Oz Comic-Con 2017: Interview with Keegan Allen

Oz Comic-Con 2017: Interview with Keegan Allen

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Posted 2017-09-25 by Jade Jacksonfollow

Sat 30 Sep 2017 - Sun 01 Oct 2017

Meet Toby from Pretty Little Liars at Oz Comic Con

Come meet me in Australia (Brisbane and Sydney only) #ozcomiccon Brisbane Convention Centre on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September / Sydney ICC on Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October www.ozcomiccon.com for tickets @ozcomiccon for details Excited to see you there! A post shared by Keegan Allen& #128248 ; (@keeoone) on Sep 19, 2017 at 8:04pm PDT

I recently interviewed the talented Keegan Allen, during his Australian visit as part of Oz Comic Con, Sydney and Brisbane. Keegan is best known as Spencer's (Troian Belissaro) lover from Pretty Little Liars. Here's what we chatted about:

  • Note: some responses have been edited for length and or clarity.

  • Q: What was the biggest challenge for you, working on Pretty Little Liars?

    A: "Acting is always a challenge, to be true to the writer's vision. Though nothing was really a challenge on Pretty Little Liars, as much as it was an experience. The writers were adamant about including iconic pop cultures in every episode, so you could say it was a challenge being an instrument to creating an iconic show and making it special to the fans, so the show can be watched again and it's still a classic, and not dated."

    Q: Now that Pretty Little Liarsis over, do you still keep in touch with everyone? In particular Troian Belissaro?

    A: "I do, I'm very close friends with Ian and Troian and Lucy. We keep tabs on everyone's projects and support each other. Right now I'm kind of taking a break to focus on photography and music."

    Q: Is there a particularly memorable episode of Pretty Little Liars that stands out to you?

    A: "Yes, there's two episodes that stand out, episode four, season one; it was the first time my character, Toby, spoke, and it was directed by Norman Buckley. It was my first big scene on a television show, it was an opportunity to use my acting school techniques and so that was really exciting for me."

    "The other episode that stands out is the black & white episode - season five, episode eleven. It was a vignette of classic, beautiful television. It was a nod to classical cinema and we were shooting on the actual stages that many of the classic movies had been filmed on. You could almost feel the spirits of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey bogart."

    Q: Do you make a habit of keeping a prop from set and if so, what's your greatest treasure?

    A: %%"I don't keep anything from set, even when Pretty Little Liars ended, I was given a varsity jacket from the cast and crew, I made everyone sign mine and auctioned it off to raise money for Race to Erase MS , which was founded by Nancy Davis.
    I do have one thing though, which was a fluke, in one episode, Toby's mailbox gets hit by a baseball bat, for some reason I ended up with a sign, off the mailbox, which is hanging up in my house."%%

    A post shared by Keegan Allen& #128248 ; (@keeoone) on Sep 6, 2017 at 11:42pm PDT

    Q: I see you released a single on iTunes earlier this year, can we expect an album or tour anytime soon?

    A: "Yes, I have a whole catalogue of music I've been holding onto for almost a decade. A lot of my music has been inspired by the likes of Van Morrison and Bob Dylan but with a strong, dark sound. I'm currently working on an album which will be coming out later this year."

    Q: Is there anyone you plan to collaborate with on your upcoming album?

    A: "Yes, a couple of my friends are musicians, however, right now, it's too early to mention names."

    Q: You have also published a photography book, ' life.love.beauty ' with another book, ' Hollywood ' due out next year, do you prefer to be known primarily as an actor, a photographer or a musician?

    A: "I like to be known, first and foremost as an actor, that's what I feel most comfortable as. Photography has always felt like a hobby, music is pretty much the same way, except it's more of a relief and an escape. I find inspiration in making music for myself, it's really just for me to find peace."

    Q: Which place or destination have you found most inspiring when it comes to taking photographs?

    A: "I travel a lot and I'm always on an airplane, when I'm up above the weather, I take photographs; I love the colours up there as they are totally un-natural looking. Right before daybreak the colors are out of this world, you never see such a gamut of colour as when you are up so high. So I'm inspired the most when I'm in an airplane, you're not really affected by anything else, creatively it really speaks to me."

    "I also find inspiration in people and strangers, I enjoy taking portraits, It's where my photography is leading, the second book Hollywood is more about portraits. I found a special place in Hollywood and I tried to capture what makes Hollywood so renowned and alluring."

    A post shared by Keegan Allen& #128248 ; (@keeoone) on Sep 20, 2017 at 10:46pm PDT

    Q: Describe the single greatest photo you've taken?

    A: "One of my favorite photos, was an early photo in my book, 'life.love.beauty', it's a shot of my neighbor training his pidgeons; it was the first photo I took on my own, with all the manual settings, I was 9 years old and I found such comfort in it. That was really special for me."

    Q: You're a fan of Leica cameras, what is it about Leica cameras you love?

    A: "I find they have the best glass lenses, I like the portability, they're really well made tools but I also use a Fuji X100F, I have a collection of cameras."

    Q: In your book 'life.love.beauty' you mention visiting haunted houses, have you had a paranormal experience in any you've visited?

    A: "Yes, I have had paranormal experiences and I very much believe in aliens, I know that sounds crazy but I have absolutely seen stuff that defied explanation. The idea that we're alone in the universe, doesn't really hold for me."

    You can meet Keegan Allen at Oz Comic Con Sydney Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1st October, where you can ask questions at his panel, get a photograph taken with him and an autograph. Check the schedule for times.

    For more information about Oz Comic Con, click here .

    His next photography book Hollywood, will be released next year, and he is currently working on his first studio album which he plans to release sometime later this year or early next year. Pretty Little Liars is available to stream on Netflix.

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    !date 30/09/2017 -- 01/10/2017
    %wnsydney
    130264 - 2023-06-13 06:36:58

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