Corteon Moore

Corteon Moore and I meet over Zoom one rainy evening in New York City, and even though he’s battling a head cold, the conversation flows with a fevered spirit that refuses to be dimmed. We talk about the messiness of self-discovery, from bike crashes in Toronto to nights that begin in a jazz club and end with him waking up at an airport alongside his best friend. He reflects on the beauty in life’s chaos and the value of having a crew who’s been there through the blips, the detours, and the in-between.

In Overcompensating, Corteon plays Gabe, the loudest guy in any room, a walking stereotype of college chaos in American flag shorts. But Corteon doesn’t just play the frat boy; he cracks him open, letting the insecurity, desperation, and the soft underbelly of bravado spill out. Through Gabe, he reveals the ache of wanting to belong, the humour of not quite fitting in, and the quiet truth that we’re all, in some way, overcompensating. His performance reminds us that college isn’t just about parties and fitting into certain boxes; it’s the beautiful, slow burn of becoming yourself.

Overcompensating captures the awkward, messy, exhilarating journey toward identity. It reminds us that we all stumble through the costumes we try on, and sometimes it’s an imperfect fit that teaches us the most about ourselves. Through Gabe, Corteon opens the door to the hidden insecurities and soft contradictions that live just beneath the surface of us. And in doing so, he offers something rare: a raw, unguarded honesty that lingers long after the credits roll.

Overcompensating is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.


Who is Corteon Moore? How would your friends and family describe you in three words?
My friends and family would describe me differently than I would describe myself, for better and worse. Everyone I know would say I’m very loud, but I would say I’m very quiet. I am definitely a funny person. I would agree with my friends and family that I am very passionate.

This was the overview we needed! So obviously, we must discuss Overcompensating. It is so funny. It captures the quintessential essence of college, where you go through so many firsts. When you were in your early twenties, what was a first-time experience that has stuck with you? It could be the first time you had to change a flat tire.
I’ve never changed a tire. Men used to go to war, as they say. I don’t want to give an acting one, I want to give something a little cooler. For some reason, this memory kept playing in my head as you asked the question - the first time I got into a bike accident has always stuck with me. One of my favourite things in the world is biking in the city. I grew up in Toronto, where it all started for me. When I moved out a few weeks after I turned eighteen, I got a place in Toronto’s downtown West End, which was always my dream. There were three main things that I have always wanted to do to prove my adulthood: be a regular at a coffee shop, be a bartender, and own a road bike. I was a regular at a coffee shop and a bartender, and then I finally bought a bike. On the first day riding it, my bike tires got stuck in the tracks. Toronto has these streetcars in the city. If you get your bike stuck there, you will just flip over the bike. I just flipped over and flew into a painter’s van, and left a huge dent. I was a dumbass eighteen year old kid! Ever since then, it has changed how I ride my bike. I am still pretty reckless, but if I ever see any slit in a road, it just brings me back. I will never forget that. I hope that doesn’t happen to anyone or me again.

Have you tried Citi Bikes here in New York?
Yeah, dude, I am pretty much the fucking president of Citi Bikes here. I am obsessed with them, I ride them literally every day. I probably take four Uber rides a year, only if I am really late for something. Even in the wintertime, I love those bikes.

Your character, Gabe, in Overcompensating is a stereotypical frat boy. He wears American flag shorts and boat shoes. He is a dedicated follower of the cult Flesh and Gold. How did you prepare to step into the role?
I am not like Gabe at all, literally at all. I got really lucky getting this job. I read for a bunch of different characters on the show, and zoomed with Benito [Skinner] and everyone at A24 and Amazon. It was never for Gabe. I got a call, and they offered me the role of Gabe. When I read the script, he was originally called “WereWolf Shirt Bro,” or something like that. I didn’t get to read his lines until I flew to Toronto, where I sat with all the crew and producers for the table read, and we read the entire season front to back. I had to read all of the heinous lines in front of everybody for the first time. I was saying homophobic shit, being misogynistic, and had to commit so it was VERY scary.

It’s very funny because I didn’t go to college, and I don’t have a lot of friends who did, so I don’t really know the college experience. A friend said something very nice to me the other day; She asked if I researched fraternity people, and I was like, “No,” and she said, “Well, you did a great job.” That is very nice to hear. The extent of my research was thinking back to shows like Blue Mountain State, or scrolling on TikTok and spotting this type of persona online. A giant part was also just going off what everybody else was doing on set. The first day all the boys were together for episode two, when we were doing the football fantasy draft and ripping our clothes off, was when everything clicked into place. We didn’t exactly talk about the scene before, but some of it was just coming out of us, and it was this disgusting, super hyper-masculine display of idiots! We allowed ourselves to be dumb, big, frat bros - not that all frat bros are dumb.

Yeah, totally - the stereotype. I think you guys nailed it. There are people in college who are almost animalistic and jumping off kitchen counters. So to me, it is crazy impressive that you didn’t know what you were getting into, and totally crushed it.
Thank you! The brilliance is really in the writing and the directing. I just got to show up and yell and bother Benny, but thank you.

