Joe Apollonio, in an interview with Interview Magazine just shows how he’s the kind of actor who could wax poetic about glyphosate and then immediately confess his first erection was from watching Stone Cold Steve Austin. In a world of pre-packaged, publicist-approved celebs, Apollonio is a refreshingly unfiltered breath of fresh air. He’s the guy who can casually drop “I’m so much smarter than people think, I just look stupid” and have you laughing while questioning your own life choices. With his unapologetic honesty, Apollonio weaves through his career with the kind of ease that comes only when you’ve spent years not giving a damn about conventional expectations.
A self-declared member of the “Weird Kids Club,” Apollonio’s journey in the entertainment industry has been far from ordinary. He started out in New York’s chaotic theater scene, where he notably portrayed his own mother in a one-man play. He’s made waves with his unorthodox online persona—an eccentric blend of irreverent comedy and biting social commentary—while carving out roles in TV and film that fit his personality like a glove, most recently in Magic Farm. The film, which also stars Chloë Sevigny and Simon Rex, sees Apollonio play a hapless documentarian lost in Argentina, hunting for a trend story. His character embodies the comedic hopelessness of the modern influencer culture—battling ignorance, privilege, and the impending collapse of everything around them.
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But it’s Apollonio’s off-screen personality that truly captivates. His chaotic charm is a far cry from the polished celebs who only show their “good sides” on Instagram. He’s the type of person who can seamlessly pivot from an impassioned discussion about the importance of environmentalism—his film grappling with herbicide-induced health crises—to candidly reminiscing about his early crush on professional wrestlers.
“Shawn Michaels was my favorite wrestler, but I wouldn’t f*ck Shawn Michaels because I don’t like pretty boys,” Apollonio confesses, before turning to discuss his deep admiration for Red Rocket and its star, Simon Rex.
It’s this raw authenticity—mixed with a willingness to embrace the messiness of his personal life—that makes Apollonio so captivating. He’s unafraid to expose his flaws, from his struggles with sobriety (he’s been sober for over eight years) to his past run-ins with the entertainment industry’s less-than-glamorous realities. “I’m naturally endowed with a certain level of neuroticism that exceeds the average person,” Apollonio reflects with a sense of humor that hints at deeper layers of self-awareness. He’s lived through it all, from partying to rock bottom, and now uses his own messy experiences to fuel his art.
Despite the whirlwind of highs and lows, Apollonio has built a career rooted in self-expression, unapologetically experimenting with his craft and persona. Whether it’s the painful yet hilarious Young Sheldon debacle, or his take-it-or-leave-it attitude about the “trendy” culture around him—especially his thoughts on New York’s famed Dimes Square—he proves that he’s more than just an actor. He’s an artist who’s committed to authenticity over accolades, carving a space for himself where individuality reigns supreme. As he says, “I know that, to some degree, I’m a little weird in that I like men old enough to be my dad and women old enough to be my mom as a sexual preference.” That’s Apollonio in a nutshell—real, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore.
So, what’s next for the 33-year-old who seems to have it all figured out, yet refuses to pretend he does? For one, he hopes to keep making art on his own terms—whether it’s writing, performing, or simply continuing to make people laugh with his honest-to-a-fault demeanor. He’s been sober for over eight years, he’s made peace with the chaotic nature of his career, and he has a weirdly specific dream of living in the Southwest at 60, surrounded by peace and perhaps a little psychedelics. But no matter where he ends up, one thing’s for sure: Joe Apollonio is going to stay unapologetically himself, a rare gem in the polished world of modern celebrity.
Source: Interview Magazine