With his new thriller Sew Torn out now on VOD, we grilled Calum Worthy on his internet habits, go-to apps, and the very active group chat he still has with his Austin & Ally co-stars.
To find out how similar your internet addictions are to Calum’s, and why he’s still streaming Mariah Carey in June, watch the video below:
DAILY DOT: What’s the first website or app you check every morning?
CALUM WORTHY: Every morning I wake up, and before I do anything, just to calm myself, I always Google my name to get some positive energy coming in [laughs]. No, I’m kidding. I don’t do that. I listen to news. I’m Canadian, so listen to Canadian news updates in the morning. I always click on the podcast app and I listen to a bunch of the news programs to figure out what’s going on in Canada.
Which app do you go to when you need to mentally check out?
CW: The app I go to when I mentally need to check out is Instagram, and I check to see what reels my friends have sent me because my friends are lovely, and sometimes they send me the dumbest stuff, which is perfect. So I want to check out. I just want to zone out with some dumb humor.
Did you Google anything to prepare for your role as Joshua in Sew Torn?
CW: I Googled Bad Ragaz, which is the city we filmed in Switzerland, because I wanted to know exactly where that was, and if I needed a jacket, because I had a feeling it was going to be a little chilly. And it wasn’t. It was beautiful. It was perfect. If anyone wants to go anywhere and check out Switzerland, they need to go there. It’s an unbelievable spot.
Which Sew Torn co-star was the MVP of capturing behind-the-scenes content?
CW: I think it’s a tie. I was the worst at capturing behind-the-scenes content. I always forget to bring my phone to set. People have said to me, “Oh, I love that you never have your phone on set, that’s so cool.” And I’m like, “I forgot it.” That’s the truth. I think the two that were the best—because they’re so caring and they’re so wonderful about capturing moments—I think it’s a tie between Eve [Connolly] and K [Callan]. They both did a great job at keeping the family together, keeping us excited and motivated, and made sure to capture all the wonderful memories made along the way.
Which social media app do you think your character Joshua would be most addicted to?
CW: Apparently, there’s apps where you can hide your phone number. I’ve never done this. I have no idea why, but I read an article you can download an app — and it’s a fake phone number — and I was thinking that’d be such a funny way to prank a friend. But I think Josh would probably be on that, because he’s trying to dodge some bad things, so I bet he’d be addicted to just hiding his identity.
Is there a YouTube rabbit hole you’re always getting sucked into?
CW: This is gonna sound so dorky. I want to say something cool, but I’m an environmentalist, and I really like watching conversations about the environment. So if Al Gore has a new speech that he’s giving, I love listening to it. I wish it were crazy and wild, but I like environmental stuff.
Is there a TikTok or meme that has lived rent-free in your brain for years?
CW: Ooh, yes, it was originally a Vine by Bo Burnham. And he’s like, “Oh, this is my jam. That’s my jam.” And then he pulls out a jar of jam, and I think it was the first Vine I’d ever seen. I don’t think I ever saw a Vine before that, and so I think it was my first realization that you could make short-form content.
Is there a group chat with your Austin & Ally co-stars?
CW: One hundred percent, and it’s active. It’s mostly active, not because of the show, but because we’re actually, genuinely friends. We’re really close. I was actually at Raini’s house a few days ago watching the WWE with her and Rico [Rodriguez]. Laura [Marano] and I are hanging out, I think next week, and Ross [Lynch] and I are supposed to meet up in some city. We’re always hanging out. I love that crew.
What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve read about yourself online?
CW: I think that the most ridiculous thing I’ve read about myself online is that I am Rupert Grint — I’m not. We just both have red hair. That’s the only similarity. He’s much more successful than me. I’m just a dorky, slightly younger, less successful version of Rupert Grint.
Do you follow or lurk in any subreddits on Reddit?
CW: No, and I’m realizing now I don’t think I’ve ever been on Reddit, which makes me sound very old, and I’m about to sound even dork here. I read a book about Reddit, yet I have not spent time on Reddit, which means I’m officially an old man.
What’s a random Wikipedia page you recently fell down?
CW: I sound like a dork, but I like researching this stuff. It was about the benefits of international investments that countries can give to other countries, and how that cooperation can benefit each other. Again, I’m not cool at all.
Who are your most-streamed artists on music apps?
CW: I listen to a lot of Christmas music. They say, you got to keep that spirit all year round, and I do. I accomplished it every single year. Every day it’s Christmas, all the time. I love it! It just keeps me in a good mood. It makes me shop more, which maybe isn’t a good thing, but I’m always in a good mood. So Mariah, Ariana, and the old ones, Bing Crosby. As well, Bieber’s Christmas stuff. I love it all. Love it all.
Do you have any online bedtime rituals — like religiously checking your horoscope app, scrolling Zillow for homes you’ll never buy, or deep-stalking on Instagram?
CW: I have fallen down the trap of looking up people I went to high school with who I haven’t talked to in years. I’ve fallen down that trap many a time, and it’s wild to see how so many of my peers can just grow a great beard, and I cannot. I’m jealous of it.
