Corteon Moore on New Series “Overcompensating”, Toronto, & Personal Style

Cormac Newman May 7, 2025

As he signs onto our Zoom call, Corteon Moore lights up the screen with a smile. The 26-year-old actor is dressed in a rosy pink Acne Studios tee and a pair of burnt orange shades. While we discuss his role in the new A24-produced series, Overcompensating, it’s clear that Moore himself has nothing to compensate for: he’s outgoing and approachable, using laughs like punctuation as we bounce from topic to topic. Perhaps that’s to be expected, though — in the new Benito Skinner-penned series, Moore holds his own next to a slew of comedic co-stars: Adam DiMarco, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaia Gerber, and Connie Britton, to name a few.

“I was a really loud, ‘class clown’ kid. I had all this energy that I didn’t really know what to do with,” Moore explains. He remembers meeting with a guidance counsellor — who was “kind of yelling” — as he told a 12-year-old Moore: “‘Just be a fucking actor or something. Go on stage if you have all this energy.'”

Moore took the advice. At 14, he enrolled in a performing arts program and dipped his toes into the Toronto theatre scene. Acting was an instant fit. “I remember feeling, immediately, like I was so lucky to find something that clicked,” says the actor. “Very early on, it became the one thing I knew I was going to do for the rest of my life.” That passion persists today, carrying the actor through recent projects like Two Deaths of Henry Baker and Where There’s Smoke (both 2020) as well as a recurring gig on the MGM Original series, From. And in 2025, it’s still going strong.

Comprised of 8 episodes, Moore’s latest role in Overcompensating drops him onto the quad at Yates College. Filled with heartfelt comedy, the fictional campus offers a contemporary coming of age tale that jumps between satirical takes and earnest moments, underscored by a synth-laced soundtrack. Ahead of the May 15 premiere, Moore opens up about his acting roots, working with an ensemble cast, and wearing boat shoes.

Congratulations on finishing the series, Overcompensating — it must have been a wild ride. Upon first reading, what about the script jumped out at you?

Firstly, it was an insane ride, you know? It’s every actor and filmmaker’s dream these days to work with a company like A24 — and Amazon and MGM — and then genius people: Benito Skinner, Charli XCX, Jonah Hill, who’s one of our producers. 

The first time I read the script it was — like any other audition, I got a chance to read the pilot — and I just remember thinking that I hadn’t read or even really seen anything that felt as fun and out there and new. At a time where so much TV — especially so much comedy — exists within the same world, the first thing that stood out to me was that nobody was making anything like [Overcompensating]. It’s speaking to today’s generation of young people in college, but also the generation before, or maybe even a younger generation that has yet to even experience college life or anything like that. I just had a feeling, like, ‘This is so fun, it’s so special.’ It seemed like such a universal story, but also an important story to the queer community. I remember I felt like if I had the opportunity to be a part of something like this, I would know that I’m involved in something so special, so unique, and so important.

“I’m not thinking about what most people as they navigate their 20s think about, like, ‘Who am I? What am I? What am I gonna do with my life?’ Those questions are almost answered for me by this journey that I’ve embarked on.”

Corteon Moore on acting

I read that you began acting with theatre shows around Toronto. Do you have particular memories from that time, and how did that experience shape the way that you approach acting on camera for a series like this?

It just started as an accident. I was a really loud, ‘class clown’ kid and I had all this energy that I didn’t really know what to do with, and a guidance counsellor — when I was probably like 12 years old or something — he was kind of yelling [Laughs.] He was like ‘Just be a fucking actor or something. Go on stage if you have all this energy, not so much to say.’  So, I stumbled into this art school that had a prominent focus on the performing arts and theatre, when I turned 14, I think, when I entered the ninth grade. I’m 26 now, so I’ve been doing it for over 12 years. 

