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Byrdie Boy
Byrdie Boy is our ongoing series expanding the conversation around men and beauty—on their own terms. We spotlight tastemakers with distinct points of view, following them through the routines, rituals, and product go-tos that shape how they show up every day. From skincare philosophies to grooming essentials to wellness practices, we dig into the details that make them who they are.
When it comes to Owen Thiele, we’re making the right person famous. The actor is in the midst of a quiet ascent—the kind of era where you look back and realize he was subtly everywhere, all at once. With roles in buzzy shows like Adults, Overcompensating, and previously Dollface, it can feel like watching Thiele play himself—a notion he jokes is just “bad acting,” but what actually comes through is something cooler: the ease of someone confident enough to bring themselves fully to the role.
That same authenticity came through in our interview, too. Thiele is really, well, real—the kind of real that makes for a great conversation. I found myself full-on belly laughing at several of his answers, with his rep messaging me afterward to say that Thiele and I had “matched” each other’s energy perfectly. We bonded over self-deprecating humor, a shared tendency to go a little too deep after one too many, and—on a much lighter note—our mutual love of looking flushed, why he wants his grandma to stop asking about a basketball career, and our ideal holiday party playlist.
With the most wonderful time of the year well underway, Thiele is teaming up with Baileys to celebrate the festive season with the launch of the Baileys Swap the Small Talk Cookie Pack—a tasty collaboration with Funny Face Barkery designed to help spark more meaningful conversations. Ahead, Thiele opens up about who he’s least excited to see this holiday season, his skincare saviors, and his stance on spinning the block in the name of Christmas cheer.
One Holiday Party Question He Never Wants to Hear Again
“Luckily, my family already cuts the small talk. We’re diving right into the trauma—we go deep quickly—but I think I’d love for my grandma to stop asking if basketball is in my future. She thinks my height is going to waste. I’d love for the holiday conversations to shift to skincare, something more useful, you know?”
His Current Skincare Routine
“I use the IS Clinical Cleansing Complex. I’m obsessed with it. I swear by it—I think I wash my face too much, but I just love the feeling of it. Then, I go in with the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation. It’s super sheer, so hopefully you can’t tell I’m wearing it. After, I put the Armani Beauty Cheek Tint over my nose. I’m obsessed with looking flushed, a little flustered. I also spray my face with Rhode’s Glazing Mist. I top all of that off with Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment. Oh wait! I’m not done. I lather my body with Cyklar’s Naked Neroli Vitamin C Body Oil. It smells unbelievable. I get so many compliments.”
owen thiele / Byrdie
His Beauty Muse
“Hailey Bieber. I just watch everything she does. Glazed donut every single day.”
Who He’s Inviting to His Holiday Party
“My best friends, my aunts, uncles, some high school friends, and new friends I work with. Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Fruitcake’ is blasting, mixed with some Nat King Cole, to make me seem cultured. We’re making hot chocolate with tons of marshmallows. Baileys, of course, and the Funny Face Bakery cookies—but with just my face on them.”
Courtesy of Bailey’s / Byrdie
Who He’s Least Excited to See This Season
“I’m probably least excited to see the parking attendant at The Grove. I will owe so much money because I’ll probably have spent at least 10 hours there.”
His Stance on Spinning the Block
“Oh, I love that. I just invited my ex over for a holiday dinner the other day, and it was so much fun. We’re actually friends, but I also love a little drama. You have to have a little drama. Plus, if you’re inviting the ex to a family function, it creates such a moment. Your cousins are in the bathroom whispering about how your ex is outside. I think also, every holiday season, you and your family need a common enemy. It helps the bond.”
What His Roles on ‘Adults’ and ‘Overcompensating’ Have Taught Him
“I’m definitely still in that phase of life, which makes it so fun to play these characters who are figuring it out, because I very much am figuring it out. So I feel just completely akin to these people. Sometimes I feel like Anton, sometimes a little like Owen. I think it’ll be fun as I age, as these characters age, to navigate identity along with them.”
owen thiele / Byrdie
What Fans Can Expect Next Season
“I hope Anton in Adults finds love because I feel like that’s the least stable part of his life. I hope George, in Overcompensating, finds deep friendship. It’s just so interesting that I get to play these two characters that are finding these things while I’m also finding these things. It’s very fun.”
His Dream Role
“I just watched Marty Supreme, and I thought it was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t know where I fit in that world because it could be very confusing to see someone like me in that world, but I would die to be a part of any Josh Safdie film. I’d love to work with people who inspire me.”
owen thiele / Byrdie
One Thing He’s Leaving in 2025 and One Thing He’s Bringing into 2026
“I’m leaving self-deprecation. I even made a self-deprecating comment in this interview. I’m leaving it. I’m going to bring two things into the new year: manifestation—I need to keep manifesting, I need to keep dreaming. And then, I’m bringing Baileys.”
