Froy Gutierrez Loves LA… and Dallas

Froy Gutierrez might have a newfound love for Los Angeles, but he’s a Dallas boy at heart. On Rachel Sennott’s new HBO series, I Love LA, the Highland Park native plays Lukas Landry, a Christian pop star with a viral TikTok presence who performs mononymously under the moniker Landry. He’s first introduced in the series’ fourth episode, which takes place at a party hosted by fellow Dallas native Quenlin Blackwell (who plays herself) in the home of Elijah Wood.

Landry quickly befriends stylist Charlie (Jordan Firstman), who mistakenly believes Landry is gay. Though Landry reveals he is straight, Charlie jumps at the opportunity to join Landry and his clique, who add him to a group chat to hold each other accountable when they have the urge to masturbate or watch porn. Charlie and Landry’s friendship is unfortunately cut short by the fifth episode, after Landry is revealed to have died in an ATV accident — sounds about LA.

While Landry was still navigating pop stardom before his untimely death, Gutierrez is now more than a decade into his career as an actor. The Booker T. Washington High School alum made his television debut in Nickelodeon’s Bella and the Bulldogs in 2015 and has since appeared on shows like Teen Wolf and One Day at a Time. In 2021, he starred as teen football star Jamie Henson on Freeform’s anthology series Cruel Summer, which was filmed in Dallas.

But though he’s living the West Coast life these days, it’s clear from our recent chat with him that you can’t take the Texas out of the boy. We caught up with Gutierrez via Zoom as I Love LA continues to capture LA culture and spark mixed reception along the way.

Where did your passion for acting begin?
It’s kind of hard to place it, honestly, because I kind of just did a bunch of stuff growing up. My mom was very interested in having me pursue different creative pursuits, whether that was visual art or pottery, or any of those things. She would send me to summer camps, basically for theater. And I was a super shy kid, so I ended up finding an outlet to connect with people socially through improv, or whatever have you. The theater kid energy was strong.

What are some of your fondest memories of growing up in Dallas?
When I was little, my dad would take me to Northpark Center. He would hang out with me while I went to look at the animals [in fountains]. I’d be like ‘Tortugas y patos! Tortugas y patos!’ I also loved running up and down the plant holders. My dad and I would go to AMC Theatres, and there was a snowmobile simulator, so we would play with the snowmobile simulator while we were waiting for a movie.

Do you remember the first stage production you were ever part of?
I was in middle school, and it was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I played Mr. Tumnus. I was 11 and I worked very hard on perfecting my satyr walk. It wasn’t enough just to be in the costume. I was like, ‘Well, surely the bones are different.’ So I ended up walking around on the stage on my tippy-toes the whole time, because I was like, ‘That’s what the goat leg shape would be.’ I was trying to be method.

Flash forward to now: How did you land the role of Landry on I Love LA?
A big part of being an actor is self-tapes. You set up your phone — sometimes you set up a ring light, and sometimes it’s just the window — and you read off a script. I actually turned [the tape] in really late, so I didn’t even think I was going to be considered for it. And then I got the call a week later that they wanted me, and I was super excited for it. I’d read the original pilot for the show a year ago, and I was very interested. I had no idea what it was going to be. It just felt really easy.

Were there any particular pop stars or boy bands you studied when going into the role?
Not necessarily; I just really wanted to pump up the feeling of some of my bro-y friends that I had when I was younger.

What was it like working one-on-one with Jordan Firstman?
He helped me feel really at home on set. He and I would just spitball lines in between takes. I wasn’t sure what the tone of the show was, and I was going around asking. Anytime I had a question, I was like, ‘Jordan, can you help me out?’ We had a really fun time making it. And there was a lot of improvised stuff, so he was down to clown the whole time.

So in the episode, there’s a chat where you guys keep in touch whenever you have, let’s say… sinful thoughts. Do you find that this is a big cultural thing in LA?
I don’t think it’s a common LA thing. I think it might be common, maybe more in evangelical situations. But there are certainly degrees of that. But [that sentiment] was also around in Dallas, even.

Were you surprised to find out that Landry dies shortly after he is introduced?
Oh my gosh, yeah. I had only read the scene that I had auditioned with when I started, and so when I found out that the journey that the character goes on, I was like, ‘Okay, cool. It’ll be fun. I’m sure I’ll die in a really funny way or something.’ And it was interesting because I got to provide a really lovely contrast to the majority of the characters on the show. In spite of the strangeness that Landry has, there’s a really sincere, earnest desire for kindness and connection that doesn’t really dress itself up in any way. Being able to play with the culture shock of being around people who are maybe more jaded or have just gotten used to some of the craziness of it all, and it just ended up creating a little arc that was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.

Speaking of people who are used to the chaos of LA, how would you describe Rachel Sennott’s work style?
I was very excited to work with her, and I was also terrified because this is her baby. And so, I was really wanting to do right by the writing and direction and everything, and the whole time she was profoundly lovely, funny, kind and wonderful to work with. I’ve never met a boss on set who, the first thing they said was like ‘Thank you so much for doing this. We’re so happy that you’re here.’ I’m just blown away by her because to do what she’s doing in general is crazy, but to do it at such a young age, and to have such talent in every department, is really wild.

OK, time for some LA vs Dallas questions:

• • Trader Joe’s or HEB?
    I’m gonna have to go with Trader Joe’s, because — at least for me — growing up, I never saw an HEB.

• • In-N-Out or Whataburger?
    That’s so rude — they’re the girls! I do love both of them. If I had to pick, I’d have to go with Whataburger.

• • Lakers or Mavs?
    I want to say Mavs, prior to the last year.

• • Who has the worst traffic, LA or Dallas?
    Holy moly. I do think Dallas has maybe gotten a little worse than it used to be, but I think LA is still undefeated in the arena of traffic.

Cruel Summer is coming back for a third season, and Olivia Holt with be back as Kate. Can you tell us if you’ll be making a return as Jamie?
Oh, my goodness, I can only hope that I could be involved in that again. I think they’re still in the creative process and shaping what it’s going to be. There are so many directions it could go. I’m not really expecting to rejoin, but I know that regardless of whether or not Jamie comes back, it’s going to be brilliant. And I’m so excited that Olivia is coming on in a creative capacity too, because she’s incredible, man. She’s an incredible actor, leader, and creative. I just did a movie with her earlier this year. 

People who aren’t involved in the entertainment industry might find I Love LA a bit outrageous. But those of us who work in the industry might be like ‘Yep, I’ve seen that happen before.’ During your time in the industry, what would you say has really surprised you?
I remember when I first started working in film and TV as a teenager, and I came out to LA, and I was shooting this show for Nickelodeon. It came from a very Landry place, because a lot of that character was very real to me. Because I had been there, and I just remember showing up on set and looking around, because I didn’t know how everything worked. I was just so surprised at how many people are involved, and how much it takes to keep food on the table, keep the cameras going, move the setups and take care of the costumes. I knew that there was a lot involved because I’d been in theater, but I didn’t realize how big of an undertaking it really is. I think that was my first shock of like ‘Oh my God, so many people’s livelihoods are on this show, or this movie.’ It was just really cool to connect with people from different backgrounds.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.