They’ve gone from sending DVDs to your parents’ mailbox in the late ‘90s. Then your smartphone screen, and even bedroom. The phrase “Netflix and Chill” has expanded from the Twitterverse and into the Macmillan Dictionary, and now, the studio’s _I Am Not Okay With This,_ a coming-of-age story with a supernatural twist directed by Jonathan Entwistle from _End of the Fucking World_ fame, sees the studio’s contemporary sensibilities stretch like Usain Bolt before a 4x4 medley. The latest deliverable from Netflix’s creative prowess, Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff lead the pack, a power-duo who navigate the intricacies of the youthful disposition. Entwistle’s take on Charles Forsman’s graphic novel combines a winning formula of the zeitgeist’s appetite for superheroism, nostalgia, and the queering of entertainment. _Flaunt_ had the pleasure of chatting with the two young actors on their practice, preparation, and prospects.
Wyatt Oleff wears [**FRENCH DEAL**](https://frenchdeal.biz/en/volume-4/) jacket, [**HOUSE OF HOLLAND**](https://www.houseofholland.co.uk) shirt, [**FRAME**](https://frame-store.com) jeans, and [**CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN**](http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/) shoes.
Sophia Lillis wears [**GUCCI**](https://www.gucci.com/us/en/) dress and shoes and [**AETEE DESIGNS**](https://www.aeteedesigns.com) earrings.
Wyatt Oleff wears [**FRENCH DEAL**](https://frenchdeal.biz/en/volume-4/) jacket and [**HOUSE OF HOLLAND**](https://www.houseofholland.co.uk/) shirt.
Sophia Lillis wears [**GUCCI**](https://www.gucci.com/us/en/) dress and [**AETEE DESIGNS**](https://www.aeteedesigns.com/) earrings.
Sophia Lillis
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Maybe the concept of time is a trivial way for humans to grasp at tangible powers they were never meant to have. Instead, Sophia Lillis doesn’t measure life with something as insignificant as time, but rather with the many versions of herself that she outgrows (or wraps on set). After graduating from the “Loser’s Club” in the two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novel _It,_ the 17-year-old Brooklyn-based actor has created quite a curriculum vitae of young and evolving characters as she leads the expedition in capturing the modern era’s coming of age rituals and rites of passage in film.
Her latest project is the fervent protagonist and superpower-wielding, Sydney, in Jonathan Entwistle’s _I Am Not Okay With This,_ based off Charles Forsman’s graphic novel of the same name. Like it’s predecessor, _The End of the Fucking World_, the 8-episode narrative is fuelled by nostalgia and the compelling silence between sentences. The rhythm of director Entwistle’s vision encapsulates the inescapable mishaps that plague the teenage experience, while balancing the intimacies of friendship and the intricacies of wanting more. Paralleling her fictional counterparts, Lillis finds a way to harness the angst of being young, transcending it to something tangibly powerful.
Wyatt Oleff wears [**FRENCH DEAL**](https://frenchdeal.biz/en/volume-4/) jacket and [**HOUSE OF HOLLAND**](https://www.houseofholland.co.uk/) shirt.
Sophia Lillis wears [**GUCCI**](https://www.gucci.com/us/en/) dress.
Sophia Lillis wears [**GUCCI**](https://www.gucci.com/us/en/) dress and [**AETEE DESIGNS**](https://www.aeteedesigns.com/) earrings.
Quickly wisped into stardom after starring in 2017’s most anticipated film, the young actor’s life has been a fragmented cycle of attending school, shooting her latest project, and press, trading a traditional high school experience for an immersive class on empathy and perspective. “It’s kind of freeing in a way,” Lillis shares. “Even though I’m not at high school everyday, I am still looking for a future and already have a taste of what I’m going to do once I’m out of school.” Finding herself playing mostly literary-based characters, Lillis views being on set and working with directors and writers as her alternative high school experience. “Sure, I’m learning how to act just to begin with, but I am also learning about different people and how they react to things. It’s really interesting to become this character that you’re not alike at all and is in a totally different situation as you.” Perched at the edge of her own adolescence, Lillis serves as the perfect vehicle to the agonizing growing pains that we know all too well. “I do a lot of coming of age projects because I am going through that as well,” she states. “I’m still growing up and I’m still figuring out what I’m going to do with my life besides acting.”
Wyatt Oleff wears [**ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA**](https://www.zegna.us/us-en/home.html) top.
With her performance as the off beat teenager, comes her ode to the space in between being young and what comes after. The thing with growing up is that we expect things will become easier as time goes on, but her roles are evidence that with time comes insecurity and heartache. She says, “I’ve been in situations where I feel like no matter what I do, things constantly get worse. The main thing that I really need to do is probably just calm down.” As Sydney and her friends, go through the turmoil and tribulations of high school, they harmonize into a compilation of what it means to be young and looking towards the unknown with nothing but the relationships we have with the people who will inevitably shape who we mature into. Because that is what the term coming of age consists of, events, moments, and people whose presence lingers in every aspect of who we are.
Sophia Lillis wears [**DIOR**](https://www.dior.com/en_us) dress, necklace, and earrings
Sophia Lillis wears [**DIOR**](https://www.dior.com/en_us) dress, necklace, and earrings.
Wyatt Oleff wears [**ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA**](https://www.zegna.us/us-en/home.html) top and pants and [**CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN**](http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/) shoes.
