Movie obsessed Corteon Moore is finding pride in the small things, building characters from the shoes up, and learning to enjoy the quieter parts of growing up.

Words and Photography by Dio Anthony, Grooming by Jae Manuel Cardenas

The first thing Corteon Moore notices about someone is their eyes—specifically, whether they’re better at holding eye contact than he is. It’s not a competitive thing, more of a temperature check. Then comes scent, outfit, presence—what they’re giving, what they’re not. He says it all with a shrug, like it’s obvious: first impressions matter. They always have.

That’s the thing with Moore—everything orbits around intention. How you enter a room, how you show up in your work, how you build your day. You get the sense he’s not just paying attention—he’s clocking how it all fits together.

American Studies: What's the first thing you notice about someone when you meet them?

Corteon Moore: First thing I notice about somebody? Probably their eyes—and if they're better at making eye contact than I am. I think I'm pretty good at it, and I like when someone can hold eye contact during a conversation. And then, honestly, an outfit or the way they smell—just their overall presence, how they present themselves. I think first impressions are pretty important.

They're huge. I love the bit about eye contact—that's nice. Do shoes really make or break the outfit?

I think so? 100%. I do. I dunno—anytime I start with an outfit in my daily life, or anytime I'm about to play a character, the shoes are always the number one thing I focus on, and then I build from there. ’Cause it just changes the way you walk.

Even if you're just going to dinner, or like a nice business dinner, or a date—you want a nice cunty heel or a really good boot. If I wear a pair of Chuck Taylors or something on a date, I’m not gonna feel sexy. I'm not gonna feel cool.

But if I’ve got on a really great loafer with a nice heel, or a boot or something like that—I’ll feel, I dunno, a little edgier, a little cooler. I think if you go in the wrong direction with your shoes, everything else probably just isn’t gonna hit.

You're living in New York—if you could plan your perfect day in the city, what would it entail?

Well, every single morning I get a coffee at Variety over here in Greenpoint, where I live. I’ll chat with the baristas—who I love—for like 15 minutes about basketball, movies, what they’re up to for the week. That’s my favorite way to start the day.

Then I’ll hop on a Citi Bike and probably bike over to Bushwick—maybe hit La Cabra for another coffee. After that, I’ll hop back on my bike and probably head to, I don’t know, maybe the High Line or something, just for the bike ride vibes. I like biking around New York on its busiest days—through traffic. I’ll take my bike out every now and then just to remind myself: I live in a city that people save up their whole lives to visit.

I’ll take advantage of the tourist attractions every now and then. On my perfect day that’s all happeningl before noon. Then, for the rest of the day, I’ll choose a wine bar, meet up with some friends, and we’ll sit there and probably argue about hot movie takes or fashion takes—something like that. Then we go dancing. But to cap it all off, I’m going home and asleep by midnight. ’Cause I don’t want to be out too late—I need my sleep.

This is a great day. What’s something you try to not go a day without doing–besides getting your coffee.

Something I really try not to go a day without doing is reading. I try to get through 10 pages of a book every single day. And when I don’t, I really start to feel kind of sluggish.

I’m on my phone just as much as anybody else, but I’m such a fan of physical media. I like watching movies on Blu-ray or 4K. And I find that if I read a paperback—or even a hardcover—it does something to my brain. If I start my morning with a little bit of reading, I’m way more engaged in everything I do for the rest of the day.

What are you reading now?

Right now I’m reading a bit of a controversial book called Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver. I mean, I’m only a couple chapters in, but I was drawn to it because he was one of the original members of the Black Panther Party. It's a collection of essays that paint a picture of what it was like to be an angry black man during that era.

He doesn’t shy away from the realities of how he approached life from his point of view. I don’t agree with a lot of it—if not almost any of it—but it’s a really interesting way to see life through the eyes of someone who wouldn’t even really be able to exist in the same way today.

But also, it helps me find the similarities in how I navigate my own life—and how there are still people experiencing similar things to him in today’s political climate. It’s cool.

Without getting too deep into it— is there something that’s stuck with you about the comparison between those days and now? Something that still feels prevalent, even in small personal experiences?

I mean, my favorite thing about reading—or engaging with any kind of art from that era—is the sense of Black pride. That’s what drew me to it in the first place. When I started getting into the Black Power movement and Black history from a more academic perspective, it was really about that pride.

