With his entrancing performance in “Tell Me Lies”, the Australian actor finds himself catapulted to unimagined stardom.
Nonstop work schedule and fame notwithstanding, Costa D’Angelo appeared on Google Meet in a laidback shirt, young and wise beyond his years, with the warmth of someone who knows exactly who he is—there is no fuss, frills or airs about him. He’s already claimed his space as the new heartthrob to know, but he hasn’t even shown the world a glimpse of what he’s capable of.
If you’re at all Tell Me Lies-literate, you probably already know Costa D’angelo better as the broody, anti-hero drug dealer—his onscreen alter ego, Alex. With a mumbling magnetism that is matched by determination, the swiftness of his rise to fame has left him feeling on cloud nine.
As a 25-year-old on the cusp of an irrevocable transition, the Australian actor is trying to take everything one step at a time. Getting the call for Tell Me Lies was a pinch-yourself moment for him. He made it, and now he gets to live the life he’s always dreamed about. He didn’t expect the ready-made army of ferocious fans and the reception he’ll get, but he’s enjoying every minute of it. “I am feeling the love, and it’s so incredible. It’s all you can really ask for—people to respond positively to your work. I can’t believe it. It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said.
Photograph by Jonathan Bensimon
In preparation for his self-tape audition for Alex, D’angelo carved out enough time to cultivate a delivery and physicality that is entirely his own. “On paper, the description of Alex was very different to me. He was a bit older. He was described as a man who looks like he could kill you,” he confessed. But that didn’t deter him from auditioning. He added, “I didn’t know if that was me, but I wanted to bring my own thing to it. So, I did. I said, I’ll give Alex a bit of sincerity, something that wasn’t in the script.” And, best believe it worked out for him.
Recounting the early years before the self-tape audition, D’Angelo mentioned attending masterclasses and learning at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, and he carried those lessons everywhere. “When you’re surrounded by artists every day and being so immersed for a long period of time, it helped me hone everything,” he claimed. “ If I could go back in time, I would tell that kid it’d all work out.” But, before all of that, he had auditioned for a film Angelina Jolie was directing. “I’ve never done an audition, acting class or anything at that point,” he confessed. He added: “I remember getting to the bottom two and it was the most exciting period of my life, but I didn’t end up booking the role and it was heartbreaking.” But he calibrated and pushed himself until he landed the role of Alex.
Photograph by Jonathan Bensimon
So who did you call first when you landed the role for Tell Me Lies? He responded: “Mom and dad, that’s who you do it for. It’s the parents. They’ve done so much for me. So to be able to pay them back like that, it’s the best.” Growing up, his dad showed him a ton of film—a big inspiration for why he loved cinema and wanted to work in that environment, so it was fitting that everything fell into place. “When I landed in Australia, I had 10 missed calls, and I was like, I’ve either got it, or it went terribly wrong. But I had the biggest smile on my face when I got the role. It was incredible. It was the best feeling in the world.”
Leaving his family and stepping on set was a whole new chapter in his life and a nerve-racking moment.“I was nervous. I was excited. It was everything,” he said. He loved the idea of telling stories, so as soon as they yelled action, he got to work. “It just felt so at home, we’re just working, telling stories and then all the nerves went away pretty quickly.”
In season three of “Tell Me Lies”, Lucy meets Alex and develops a transactional relationship based on sex. The unpredictable chemistry went off the charts. “She’s amazing. Grace is just incredible. She knows how to just put you at ease,” he said. D’Angelo and Grace Van Patten fell easily into step with one another when building the on-screen dynamic between their characters—they established a camaraderie almost immediately. “Grace and I just had to give complete trust in each other. We are shooting something really dark, but you also need to be there for each other and uplift each other,” he divulged. He added, “Every move and hand placement is all choreographed like a dance. And every move, like every kiss, everything, it all advances their story. It’s not just sex for the sake of sex. It’s telling a story. It was comfortable, it was always safe.”
View this post on Instagram
What did you love most about playing Alex? “He’s really honest, and I love that. He just says what’s on his mind. It was refreshing to see a character just come in and say, okay, what is this? What’s wrong with you people?” He even has a little notebook where he jots down ideas on how to portray his character, creating fictional memories to get him in the mood and creating a playlist that resonates with him to get into character. “It’s a lot of sensory work,” he enthused. But his character deals with a lot of vulnerability and emotionally heavy scenes, and sometimes he needs to unwind from it all. “Everyone’s kind of got their own process. For me, I like to just, not necessarily pout in the corner, but I really need my own space. And for me, it was a lot of music and video games.” And that set up applies to his current project, an untitled Netflix hockey limited series.
“This is season one for now. I can come in and establish a world. We’re creating something,” he said when asked about the difference of working on set for the limited series in comparison to “Tell Me Lies”. The Netflix series revolves around hockey players and how they deal with their emotions after a tragedy strikes. “I had six weeks of training. I played hockey every single day—learning to skate, and I can’t skate, Australia didn’t have much ice.” Deeply into shooting, he’s working out to carve a name for himself. “It’s just incredible every day discovering new things about the world, the people, the characters, and finding it as you go. Some days you find it, some days it’s more of a challenge,” he said. But, he owes everything to “Tell Me Lies”—it got him ready for all of it. “Without it, I’d maybe struggle a little, but I feel like it’s all in the right place.”
View this post on Instagram
After a successful debut, D’Angelo is eager to do more. In conversation, he was thoughtful about what’s next for him, especially now with a new level of visibility. “I love comics—I’m a big DC guy. I know everyone’s gunning for Night Wings, so I might as well throw my name in the ring.” He also said that performing in theatres has been a true love of his and he doesn’t mind going back on stage again. “I’d love to do that and work over in the West End if I could.”
“But who knows? The world’s one after. I don’t even know what’s for breakfast tomorrow, so we’ll think about tonight first.” But, we’re sure D’Angelo will have a litter of roles moving forward.
Get to know Costa D’Angelo a little bit more:
Photograph by Jonathan Bensimon
What’s your go-to coffee order?
An almond latte when I’m in Australia and an iced Americano anywhere else.
What’s your zodiac sign?
I’m a Taurus. My birthday is 18 May 2001, if you wanted to know—people are asking about it, because it isn’t public knowledge.
What’s your love language?
100 per cent physical touch—I’m a big hugger.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Watching Love Island Australia.
What’s your go-to date night?
I love a good wine, jazz or cigar bar, then a nice stroll and ending it with a slice of pizza.
What are you reading now?
I’m a big comics fan—a bit of a nerd secretly. I’m reading Absolute Batman right now.
Favourite movie of all time?
The Wrestler and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
What’s on your playlist right now?
The Boy who cried Terrified by Fake Mink.
What was your favourite song in “Tell Me Lies” season3?
It’s go to be Tessellate. I think we all know why. It was a great edition from Megan—she’s so great with her music.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I’m a morning person, to be honest. Australia, it’s pretty easy to wake up to—you’ve got the beach in your backyard.
What’s your favourite spot in Melbourne?
For coffee, it’s Roasting Warehouse, Siglo for a night out and dinner, it’d be François!.
