Who is West Mulholland?

Patrick Michael Hughes Senior Fashion Editor Men's Fashion Writer

Photography by Jayme Thorton Photography

Hair by Isaac Davidson

Graphic Design by Stacy Seiler Art Editor

Creative Concept & Styling: Patrick Michael Hughes

Silk crape graphic shirt by 73LONDON - Dongel Tweed trousers by SIVAN vintage silk neck-scarf from Harrods

West Mulholland was born in San Clemente, California, and grew up riding the waves of Trestles and San Onofre—an early connection to the ocean that still informs his life and work. Known for his breakout role as Axel on TNT's Animal Kingdom, Mulholland has since built a career that bridges television, film, and storytelling. Most recently, he appeared in Steven Soderbergh's Presence alongside Lucy Liu, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, adding another notable credit to a resume that includes MGM’s 'Dark Harvest', FX’s Legion, and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere.

A graduate of the Orange County School of the Arts, Mulholland’s creative roots run deep. He honed his voice in Anna Deavere Smith's Identity Project master class, where he explored his Tisoy Filipino and Japanese heritage in a one man pr performance titled Mochi. Mulholland is currently studying film and creative writing at Stanford University, where he balances his growing artistic career with a commitment to ocean conservation and social justice.

IRK was able to spend the day with this emerging actor, writer and advocate shaping his own narrative on and off the screen.

IRK: Let's start with your parallels, as a student and an actor. What are you studying in college?

WEST: I know it's going be difficult sometimes, acting and being a proud actor… then transitioning from that world and learning how to live with others. I think that was a big and the important part for me. I missed a lot of my high school filming  certain projects and so I really wanted to go to college to meet people and it's a craziest thing for me to  so many  refreshing  people here….you are, like, so close people  and you go to dinner, and then you find out that they're the goofiest person in the world…and then you find out they are programming drones to detect bombs it's just the craziest thing, such incredible experience  they're others who are Olympic skiers and make statements like ‘I've won, like, gold medals… Are you freaking kidding me? You didn't want to tell me that. I'm just surrounded by the most passionate, incredible, hardworking people.

I hate being and I love being a small fish in a big pond. I just feel like that's so much of what the school is, everybody has something unique and different to offer and brings it to the table.

 Hearing everybody's stories, is inspiring  to my own craft as a as a writer and as an actor…listening where everybody comes from different walks of life. I've never been in a more diverse, group of people. I don't think I ever will be in the world who are all, you know, equally like-minded. I mean, they just want to be as successful as possible, and so many of them are going to go on to save the world, inspire the world, change the world, and that's something that is the greatest… the greatest gift to be in that community.

Wool Melton Coat and Dongel Tweed trousers by SIVAN vintage silk twill graphic scarf by Chester Weinberg vintage pony hair shoes by Tom Ford Gucci - silk crew socks by Falke- glasses by Givenchy

IRK: Acting is a form of self-expression, but it's also an understanding of others. Sounds like you have a really, you're interested in that. How would you describe yourself as an artist, and what drives your work as an actor?

WEST: Passion! watching movies being inspired, by other creatives and challenging myself to have my own different spin. What can I bring to the table? What can I bring to this world? I think, I have a lot to offer, and I just can't wait to, show it to get my start.

The easiest thing that I can do by myself is to write. But once I get with a group of people and we collaborate and we're like, you down to make a short film?  I can bring it, to the screen or at least attempt to. Student films are incredibly, incredibly low budget. I find some of my biggest inspiration from the French New Wave.

 I recently took a class, looking at Francis Truffaut and all the greats are, like, made all these films with practically nothing and the guerrilla style like shooting style, this is something that very much inspires me in my work. When I go to write,  I have my projects, it's like, alright, what if I had a forty-million budget? What would that film look like? Then what does the, one hundred dollar version of that project look like?  Maybe it's just the scene, but I try to make the most effective scene from the larger script and it's so much fun just being able to tackle that small part. So hopefully one day I can develop those stories into a larger on a larger scale.

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IRK: You're part of a generation that's navigating rapid social and cultural shifts. What causes or issues feel most urgent or personal to you in this moment of change?

WEST: Well, I am from California, and recently I have considered Los Angeles truly my home. I've always had family in LA. So, it's always been a home and recently, very tragically, the wildfires have destroyed many areas of the city.  I have several friends who have lost their homes. I'm very, very fortunate that my family has been able to stay safe.

 I think global warming is absolutely one of the biggest issues that is up to my generation to fix….Going to Stanford, I have a lot of hope a lot of my professors inspire hope... and even more so do my fellow classmates.

I'm in an ocean conservation class and just seeing different ways that the ocean is going to be able to hopefully solve renewable energy and store, a lot of the  CO2  (carbon dioxide)  that is in the atmosphere, in the ocean. Obviously, that comes at a cost to the ocean, which is probably besides being on a film set, my favorite place in the world to be. It's very tricky and complicated problem in the world that needs to be fixed, but I have hope for the future. I'm very optimistic.

