Who would you be after the world ends? In Netflix’s Daybreak, the high school students of Glendale, California — including Austin Crute’s Wesley Fists — undergo quite the transformation after the apocalypse turns everyone older than 18 into ash or zombified versions of themselves. Originally a bully that ran the halls of Glendale High School, Wesley ditches his mean streak (and his jock friends) and becomes a pacifist samurai attempting to make amends for his adolescent sins. And while Wesley’s out of the closet, it’s soon revealed that he’s romantically involved with fellow jock Turbo (Riverdale’s Cody Kearsley), the quarterback-turned-violent leader of the jocks post-apocalypse, which causes its own set of problems for Wesley as he tries to do good in the world, or what’s left of it.

With just a few acting credits, viewers might remember Austin from his supporting role in the 2019 high school comedy Booksmart. But in Daybreak, Austin gets to show off just how charismatic and dynamic of a performer he can be. After graduating from New York University in 2018, the pilot script for Daybreak eventually made it into his email inbox. He auditioned and got the part, using his own experience of growing up a pastor’s son and surviving high school in Norcross, Georgia to build out the character of Wesley. His time in church and being around people with strong beliefs was particularly useful for Wesley, who follows the samurai’s Bushido code on his road to redemption…CONTINUE TO ARTICLE