Corey Fogelmanis stars as Nathan in Netflix's My Life With the Walter Boys, rounding a stellar ensemble of young A-listers on the up-and-up.
Based on the young adult novel by Ali Novak, the hit series follows a young orphan girl named Jackie Howard (played by Nikki Rodriguez) who moves from Manhattan to rural Colorado as she is taken in by the Walter family, where she will live amongst their seven teenage sons.
After several appearances across TV and film, the coming-of-age drama marks a return to the genre for Fogelmanis after he previously had prominent roles in Disney's Girl Meets World and the horror hit, Ma.
5 Facts About Netflix Star Corey Fogelmanis
Corey’s Breakout Role Was Farkle in Girl Meets World
Fans will be most familiar with Fogelmanis from his work on Disney Channel original series Girl Meets World as Farkle.
Across its three seasons, the Thousand Oaks, California native appeared in all but one episode of the Boy Meets World sequel series known for his goofy and lovable nature. Farkle was also the subject of plenty of emotionally resonant moments across the series' three seasons, dealing with the pertinent issues of adolescence.
While Fogelmanis' Girt Meets World character is widely beloved, the writing surrounding Farkle has come under fire as of late. A particular pressure point amongst the fanbase surrounds dealing with the character's autism diagnosis.
In the episode “Girl Meets Farkle,” the series seemingly presents the character having autism as a bad thing. Some fans see this reveal where characters are visibly shaken by the idea of him perhaps having some disability as ableist.
Fans like @kthkier on X (formerly Twitter) have written long threads on the subject, commenting on the show eventually making the character neurotypical despite being "so clearly autistic coded" and how harmful it could be making "the one autistic character in the show a quirky funny punchline:"
"This and the fact that they made farkle neurotypical in the end when he was so clearly autistic coded and that meant So much for autistic kids and teens watching the show. AND they made the one autistic character in the show a quirky funny punchline."
Disney, the show's creators, and Fogelmanis have not commented on these claims.
Corey Is Still Great Friends With Superstar Sabrina Carpenter
In the years since Girl Meets World ended, Corey Fogelmanis has remained a close friend with co-star Sabrina Carpenter.
Following the hit Disney Channel series ending, Carpenter has gone on to an incredibly successful music career. Her most recent album, Emails I Can't Send, has been critically acclaimed, earning the musical superstar an opening spot for Taylor Swift on her billion-dollar-making Eras Tour.
Fogelmanis and Carpenter remain close friends. He has even popped up in several videos on Carpenter's TikTok page, showing the two still hang out quite a bit.
The Walter Boys star is also a vocal supporter of Carpenter's music career, tweeting his support for her most recent album and attending several of her shows (via JustJared).
Octavia Spencer’s Ma Gave Corey an Acting Masterclass
Despite getting his big break in Girl Meets World, the 24-year-old (born August 13, 1999) said he learned to act while working alongside Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer on the horror film, Ma.
Speaking with Bello Magazine, Fogelmanis described wanting to "find projects that gave [him] the opportunity to translate [his growth as a person] into [his] acting" after coming out of the Disney Channel marketing machine:
“As I’ve grown as a person, the most important thing for me was to find projects that gave me the opportunity to translate that growth into my acting. I was super excited about working on this movie because there were so many aspects of it that I didn’t previously have in other work."
He remarked, "I’m all about little baby steps of growth," but "Filming Ma was that and so much more for me:"
Elements of sexuality and maturity and realism were all things I was excited about in the initial script and I think it’s really cool that people will get to see parts of me they’ve never seen before. I’m all about little baby steps of growth. Filming 'Ma' was that and so much more for me.”
"I walked away from this experience with a true understanding of what makes a professional in this field," Fogelmanis lamented, praising the likes of Octavia Spencer and Juliette Lewis:
"I walked away from this experience with a true understanding of what makes a professional in this field. Both Octavia and Juliette came in each day with such intense focus and perspective and for me, watching them in their element was, should I say, a masterclass in acting?"
He said working with these veteran actresses showed him how they "balanced work and play," changing his entire approach to the acting profession:
"Yes. I felt that the way they balanced work and play in between takes was beneficial for me to observe. I unfortunately didn’t have any scenes with Luke in the film, despite the fact that he plays my father! But I did get to meet him and he’s so cool.”
Corey Has a Strong Sense for Fashion
One of the most striking aspects of Corey Fogelmanis is his keen eye for fashion. The five-foot-nine acting phenom has made it clear he has a passion for high fashion, sporting plenty of stunning looks over the years.
On his love of fashion, Fogelmanis has said he is not the "kind of person that is able to walk into a room and command attention," so he has used his wardrobe as a way to "say something without actually having to say anything" (via Bello Magazine):
"Like you said, I have been redefining my relationship to fashion as I develop a stronger point of view. Where it sits for me now is very related to the things I’ve been working on/through in my life. I don’t always feel like I’m the kind of person that is able to walk into a room and command attention. I typically feel like one of the quieter people in a room. So fashion has been a way for me to say something without actually having to say anything."
He added what he wears has a "direct relationship to confidence," calling its possibilities "endless:"
"I’ve found it to have a direct relationship to confidence, whether that be for better or for worse. I think its possibilities are amazing and endless.”
Corey Is Leading a Movie Next
After his work on Netflix's My Life With the Walter Boys, Fogelmanis is set to lead a movie for the first time.
The Walter Boys actor will next appear in a film adaptation of Mason Deaver's I Wish You All the Best alongside Riverdale's Cole Sprouse and True Detective star Alexandra Daddario.
According to Deadline, the film will be written and directed by Tommy Dorfman. It follows "Ben, a non-binary teen who has spent their life pretending to be the perfect 'son' to their ultra-religious Southern parents."
The movie finished shooting in November 2022 (per Collider) but does not yet have a projected release date.
Where Can Fans Follow Corey Fogelmanis?
To keep up with Corey Fogelmanis online, fans can follow the actor on Instagram (coreyfogelmanis), X/Twitter (@coreyfogelmanis), and TikTok (@thecoreyfogelmanis).
My Life With the Walter Boys is now streaming on Netflix.
