SPA Hosts Actor, Musician Ross Lynch for Q&A

Story posted March 31, 2023 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment, News by Cassie Baylis

Ross Lynch made an appearance at the HUB on Tuesday, March 28 for a conversation and Q&A held by the Student Programming Association.

Lynch is well-known for his acting roles as Austin Moon on “Austin & Ally,” Brady in “Teen Beach Movie” and Harvey Kinkle in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” More recently, Lynch is recognized for his band The Driver Era.

The event began with a moderated lecture then moved into a Q&A where attendees could get anticipated answers to their prepared questions. In the conversation, Lynch covered everything from his start in the industry to his experience on tour.

While recalling memories with his siblings performing dance routines in their basement to songs by Michael Jackson, Lynch discussed his start in the entertainment industry with dance at 10 years old.

It gave me a well-rounded experience with music, and dance is still very much embedded in who I am, Lynch said.

His mother’s decision to move their family from Colorado to Los Angeles led the siblings to their notable start in the industry with R5, a pop band that included Riker, Rocky, Rydel, Ross, and their family friend.

It is no surprise, because of Lynch’s close relationship with his family, that he confessed the hardest part about the industry being apart from loved ones for long periods of time.

Lynch’s experience as an actor has taken him from set locations like Vancouver and Puerto Rico. He has worked with various directors, as well.

“I look for enthusiasm, devotion, clear communication and prioritization of the story in a director,” Lynch said in the press conference held before the event.

“I feel like it’s really important to trust yourself,” Lynch said. “The truth is no one knows better than you.”

From actor to musician, Lynch has learned various fragments of advice he said have stuck with him. Acting has not been a recent venture in his career, as Lynch has focused his creative energy on music and his band.

“I just consider myself to be an artist, I just really love to create in any capacity. And I’m really grateful for all of the different outlets that I get to experience creativity,” Lynch said.

In 2018, Lynch paired with his brother, Rocky, to form The Driver Era. In the press conference, Lynch said “A Kiss” is the song most representative of the band as a whole.

“With The Driver Era, we wanted to start “an organic and authentic thing,” Lynch said. The band has since risen in popularity, and most recently, they have been on tour.

Lynch considers tours a “taste test of the world,” as he has traveled to countries like Japan and Australia, two of which Lynch deemed his favorites that he visited.

Outside of acting and music, Lynch spoke about playing hockey in his free time, and he plays around three to four times a week.

“I grew up playing hockey since I was three, it’s kind of like a religion, honestly,” Lynch said. “It’s just so great to have that outlet to go to battle.”

When he is not in the creative mindset or letting out his “inner beast” playing hockey, Lynch mentioned in the press conference that enjoys rewatching his comfort show “The Office.”

There appeared to be a lot Disney era Ross Lynch fans present, since most excitement during the lecture resulted in Lynch’s mention of his roles in “Austin & Ally” and “Teen Beach Movie.”

The crowd of around 500 people kept up their excited energy the whole way through, cheering and interacting frequently.

Other than the event starting later than planned, this lecture allowed the audience to gain great insight into Lynch’s career and personality and his fans appreciated the opportunity to see him speak at Penn State.

Cassie Baylis is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email ceb6085@psu.edu.