Back then, it had to manifest in such a powerful, almost anti-establishment way. Versus today—because of their sacrifices—we have the benefit of living in a much safer, less risky kind of way. I mean, obviously, racism still exists. There’s still tons of racial and political strife. But the way Black pride showed up then versus how it shows up now—it’s really beautiful to see that evolution.

I like picking up a book or watching a movie and gaining those little touchstones—seeing how the Black experience has changed and grown over time.

Switching gears for a bit—since we’re talking about the black experience. Your character Gabe, on Overcompensating, definitely has his own idea of what that experience is.

If we do season two, Gabe’s relationship to his Black identity is something I really want to explore. I think it could be really funny—and I think someone like him, if you asked that character, “What does it mean to be Black?” he might say something totally out of pocket.

But maybe he’d also have a very sincere answer—like, the very fact that a character like Gabe can be played by an actor like me proves that Black people contain multitudes. There are people like Gabe out there. Which makes the black experience so cool.. And also just makes the character so much more insane.

One thing I loved about the show was that scene when you come into the store—Owen's behind the counter, and Benny's talking to him. There’s this little bit where you’re like, “You guys are friends?” And that interaction—I probably replayed it three times. Just this little nuance, the way you said, “Oh, you guys are friends.” I thought it was really interesting—like, what was going on in his head? Was that improvised? Did you guys do that a couple times?

What’s cool is—that whole scene was the one I was most looking forward to when I read the whole season. ’Cause it lives the closest to the type of acting I normally do. For me, that was the most contained, almost dramatic scene I had in the whole show.

But it was really brilliantly written. And I think a lot of people have mentioned that scene to me, ’cause I think it did a really good job of capturing how terrifying it is for someone to feel like they might be outed—or exposed. To be exposed—or even just isolated from a group you thought was going to accept you, once they learn your true identity or whatever.

I wish I could say there was any improvising—but there wasn’t. It was all on the page. It was really just about tapping into the reality of what that experience could be like for so many people—and has been like for so many people.

And particularly what it was like for Benny, in his real life. So just walking in and looking at two people who were being there for each other—and having to play the part of the guy who’s kind of like… what would he say? What would’ve happened if he said, “Yeah, we are friends”? What would’ve happened if he said, “Yeah, I’m gay”? There are so many other directions that conversation could’ve gone. It’s just something I’m really curious about—what Gabe would’ve done. I like to believe that, deep down, he actually would’ve been okay with it.

What would you say is the most-used app on your phone—in terms of screen time? Be honest.

The honest answer is Instagram. I love Instagram. I have a healthy relationship with social media—I do. I’m not of the mind that social media is bad–I’ll stand on that. I really hate AI, but I love social media. I’ve met so many people through it. I love watching what people are posting. I like to post, too. I’m a social media advocate—and I spend so much time on Instagram.

Define healthy relationship–are you giving yourself a time limit, or running free with it?

I’m not really a detailed person. Like, I don’t set schedules, I don’t set time. I’m very bad with time management. So for me to give myself any sort of, you know, lines to live within—especially when it comes to how I use social media—would be impossible to actually follow.

But I am a very intuitive person. So, if I’m not feeling great, I’ll put the phone down. Or if I’m feeling really good, I’ll put the phone down—’cause I don’t need to find any sort of external hits of dopamine.

I just follow my gut. That goes for how I approach working out, watching TV, seeing friends—or not seeing friends—using social media... it’s all the same.

If I feel good while I’m doing something, I’ll do it. And if I feel like I’m doing it too much, I’ll stop. I’m very good at pressing the brakes if I need to. But yeah—no rules. I don’t like rules.

Who in your life hypes you up the most

My best friend Devonte. A thousand percent. Literally—before we hopped on this interview, we were on the phone talking about how 2025 is gonna be the best year of our lives. And we said that last year, and the year before. And we’ll definitely say it next year too. And we believe it. He believes in me more than anybody else. It’s really beautiful.

If this time in your life was a song, what song would it be?

Something from Playboi Carti’s new album, ’cause I’m loving that. ‘Fine Shit’ [laughs]. I love that song. That’s how I feel. I feel like a baddie these days.

What’s a piece of advice you actually live by?

Oh—somebody said this to me back in 2021. The guy who plays my dad on a show called From. I think he just said it in passing—he didn’t even mean to drop such a gem—but he said, “Take a day to think about it.”

I get very hyped up. I’m a passionate person—and that’s true when I’m happy, but also when I’m upset. And what he was basically telling me is: if you’re going to make a decision about anything, just take a day.