I remember feeling, immediately, like I was so lucky to find something that clicked at such a young age. It became, very early on, the one thing that I knew I was going to do for the rest of my life — and that still rings true today. It’s just like the classic actor story, you know? You start auditioning, you start training, you start learning, you start picking up things that work for you. In my case, it was being really loud on stage and hearing people laugh, and then that turned into a bit more of an intimate relationship with the craft of acting and the history of theatre, and the history of film. Once I started maturing a bit within the craft, I was able to get an agent and then from there on, I started auditioning, and then I started booking jobs which led me to where I am today.

It’s funny; every time I talk about the journey of, like, my career or just my relationship to acting, I always wish it was more interesting — not that it’s not complex or insane — the rest of my life is, but my relationship to acting and the journey that I’ve been on has felt very pure and streamlined. I found this thing, and it just continues to give me gifts. It’s really cool. 

So, would you say that acting is a way to tune out the chaos outside?

Yeah. I cannot emphasize enough how much I knew, immediately, right off the bat, that this is what I was going to do with the rest of my life. For better and for worse, when I’m focused on this aspect of my life, it is the only thing that I think about. It’s the only thing that I care about. It’s the only thing that my brain really has the capacity to to engage in and it’s really nice because it is therapeutic. In a way, it feels almost meditative.

The moment I get a script, the moment I’m even sitting down to speak to somebody like yourself, or meeting with a director — as soon as I enter this other world that exists, that’s all there is. I’m not thinking about what most people as they navigate their 20s think about, like, ‘Who am I? What am I? What am I gonna do with my life?’ Those questions are almost answered for me by this journey that I’ve embarked on. It’s really this streamlined vision that I get to just jump into and just like you said — it tunes everything out.

I know you’ve worked on horror projects in the past. What was it like to switch into comedy for this project? 

Honestly, it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of experience in the horror field.  You know, I’m about to enter my fourth season of a series called From, which is a horror show. I’ve done a handful of horror indie features, that and other horror series back in the day. I’ve done a couple dramas, family stories, and stuff like that, but I never really dove into the world of comedy. It frightened me to my core. Like, I still remember the first day, my first scene on Overcompensating was — as people will see — there’s a tailgate scene, and I had a line that was just like, ‘Three, two, one, and you ready… drink!’ And the director was like, ‘Okay, improv for a little bit, and then just like, say whatever you want and then say your line through two.’

So, it was the first day that I had this show, I’m working with people like Benny [Benito Skinner] and working people like Mary Beth [Barone], Holmes, all of these — in my eyes and to many people around the world — legendary comedians, like the new royalty, LA royalty. And I’m coming in from just… the last thing I did, before Overcompensating, was the third season of this horror show, where I play a very introverted, quiet, tortured soul. And here I am in front of all these people, having to be the life of the party and also having to be funny. It was this really terrifying thing. Like, I forgot what makes anything funny. or like what makes me funny. Honestly, after my first day, I really felt defeated.  I was like, ‘I don’t belong here. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing on the show. Everybody must think I’m so lame or whatever.’ Just these stupid things in my head. 

“Brat Summer happened at the same time that we were making the show, and I think it was almost written in the stars for it to happen like that, you know? Benny [Skinner] brought all of these people together — who have been contributing so much to the media and so much to the arts for so long — and he put them all on one TV show.”

Corteon Moore on guest stars in ‘Overcompensating’

Over the course of that week, and through the rest of the show, I just leaned on everybody else that was there and allowed myself to just breathe and look around and be like, ‘Holy shit, like everybody else here is just in this flow state.’ Then, through a couple conversations and moments, I aligned myself to be like, ‘I’m here, let me contribute, let me be a part of the show because, luckily enough, Benny gave me this opportunity.’ I found that like that rhythm, that jive that I had in my personal life, where I try to be a lot more explosive or a lot more energetic and stuff. 

I give props to anybody who does comedy exclusively, ‘cause I could not imagine. As soon as I wrap this show, I was like, ‘Give me something sad, give me something depressing,’ cause I can’t deal with waking up every day and just being like, ‘Okay, how am I gonna make everybody on set laugh — and the millions of people that are gonna watch this at home laugh,’ you know? It’s a lot to dig on. 

