Dis411: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your family?
What’s up? My name is Austin Fryberger, aka “The Coug” in the upcoming DCOM INVISIBLE SISTER. I love music, people, food and just having a good time. I am the youngest son of Peter and Maralyn Fryberger and I have the cutest little dog named, Grace.
Dis411: How did you get started in acting and what do you enjoy most about it?
When I was 15 years old, at a unique crossroads in my life, I decided that I wanted to try out acting before diving head first into sports or any other extracurricular pursuit. So, I asked my mom to help me and she suggested that I attend a class and see if it was right for me. So about a week later she found out that the former head of casting at Disney Channel, Tina Treadwell, was traveling from LA to teach a weekend acting workshop in Nashville. So since Nashville was only about two hours away from where I lived, my mom asked me if I would you like to go?” And I was like, “Yeah! Sign me up!”
So I went to the class and we learned about monologues and scene study. On the second day, we were supposed to have a scene and a monologue prepared to perform for our parents at the end of the workshop. After we performances, Tina snagged me after class and told me that she really felt I had a great deal of potential and they she would be interested in my becoming one of her clients. She then spoke to my mom and suggested that we come out to LA during my spring break to get headshots and to meet an agent. It all happened really fast. And may I remind you, that this was my first acting class EVER. It was all very surreal to me and kind of felt like destiny. And after that, I just fell in love with the whole industry. The special characters you can play, the different interactions between people, the fundamentals of conversation, the wonderful stories you can relive, the power to affect people who you’ve never met, all of the small details of life that you are inspired to bring to your work, the complexity of bringing it all together, not to mention and how literally you can use any memory you’ve ever had and apply to a script. I think the ability to share my life with others through my work is truly what’s most special to me, and I definitely feel very lucky to be in the position that I’m in today.
Dis411: Tell us about your role in the upcoming DCOM “Invisible Sister.”
So I play “The Coug” or Molly’s boyfriend. He’s kind of the present day Kelso from That 70s Show. He’s really goofy and kind of not all there.
But you just can’t help but love the guy because he loves Molly so much and because he means well. So overall, he’s just a great guy to hang with (which is why he has so many friends). I mean, if he was a real guy, I would totally love to be his friend!
Dis411: What was it like working with Paris Berelc, Rowan Blanchard and the rest of the cast?
If I had to compare it to anything, I would say it was like having watched NFL football since you were a kid and then one day being asked to play with all your favorite players, it was really incredible. Not only was everyone really good at their craft, but they were also really fun to hang out with. And, by the end of the film, we all became really good friends, most of whom I still hang out with today.
Dis411: Do you have a fun behind the scenes moment that you can share about working on this movie?
Yes! I remember there was a workout room on the top floor of the hotel where we were stay, which was gorgeous! I mean, imagine running on a treadmill while looking out the window of a 40-story building. It was like running in the sky! But almost everyday after shooting, we would be up there gettin’ swole! Also, not a lot of people would be up there. So, after we were finished working out, we would just kind of hang out and talk. It was really a great bonding experience. Also, on the top floor, they had a Gold ‘Members Only’ room. So, since we were staying there for 6 weeks, everyone pretty much got a gold membership pretty quickly. With access to that room, we could have movie nights up there, whenever we wanted. Plus, they always had the refrigerator stocked with snacks. So it was awesome. A lot time was spent on the top floor!
Dis411: What can you tell us about the filming location for this Disney Channel Original Movie?
Well, we filmed in New Orleans, which by the way is one of the coolest and creepiest places you’ll ever go. It is such an old city with so much of its history and roots (from a mix of cultures) intact, that it served up a perfect recipe of beautiful live music, bone chilling myths and astounding food. There was so much history to learn and sites to see that 6 weeks on location wouldn’t even cover a third of New Orleans. I want to go back so bad!!
Dis411: Did you watch Disney Channel while you were growing up? If so, what was your favorite show?
Ohhhhhh yeah! When I was growing up Disney was at its prime. We had “That’s So Raven”, “Kim Possible”, “Phil of the Future”, “Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook Off”, “Clock Stoppers”, “Even Stevens” and “Lizzie McGuire”. I was very fortunate to be a kid at that time!
Dis411: If you could pick anyone past or present to work with, who would it be and why?
I would pick Marlon Brando. He was such a genius and a true master of the craft that I know being able to work with him would be a dream come true and I would learn so much from him.
Dis411: What do you like to do in your time off from acting?
I really like to hang out with friends, whether it’s doing sports, hiking, going to the beach, or just chilling back and having a movie/game night. If the three letter word “FUN” is involved, I’m always happy to join in! I also love to listen to music. It can transport me to a whole new world. So, I try to go to as many festivals and concerts as I can afford!
Dis411: Do you have any other projects that you can tell us about?
I do. I just finished a pilot for Amazon called, HIGHSTON, which is a “coming of age” story about a kid, Highston Liggetts, who has a very peculiar imagination and sees celebrities as his imaginary friends. I play the role of Bud, his arrogant but dull younger brother. My character loves his older brother. But, he is kind of sick of having to deal with Highston’s craziness, day in and day out. Also, I play Pearly Todd on the Disney XD’s series, KIRBY BUCKETS. They just got picked up for a second season. So hopefully, you will get to see me as a recurring guest star in some of the new episodes: You’ll have to stay tuned and find out!
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