IRK: Working with Steven Soderbergh is a dream for many actors. His reputation for independent storytelling and sharp satire are unparalleled. What did you take away from collaborating with him on this project?

WEST: The fact that he was even open to collaboration, Oh my gosh! It was the biggest blessing, the biggest gift.

 Steven is so generous in being able to trust the actors. I think one of the best lessons that I learned from him was just the passion. You need to have such a passion, such drive and you really need to hold yourself to it.

You have an idea, write it down, try to execute it, make it happen. It doesn't matter the scale, if you if you're just in your bedroom, if you can just draw a picture or write a sentence, you should at least do something with that idea. Don't let that idea go to waste, because that idea might help influence a future project.

 He's also incredibly well prepared. He expects preparation and preparedness from his actors when they get to set. I had no trouble with, especially knowing I was, I was going to be a part of this film, but any film I'm part of. ..I try to have as much preparation as possible. Steven  was so efficient with the time. He never wasted anybody's time. His crew does exactly like he, you know, he just knows. Everybody knows what their job is and how they need to accomplish it and everybody does. The days on set were incredibly short. He never, like wastes time trying to get extra stuff. Once he has the shot, he knows he has it and it's on to the next, as an actor, at first, you're worried, but then, once you understand Steven and his process, it's most fulfilling.

IRK: The film reflects suburban life and family dynamics in ways that feel voyeuristic, without spoiling anything. How did you connect with this portrait and the characters?

WEST: I think with my character in particular; I saw the film’s way of showing there is a lot of messed up stuff that happens in this family behind closed doors. It's the stuff that, you know, happens within every family that no one wants to see, no one wants to hear about. It's all the ugliness. I come in and it becomes even uglier. It's a big add to the ugly.

 I think everybody has their own challenges in life that they're facing and really, I think a big thing this movie, is how you let those challenges consume you. Are you able to overcome them? How does it change you, to become a better person, or do you let your demons win, and does that ultimately lead to your downfall?

IRK: As an artist, pushing boundaries can lead to surprising discoveries. How important is  it to you to try new ways of expressing yourself and if you could play the most out of the box character imaginable, what would that look like?

WEST: A fantastic question. I'll have to give the second part a little bit of thought… Oh, it is incredibly important. In my freshman year, I joined a band. I have never played a musical instrument in my entire life. I joined the band as a band manager.

That was so incredibly fun, and I got to dive into the music world. I'm such a big fan

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IRK : What type of music was it?

WEST: They are this cool kind of like funk, rock, jazz. They're all jazz musicians that decided to come together to become a funk band. Oh my gosh, they're the coolest. I'll give them a shout out to The Move" and my best friends are in that band. It's been so awesome just watching them.

We were all in the same freshman dorm together and then we kind of just connected they all came together, and I wanted to support them because, I was blown away by the music they were making. It also, influences my life. I'm able to look at music in such a completely different way. Now, I have tried to start learning guitar and piano. I'm not very good. I need to put it in a lot more hours, but it's a wonderful way of expressing myself. I was fortunate to also be a part of this.

 I also was part of an art program during my first year, which we were introduced to basically every single style of art form you can imagine, from ceramics to poetry to visual arts, painting, hand painting. We just did some really, crazy, funky stuff. It's just so wonderful being a creative person, because there are so many ways to express yourself. I think the more that you experiment with those different ways, it's going to influence, your main and most passionate art, you're going to find new ways of discovering how to think about things.

IRK: Out of the box? Character imaginable? Any thoughts?

WEST: Out. of box…I guess is inhabiting a multitude of different characters almost in. inverse of Being John Malkovich (1999) Something. when you  are just playing such an influx of  different characters. He played all these different people who kind of took over his body. I think something like that, playing the widest range. I think I look to Anna Deavere Smith who I was fortunate to work with for my one man play which was part of a larger identity. project connected to  my Asian American heritage.  and watching.  In her play of she inhabited different people I think is such. I think as an actor and a writer, it's just a gift.

Dongel Tweed suit by SIVAN - Silk Crape Shirt 73 LONDON - Vintage pony shoes Tom Ford Gucci

FASHION NOTES:

SIVAN: Founded in 2020 by Jack Sivan, the brand emerged from the rich tradition of bespoke tailoring but quickly expanded its scope to ready-to-wear collections. It is menswear that blends timeless design with sustainable practices, crafting pieces meant to outlast seasons and become staples in any wardrobe. 

Sustainability isn’t an afterthought—it’s the foundation- for SIVAN, good design and responsible design are one and the same. The brand extremely conscious about sourcing materials to ensuring ethical production and even considering the eventual end-of-life for its garments.  Accessibility drives Sivan’s mission. Offering inclusive sizing and keeping costs fair, the brand challenges the notion that sustainability and quality come at a premium. Style and ethics shouldn’t be out of reach. SIVAN presents seasonal collections at New York Men’s Day the opening day of New York Fashion Week.