Yeah, totally. Like you said, there were a lot of experienced comedy legends working on this series, but you also had names Charli XCX who were new to this type of performance. What was your experience like, working with such a diverse range of co-stars?

Yeah, I mean, this is another thing that stood out to me when I first heard about the project. I’ve got to give all my props to the producers at A24, and to Benny, and to Scott King, our showrunner. I mean, that team really knew how to bring together some of the most exciting and promising and kind of unsung heroes of modern culture. Like, Brat Summer happened at the same time that we were making the show, and I think it was almost written in the stars for it to happen like that, you know? Benny brought all of these people together — who have been contributing so much to the media and so much to the arts for so long — and he put them all on one TV show, and it was just destined to make magic. We had Charli XCX, who was just this like brilliant pop artist. We have guest stars like Megan Fox, James Van Der Beek; we have so many people — literally, every time I talk about it, I forget. There’s all of these people, who exist in so many different pockets in the media, and they all do what they do so well.

Just being able to watch them come together, and being able to be a part of their process and see what works within a world like Overcompensating — and what doesn’t — and then how they pivot into making it work anyway: it was just so brilliant, so funny. No matter where anybody came from, whether they’re a musician, whether they’re a dramatic artist, whoever they were, they came onto the show and they just delivered some of the funniest shit I’ve ever seen in my life.

“We can’t just sit at home and just, masochistically, watch depressing TV all day. We need something a little uplifting to get us through the week, and I really hope that [Overcompensating] is able to provide that for people.”

Corteon Moore

Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about your character?  

Gabe is one of the leaders of the fraternity at Yates, and he’s best friends with Peter, played by Adam DiMarco. But I use the words ‘best friends’ kind of lightly, because these guys are just the complete epitome of just toxic alpha males. They don’t really care about anybody other than themselves. The saving grace that I will always give Gabe is that he is at the party. Even if that means he’s gonna be a complete tool and make everybody else’s life just a living hell… you know you’re gonna have fun if he’s around. He represents the most awful person you could ever imagine going to college with. Yet, [Gabe is] the very guy that you always hope is going to be there at the party. 

Gabe is very much not like myself. It was a lot to figure out where somebody like that sits physically and mentally. I remember, watching the screeners for the first time, I felt so sick to my stomach every time I would see myself say something, ’cause I was like ‘I would never say anything like this.’ But yeah, he’s a really special and unique character, and I’m really curious to see how people respond to him. My hope is that he’s gonna be somebody that people love to hate, you know? That’s what I would say about him. 

Knowing we’re only a couple weeks away from the series coming out, how do you think, or hope, the audience will connect with this series?  

I really, really hope that people feel — as over the top and as as insane as as this show is — it was made with a lot of heart, you know? It’s about a young man in college who is trying to figure out a way to live with who he truly is. He’s trying to come out to his closest friends. He’s trying to come out to himself, in some ways, and he’s surrounded by all of these people who are going through a similar story. Nobody knows how to find a balance between, like, who you are and who you wanna be. I think that’s a feeling that everybody can relate to. 

I really hope that everybody at home can see an aspect of themselves in these characters. By the end of the series, I hope that they can walk away feeling like it’s a little easier to allow yourself to be who you are, or allow yourself to go through that uncomfortable journey of finding out who you are, you know? There’s not really a wrong answer, when you ask yourself, ‘Who am I? What am I here for? What am I doing with my life?’ That’s the core of what I hope everybody takes away.

And I hope they laugh! I hope this is a show that, on a Sunday afternoon, when you’re hungover with your friends after going out, you guys will just binge the whole thing — ’cause it really is a fun time, you know? There’s a lot of laughs. There’s a lot of partying and it’s the perfect feel good show. I think in a time like now, that’s really important. We can’t just sit at home and just, masochistically, watch depressing TV all day. We need something a little uplifting to get us through the week, and I really hope that this is able to provide that for people. 

You’re also involved in fashion. I see movies and television as a super visual space, right? So, I was wondering how those interests intersect for you.  