My friends and I in college had a “hype up song” before a big event or party. Is there a song that hypes you up?
Oh! So many are in my brain, but all of them are way too embarrassing. I listen to everything. I want to give a cool answer, but it is probably anything by PlayBoi Carti. I am gonna have to look at my phone and see.

Pull up the Spotify Wrapped!
Ah, my Spotify Wrapped isn’t good either. I am from Toronto, so unfortunately, I was in the 0.005% of Drake's top listeners. I will have to say it’s anything Drake. It is what it is.

He has good songs, I get it. Gabe is a character who appears to be flooded with flaws; however, his most redeeming characteristic is that he is the ultimate party animal. Why do you think characters like Gabe are important in unifying a group of strangers?
Yes! 1000%. That is the true beauty of the show. Every character, big or small, always has an opposite quality to their presentation. Gabe is presented as this big, bad frat bro on campus. But there is a reason why he keeps coming around, and why people gravitate towards him. It is because he is a party animal - he is always the guy you never want to hang out with, but always secretly hope is at the party. So I don’t 100% see him as a bad dude, I think there is a deeper reason why he does what he does. I think that's why he is so loud and desperate to be at the front line. Whenever Peter says anything, he has to jump and hype it up. I don’t think he feels comfortable being himself, in his own skin. I would really love to see how someone like him can grow. Hopefully, we can learn a little bit more about him and why he overcompensates so much.

I totally agree. What character’s plot point surprised you the most with its many layers?
That’s a really good question. They are all so well written. I just called Mary Beth [Barone] the other day, who plays Grace, because I had watched the whole show before it came out, except for episode seven. For some reason, I missed it. I finally watched it when it came out on Amazon Prime, and called Mary Beth because you don’t see a lot of women in media just being mean, without feeling apologetic for it. She wanted to bring that aspect to her character while also showing vulnerability. I thought she did such a beautiful job. What surprised me the most was how intimate and vulnerable her character was, especially at home. There is a moment when Carmen is getting her makeup done by Grace’s mom, and Grace walks in. Carmen says, “Oh, you look so pretty, Grace.” There is a look on Grace’s face that tells you why the character was acting mean or bitchy, and you can see that she doesn’t feel good enough for her mother, her partner, or any of these people. It’s one of those moments in the show that stuck with me the most. It was the most left-field shock that hit me.

I really liked Grace’s character, too. To your point, there isn’t a lot of female representation, and girls or women can be put in certain boxes. I was struck by how the show confronts some heavy themes, like toxic masculinity, the pressure to conform, and the performance of identity. What did you take away from being with a cast who are so different from their characters, going through huge identity crises?
I just can’t believe how lucky Benito got, with bringing together so many people who resonated with and deeply understood the show we were making. It was really beautiful being around people who are so good at what they do. We have some of the smartest comedians and some of the best actors. But everyone has felt how their characters felt at one point in their life, or even while we were shooting it. We were all trying to figure out who we wanted to be, while facing the person everyone wants us to be. It was really cool to see some of my heroes open up and talk about the very things I was feeling. Coming off the show, I took away what I hope everyone at home takes away - I felt less alone, less crazy, and less inadequate. It’s just such a human show, and it made me feel so connected to everyone around me. That’s not something you can say about every project. So it was a really lucky few months for me because we were making something so important to so many people. It also meant so much to me to explore that side of myself.

Thank you for sharing that. Now I have some fun questions. If Gabe had a signature drink, what would it be? What would Corteon’s be?
Gabe’s signature drink is absolutely a White Claw; it would be the most insane flavour, but it wouldn’t be a flavour that exists. He would have a ZYN flavoured White Claw, but the supercharged ones. I am an orange wine guy! Whatever the funkiest orange wine is.

That is very accurate. So I know you didn’t go to college, but if you could teach a college class, and it could be any subject, what would you teach?
Acting! I would be a crazy acting coach, I would be so good. 1000%.

What is your favourite childhood movie/TV show?
Hmm, I would have to say something from Wallace and Gromit, but I can’t remember which one it was. Other than that, I would have to say Lilo and Stitch. I am going to watch it tonight to help heal my body because I have a cold.

What is the most jarring thing about being a New York City transplant?
The most jarring thing about New York has to be a positive. The culture is so great, there is so much potential and inspiration here. New York is the greatest city in the world. Every single day, you can take a step closer to the life that you want to have. Even if you take a step back, it's just magic. Everytime I am in a bad mood or something, I just look out my window and think, Damn, I live in a place where people can save for most of their life to only visit once. I really like it here.

It is really great here. What is a funny memory that you have made while you were here?
Oh! I am trying to think of a way to tell this story…we all have that one night out that changes how we party forever. I had one night with one of my friends, Julio, and I just remember waking up at the airport, but neither of us could remember how we got there, how it happened, or our flight time. I guess we both changed flights when we were out partying. This was five years ago, and the last thing I remember was being in the basement of a jazz bar. I just remember laughing the hardest I have ever laughed. We were going through customs, going back to Canada, pretending to be normal. I have had some of my best nights in this city, and that was definitely the worst and the best night of my life.

I have never woken up in an airport like that, but I respect it.
At least we got there! It was around nine in the morning, and our flight ended up being at ten.