In this FENNEC exclusive interview, Josh Heuston opens up about stepping into the passionate world of Off Campus, learning music from scratch for the role of Justin and why The Rainbow Fish might just be his dream adaptation.
Back in Sydney after nearly a month away, Josh said being home felt grounding and part of that comfort came from returning to Little’s Cronulla, the café he co-owns.
While Sydney might feel familiar again, Josh is also currently existing in a very different world, one filled with passionate fandoms, book adaptations and endless fan casting conversations.
His latest project, Off Campus, already had a devoted audience, and added him to yet another established franchise fandom after Dune: Prophecy.
“I’ve had the fortunate experience of doing Dune: Prophecy, which has a fan base associated with it,” he said.
“So I guess a lot of the nerves of meeting fan expectation and just something that people have grown up with was squished, I suppose, by that experience.”
The overwhelmingly positive response to Off Campus has been rewarding, especially because of how collaborative the production felt behind the scenes.
“It’s been great. I think that’s a testament to the creators and the cast. I think everyone coming together just made a really nice product.”
One of the biggest changes from the books involved Josh’s character, Justin. In The Deal, the first book of the series, Justin is portrayed more traditionally as a jock. In contrast, the series leans into a much softer, more artistic version of the character by making him a musician.
For Josh, that meant diving into an entirely unfamiliar world.
“No musical experience,” he laughed. “I could play the triangle.”
He said that learning music from scratch became one of the most exciting parts of the role and that being surrounded by talented musicians and crew members gave him a deeper understanding of an art form he had always admired from a distance.
“I’ve always been curious about how music is made, and I’m a massive fan of so many different artists. To pop the hood and have a look is a pretty fortunate experience.”
Fans especially loved his performance of Ariana Grande’s Into You, which Josh said became a key part of his preparation for the role.
“That was the first song we performed. That was my training for the show.”
He also loved performing Yellow Haze with Ella Bright and said it was quite sentimental in many ways, as they spent the whole of filming, writing, and tweaking it.
“There are like four renditions of the same song. Ella and I learned it on piano and guitar, and we have memories together.”
Despite now playing a musician onscreen, Josh said his similarities with Justin were limited.
“We’re Australian. He has tiny tattoos, and I have tiny tattoos,” he joked.
He described Justin as a very soft and genuine character with a kind heart, and part of Josh’s goal was to make him as different from Garrett, the stereotypical “alpha male on campus,” as possible.
“Justin is a much softer musician. That was my intention, and I think it comes across on screen.”
When asked what he listens to in real life, Josh’s response was, “I listen to everything. From Royal Otis to Dominic Fike to Future to Drake to… Bhad Bhabie.”
The conversation shifted to fandom culture, as Off Campus references artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and One Direction, and Josh understands its intensity because he’s now part of one himself.
“I’m involved in the Off Campus fandom. I’m a puck bunny, basically.”
At the heart of the show is also something deeply relatable: yearning, crushes, embarrassment and romantic overthinking.
“I feel like whenever you feel something for someone, of course, you’re going to take a couple of shots,” he said.
“A lot of them are going to miss and whatever. It is what it is. You roll with the punches, and then you yearn some more.”
When asked about his favourite scenes to film, Josh immediately went back to the music sequences. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to ice skate at all.
Another scene that stood out was Justin, Hannah, and Garrett’s first interaction, which he said was really fun to film at 4 am in the rain, and it was also their first time filming together as a trio.
“Half the crew didn’t know I was going to be Australian,” he laughed “They were like, ‘What’s happening?”
With many fans already imagining Josh in future fantasy adaptations, particularly as characters like Xaden or Bodhi from Fourth Wing, Josh has a very different adaptation in mind.
“The Rainbow Fish. It’s a kid’s book where he’s a rainbow that’s a fish.”
Not exactly the answer anyone expected, which somehow makes it the perfect Josh response.