That’s such a cool question. The bridge between fashion and performance, for me, is so important. I can’t remember which actor I heard talk about it when I was growing up, but they said something about, ‘I always start with the character’s shoes because — you can have a jacket on, you can have a pair of trousers on, whatever — but the one thing that’ll affect the way you walk is what’s on your feet.’ I remember just hearing that, it really imprinted on my brain. To this day, that’s always the first thing that I choose in an outfit. It’s so integral to how a person is carrying themselves. It’s also that classic thing; normally, the first thing you notice about a person is their feet — at least when it comes to their outfit. 

When you go into a business meeting, you put on your best digs; when you’re going on a date, you put on something that’ll make you feel a little sexy. If you’re feeling particularly shitty, you’re gonna just put on some sweatpants — something unflattering — and lean into that feeling. It’s a form of self-expression. It’s directly tied to what’s going on inside, and it’s the easiest way, without words, to let the world around you know how you’re feeling. 

It’s really cool to see how that intersects between my personal life and what I get to do for work. You can watch a movie with the sound off: you’ll see three different characters and three different costumes, and you can probably begin to piece together what each of those people are like — what they’re going through and what they’re saying.

“Overcompensating was such a key component to me arriving at this place — I just want to be involved in projects that mean something to the people that are making them.”

Corteon Moore

Having been in the skin of your character for the whole filming process, and now coming back out of it, I’m interested to know: do you find that these roles impact your personal style?

I mean, both after the fact and while filming. There’s two things. One, it was really funny: anytime I would meet someone on set — particularly a director that I wasn’t really seeing offset — they only saw me in a pair of boat shoes, a pair of, like, American flag chubbies, and an oversized polo. So, that was their idea of me. It wasn’t until the afterparty that I would show up and see all these people that I wouldn’t really see off-set. They would see me walk in with a pair of Bottega Puddle Boots, some Craig Green pants. and, like, a Comme Des Garçons tank or something like that, and they were like, ‘Who are you?’ In their minds, and also, by design, there are two very distinct people. There’s Gabe on set, and then there’s me.

Secondly, the characters that I play — in particular with this show — heavily influence what I‘m wearing. It’s crossing over with the current trend forecasts in fashion right now, but boat shoes: I was wearing boat shoes on set, and then I was like, ‘Hey, maybe I want to wear boat shoes in my day to day, or maybe I wanna lean a bit more preppy.’ That’s when I started picking up a bit more Miu Miu and finding a way to incorporate that into my day to day. Even dressed down or dressed up, a polo rugby, or something like that. Those are all choices that I wasn’t making before playing a fraternity student, you know? Before then, maybe I was playing something a bit more in the world of Lenny Kravitz, and then I would lean into like a Saint Laurent — just lean into something a bit more sexy and sleek, like an open silk or something. 

I can’t help but instinctively meet myself where my other self — whichever character I’m playing — is living, and see what happens when those two worlds collide, you know? It’s normally really exciting, and it’s one of my favourite parts about being someone who is kind of in tune with, or at least curious about, what fashion can mean and how it can differentiate within yourself, depending on where you are and what you’re doing. 

On that note: when you’re looking ahead to new projects and seeing what’s next on your plate, what type of roles or projects excite you? 

It’s funny. I feel like my friend asked me this question the other day, and growing up, I always had this answer, like, ‘I want to play a psychopath, I want to play a serial killer or whatever.’ And I think that’s no longer true. Overcompensating was such a key component to me arriving at this place — I just want to be involved in projects that mean something to the people that are making them and, hopefully, [projects that] mean something to the people watching. That can mean a blockbuster horror-thriller like Sinners, which just came out and which I absolutely love. It can mean a film like Coda, it could mean a film like Sing Sing. It can mean literally anything, as long as the integrity is there and the approach to the craft is there. I’m all for it.

As I get older and as I get even more connected to to what I do — as my appreciation for what I do, and even the fact that I get to do it, grows — it becomes more important to me and more clear to me that I’m only as good as the people around me and I’m only as good as the story that I’m lucky enough to tell. So, I have no idea what I want to do next. I just want to keep working with people who are curious and really are in search of making something great. That’s it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.