Freddy Carter’s Firsts and Lasts
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28-year-old Freddy Carter is the magnetic star of Netflix’s Shadow & Bone.
Words by Dio Anthony
Your new favorite show if you’ve seen it, and your new favorite show if you haven’t. It’s a mind-f#ck of a series bottled up in sci-fi of the highest fandom order. He stars as the daring Kaz Brekker, the “bastard of the barrel”— a lovable devil with a streak of constant bravado. Following the news of a second season, the English actor, one of Netflix’s latest prized possessions answers some particular curious questions.
AMERICAN STUDIES: It’s been written that you moved around quite a lot as a child. Which place is the most memorable?
FREDDY CARTER: I have very happy memories from Virginia in the USA. We were only there for a short time but there was a Chuck E’ Cheese so I was in 6 year old heaven.
AS: The school you attended in Taunton, Queen’s College…on paper, seems like something out of a film. Magical, grand and very British. What was that like?
CARTER: It wasn’t quite Hogwarts but the building was originally a monastery. Which mostly meant it was absolutely freezing in the winter.
AS: Can you name a random and obscure memory that comes to mind right now?
CARTER: The pressure! I remember a birthday party of my Mum’s when I was very little; she had a cake shaped like a duck.
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AS: You dabble in photography. It’s all over your social channels. Are you the type that carries your camera with you everywhere?
CARTER: Yes… Or at least I try to!
AS: What has photography taught you?
CARTER: To use a light meter. And not to rush.
AS: What’re your two favorite songs right now?
CARTER: The Icelandic Eurovision entry from this year has been in my head for weeks. As has Bo Burnham’s entire ‘Inside’ album.
AS: Name another random and obscure memory that comes to mind right now?
CARTER: Surfing at Bondi Beach, Australia.
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AS: What’s your favorite thing on the internet right now?
CARTER: Very random but I follow a Finnish vintage camera repair shop on Instagram called ‘Camera Rescue’. Those guys are living the dream - just repairing, testing and reviewing beautiful old cameras. It’s definitely my comfort account.
AS: What movie as a kid did you watch over and over again?
CARTER: Disney’s Robin Hood.
AS: What was the last thing you read for more than 20 minutes besides a script?
CARTER: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
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AS: What was the first record you ever purchased?
CARTER: ‘Busted’ by Busted.
AS: Do you live alone?
CARTER: No.
AS: What was the last thing you googled?
CARTER: “Who wrote ‘Treasure Island’?”
AS: What’s the best part about the neighborhood you’re living in right now?
CARTER: The pandemic brought out a sense of community which I’d never really felt before in London. That, and the Italian food.
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AS: What can you tell us about Masters of The Air, the story behind the film and the character you’re set to play.
CARTER: Not much. It’s being produced by Playtone and Amblin who also made Band of Brothers and The Pacific. It follows the story of the American Air Force 100th Bombardment Group during the Second World War.
AS: With Season 2 of Shadow & Bone set to occur--, is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to sinking your teeth into with this new season?
CARTER: I’d love to explore some of Kaz’s backstory, his arrival on Ketterdam and journey to becoming the “bastard of the barrel” - it’s really heartbreaking in the books and I’d love to see it play out on screen.
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