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Excited about the Gossip Girl reboot? Get to know Filipino-American actor Evan Mock

The actor-slash-model-slash-skateboarder will be one of the main stars of the new series.

Excited about the Gossip Girl reboot? Get to know Filipino-American actor Evan Mock

24-year-old Evan Mock stars as Akeno "Aki" Menzies in the upcoming Gossip Girl reboot. (Photo: AFP/Andrew Toth)

Hey Upper East Siders, the Gossip Girl reboot is nigh, and we’re about to meet a fresh new cast of up-and-coming actors. The series, about a bunch of privileged teenagers living in New York's wealthy Upper East Side, makes its debut on HBO GO on Jul 8. A trailer has been released, and while it doesn’t reveal much of the plot, it gives us some insights into the characters and the stars of the show.

One of them is half-Filipino, half-American star Evan Mock, who plays Akeno "Aki" Menzies. Not much is known about the character, but the trailer reveals Menzies as a cool kid with pink, short-cropped hair. Based on photos from the set, Menzies also wields a skateboard in the series.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Gossip Girl (@gossipgirl)

 

If you haven’t heard of Evan Mock yet, you’re definitely about to. Before the debut of the series, prime yourself with some factoids about the actor.

HE'S A SKATER AND SURFER

The 24-year-old was born in the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, to an American father and a Filipino mother. As a child, he began swimming and surfing. “I was homeschooled, so I would go surf before school, and then all day after school too,” Mock said in an interview with What Youth.

At the age of 12, he picked up his first skateboard and began skating ever since. At 18, Mock moved to California to build his career as a pro skateboarder. He now lives in New York, where Gossip Girl is being filmed.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @evanmock

 

IT WAS SINGER FRANK OCEAN WHO MADE HIM FAMOUS

Mock rose to viral fame after singer Frank Ocean posted a video of him on Instagram. While skating in his hometown, his friend, artist Tom Sachs, asked him to say hi in a video to “Frank”, as they both had similar dyed hair. “Frank” turned out to be Frank Ocean, and Mock’s Instagram blew up as a result.

Mock now has over 500,000 followers on Instagram. We bet his follower count is only going to increase after the debut of Gossip Girl. 

HE HAS MADE WAVES IN THE FASHION WORLD

Aside from being a skater, Mock is one of the world’s most sought-after male models, modelling for brands such as Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Gap and more. Most recently, Mock starred in a campaign for Rimowa, where he created his own film depicting him venturing around New York. He totes around the brand’s Never Still messenger bag.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by RIMOWA (@rimowa)

 

He also has his own fashion label, Sorry In Advance, and is launching a collection with RVCA, a Californian lifestyle brand specialising in surf and skate clothes. The collection, which drops on Jun 15, features board shorts, T-shirts, trousers and more, and is inspired by Mock’s Hawaiian roots.

HE'S MAKING HIS ACTING DEBUT... AND WANTS TO BE AN OCTOPUS?

Having made a name for himself as a skateboarder and model, with Gossip Girl, Mock is now making his acting debut. In an interview with HighSnobiety, Mock said that he wants to “have my hand in literally everything”. 

“I pretty much want to be an octopus – every limb in a different world. I think through social media, how accessible everything is, it’s definitely become a little easier for that to happen because I think it’s easy for people in any part of the world to see what you’re doing,” he said.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @evanmock

 

READ> Disney's Cruella: Louis Vuitton handbag, De Beers jewellery spotted in the film

Source: CNA/st(ds)

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