Wyatt Oleff
===========
“I kind of try to remember that I’m only sixteen and that I don’t have my driver’s license yet,” Wyatt Oleff, the Chicago-born, LA-raised actor, says. “And well, maybe when this interview comes out, I might. I don’t wanna jinx it so I’m not gonna say anything.” The sound of wood-knocking reverberates over the phone. For a California native, a license holds the key to freedom and unlocks the 6PM I-405 traffic.
Oleff’s milestones are notarized by taking on the roles of Stanley Uris in the killer clown film, _IT_, as young Peter Quill in _Guardians of the Galaxy,_ marking his directorial debut with _Writer’s Block_, and portraying Stanley Barber in Netflix's _I’m Not Okay With This_, a coming-of-age series focusing on the complexities of high school unrequited love, and blossoming superpowers of his friend, Sydney, played by Sophia Lillis. Despite the baby-faced roles Oleff plays, his presence distilled via phone holds intuitive wisdom. Like many teenagers, Oleff’s cinema backdrop is defined by comic book characters, citing Edgar Wright’s _Scott Pilgrim vs. The World_ as one of his all-time favorites.
Sophia Lillis wears [**DIOR**](https://www.dior.com/en_us) dress, necklace, and earrings.
Sophia Lillis wears [**LANVIN**](https://www.lanvin.com/us/) dress, [**STUART WEITZMAN**](https://www.stuartweitzman.com/home/) shoes, vintage gloves, and [**AETEE DESIGNS**](https://www.aeteedesigns.com/) earrings.
Amidst the crossfire of horror portrayals he’s played, Oleff paradoxically notes that he was never captivated by the horror genre. Now his psyche has reverted, as he finds himself gravitating towards directing a horror film, stating that the best feeling is creating something that will keep people up at night. “I just want people to not stop thinking about the movie. That’s the kind of movie I want to make,” he shares.
What stands out is Oleff’s first selection in his own coming-of-age soundtrack, a sonic juxtaposition to the ‘80s-centric show he’s starring in. He picked the _Star Wars_ “The Force” theme, a sensory loop reminiscent of a hope-filled journey. “I know it sounds weird, but it’s perfect. In my head, right now it’s perfect,” he cracks a laugh. “There’s another song called ‘Last Train Home’ that I think also has a wonderful melody and it doesn’t have any lyrics. I guess, finally ‘Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road’ by Elton John is also another song that deals with growing up,” explains Oleff.
Despite his character Stanley Barber not donning the Jedi cloak, Oleff himself shows promise for his commitment to authenticity and range for future roles. At home, Oleff finds a peaceful sanctuary surrounded by friends and the occasional video game. After all, he is just sixteen. He must bask in those what he titles ‘stupid teenager’ activities as much as he can, as it gives him a rooted sense of normalcy.
In the Jonathan Entwistle-directed series, Stanley Barber harbors quirks like impromptu dancing, and dons sunglasses that seamlessly match with his bold confidence. “The dancing was actually one of the main highlights from my audition,” he says. “After I did the scene, they said ‘Stanley dances a lot,’ so I did a whole thing where I danced for about a minute. He just exudes that overflowing sense of confidence,” says Oleff.
Wyatt Oleff wears [**DIOR** **MEN**](https://www.dior.com/en_us/mens-fashion/man) jumpsuit and shoes.
Sophia Lillis wears [**LANVIN**](https://www.lanvin.com/us/) dress, vintage gloves, and [**AETEE DESIGNS**](https://www.aeteedesigns.com/) earrings.
Wyatt Oleff wears [**DIOR** **MEN**](https://www.dior.com/en_us/mens-fashion/man) jumpsuit.
Oleff has written quite a number of quips for Letterboxd, the social media network centered around film theory and opinions, no doubt a testament to his status as a film buff. “If I were to write about IANOWT—obviously five stars. A wonderful little short story, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Definitely an easy watch so I would recommend it to everyone,” he states.
He reflects on the same deep-rooted friendship he has cultivated with his _IT_ and _IANOWT_ co-star, Sophia Lillis, onscreen, “It’s gonna be four years knowing her this summer when we filmed the first _IT_. When we did those lines and those scenes, it was like having a normal conversation but with prepared lines, of course. Her laughing in that scene is so genuine! We’re just acting like idiots—like ourselves. That’s something so great about the show, it feels authentic,” adds Oleff.
With Stanley Barber and director Jonathan Entwistle, Oleff says he was able to find a resurgence of confidence, regardless of any naysayers’ opinions. “Sometimes I feel like I have to be a chameleon in different environments, where I have to adapt to how other people are,” he explains, pensively. “The fact of the matter is, Stanley Barber definitely doesn’t care about what anyone says and will do whatever the hell he wants. I definitely learned from that. And if I’m happy, that’s all that really matters.”
* * *
Photographed and Directed by: [Ricky Alvarez](https://www.instagram.com/rickyrozay/)
Stylist: [Natalie Saidi](https://www.instagram.com/nataliesaidi/)
Groomer: [Harper](https://www.eamgmt.com/harper) using [Oribe Haircare](https://www.oribe.com) at [Exclusive Artists](https://www.eamgmt.com/).
Make-Up: [Kimberly Bragalone](https://www.instagram.com/kimbermakeup/) using [Hourglass Cosmetics](https://www.hourglasscosmetics.com) and [Oribe Haircare](https://www.oribe.com/) for [Exclusive Artists](https://www.eamgmt.com/).
Edited by: [Alexander Federic](https://www.instagram.com/alexvnder/?hl=en)
Behind the Scenes: [Zach Shea](https://www.instagram.com/zacharyshea/?hl=en)
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