So now, anytime I have to respond to a big email or make a major choice, I give myself one extra day. And it almost always changes the way I feel about it. I really live by that now—and I think I always will.

What’s your vibe at a party? kitchen philosopher, living room dancer, or the one in the host’s bedroom petting their cat?

I have two wolves that live inside of me. One is the life of the party—I’m talking to everybody, making sure everyone’s turning up and having a good time. And then there’s the other one, who’ll literally show up to the party, stand outside the door... and then go home. ’Cause I just don’t feel like going in. I do that way more than I’d like to admit. But you get one or the other. Normally, I’m the first one—the life of the party guy.

What’s your social battery trick? How do you reset?

I’ll do it like once a week—I’ll literally stay in my room all day. I love my room. I have a TV in there, which, you know, I think these days is kind of taboo. But I give myself one day a week where I just stay in bed and watch Curb Your Enthusiasm all day. It’s normally on a Sunday. And then by Monday, I’m ready to be out. I’m ready to talk to people. I’m ready to promote a show [laughs], do all the stuff I love to do—but I’d honestly rather be watching Curb.

What’s one thing your friends would say you do way too much?

I talk about movies—I can’t stop. I can’t stop talking about actors, and about who I believe is the true movie star of the moment. And that roster changes every single day. My friends get really tired of me bringing it up.

What's one random thing you think you think about way too much?

Aliens. I think they’ve arrived on this earth and they’re here. I love deep-diving on conspiracy theories on TikTok. I talk about it like, every day.

Have you seen the ones about the reptilians living amongst us?

Oh yeah. See, but those scare me too much—’cause I was a child raised on Illuminati YouTube videos, and they used to scare the hell out of me when I’d try to go back to sleep. Like, Beyoncé singing backwards—and you’d get the “hidden message” or whatever? So I go more for the supernatural, magic ones—the ones that feel like they could be in Harry Potter or something.

What's a smell that instantly takes you somewhere?

There’s a cologne I wore for like seven years by Saint Laurent called Blue Électrique, and they discontinued it. I got lucky—someone from Glasgow sent me one of the last bottles in the world. It had been two years since I’d worn it, and when I sprayed it on myself, I literally felt like I was 15 or 16 again. It brought back all these memories from my really formative adolescent years. I still have the bottle, and I only smell it when I get really nostalgic—or sad—or when I want a reminder of who I am.

What would your high school self be most surprised to learn about your life now?

Surprised? I don’t think I’d be very surprised by many things, to be honest. I think I’m exactly where I was hoping I’d be. But if there was one thing—it’d probably be that I still don’t have my driver’s license. I think I would’ve thought that by now—I'm 26, turning 27 next month—I’d be super old. And I probably would’ve imagined myself driving a Range Rover and owning a giant house in Malibu or something.

What’s something you thought would matter a lot by now—but just doesn’t?

I think—money. It’s funny. Like, it is such a privileged way of thinking, and I feel really lucky that I’ve been able to work consistently and afford to live in New York City. That really is such a gift.

But the older I get, the less I care about being rich. I don’t want to be rich. I don’t want to be a millionaire. I think I just want to be with my friends, my family, and my loved ones. Every single day, I’m like, Okay, maybe now I’m gonna care about investing, or now I’ll start thinking about a 401(k). But I just don’t. I just want to be a good person, be an artist, watch movies, and live a good life. And I know—I understand—that I can only think that way because I am lucky to…

What’s your comfort movie?

100% Goodfellas. Paddington too.

What's one thing you feel like most people don't know about you but you kind of wish they did?

That I don't like going out.

When do you feel most attractive?

After I've completed a 10k run. I’m literally about to go do one right now when we get off this call. But when I finish a run—and I’m all sweaty, walking through Williamsburg to get back to my place in Greenpoint—something about it–I kind of feel like him right now, you know?

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself recently?

I think I’ve learned that I’m an adult now. There’ve been a few moments, especially while we’ve been promoting the show, where I found myself talking to someone around the same age. And at first, I’d look at them and think, Oh—you’re an adult. And then halfway through the conversation, I’d realize—Oh yeah... so am I. I’m not a kid. I have life experiences I can share with people. And it’s really nice. I’m learning who I am now that I’m no longer a child or a teenager. I feel like I’ve kind of arrived at what will be the rest of my life. Which is really cool.

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