulfilling too. Getting to creative direct and creating a world in editorial form has been really fulfilling too. Getting to work with my peers, other actors, but in a completely different form is really cool.
What do you hope readers (and future viewers) take away from the trilogy?
I hope people understand the nuances and complexities of the characters within a genre that might feel familiar at first glance. I hope they appreciate their arcs, their journey growing up together and getting through these extraordinary circumstances. I want people to feel like they know all these characters like friends.
What role do you think apocalyptic fiction plays in helping us process our world?
We’re living through so many things that we thought would never happen that only happen in movies and in fiction. For readers, because things just feel so close to reality now, it can inspire you and provide escapism. You can process things because it’s fed to you little by little in a book versus the world that is just chaotic all the time.
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