MOVE OVER DRAZIC, HERE COMES DUSTY!
It was a little tricky for model and actor Josh Heuston, stepping into the role of Dusty for the Netflix adaptation of Heartbreak High. While the star tells Woman’s Day he didn’t hesitate to go back to “binge” the iconic original series when he was cast as Dusty, he admits he was cautious of it influencing his choices.
Indeed, the Netflix version is different, but as Josh puts it, the series has been a chance to unpack parts of society and specifically youth culture that have perhaps fallen by the wayside on the small screen.
Dusty, who can be easily compared to original heartthrob Bogdan Drazic, played by now-hollywood star Callan Mulvey, is bixsexual, having slept with “half the girls” at school and “even a few boys”.
“I really enjoyed unpacking this, I feel like these topics have been overlooked in the past, so it was important to try our best to show this exploration,” Josh tells. “The set was a really comfortable environment, it always felt safe to speak about experiences and explore choices with both the cast and writers to make it as accurate as possible.”
Thankfully, Josh assures everyone, even die-hard fans of the original will enjoy the new take. “I think there are parts for both audiences,” he maintains, conceding, “It definitely isn’t the exact same as the original series. This version of Heartbreak High is much more tailored to today’s youth. I feel like it depicts growing up in Australia today perfectly.”
Fully aware what a role like this can do for his acting career, Josh reveals he’s happy to follow Aussie greats who have gone before him. “Margot
Robbie, Heath Ledger, of course, and
Kodi Smit-mcphee to name a few!”