Cole Sprouse Talks Photography, Riverdale, and Eating Bugs

[Joseph] Chairman's suite.

Fancy, fancy, fancy.

[Joseph knocking on door]

Vogue.

[Joseph] Cole.

Welcome.

Joseph, please.

[Joseph] Why thank you very much.

This 73 Questions interview was so worth it to me

that I flew all the way to Vancouver to be here with you.

I know, and I figured you were probably

gonna be pretty hungry, so I decided to cook you up

a little finger food.

[Joseph] Well I just happen to be very hungry right now.

You like tomatoes?

You like garlic?

[Joseph] All of the above.

Your breath's gonna stink but I guarantee you'll love it.

[Joseph] So what are you making here?

This is just a little finger food for Joseph,

and then I'm cooking up a carbonara.

Carbonara for later, you don't get any of that.

[Joseph] Mm, that sounds delicious.

Is this an old family recipe?

Yes, but I will be cooking this after our interview

because I don't think you guys wanna watch me

go through all of this.

[Joseph] Cole, what would you say

is the key to a good dish?

Probably the attention to detail, no?

[Joseph] I agree.

Do you have an ultimate favorite recipe of all time?

Probably this carbonara.

I make it really traditional in the Roman style.

Pecorino, guanciale, which is important.

You can use pancetta but I like big thick cuts of guanciale.

[Joseph] Guanciale, sounds so romantic.

If you say so, Joseph.

[Joseph] Do you consider yourself a romantic?

Only when Vogue shows up

and I have to flex on the Internet.

[Joseph] No one's complaining.

And what's the most romantic gesture that you've ever done?

I'm a road trip guy.

I like the big, grand, sweeping vistas.

[Joseph] And are you into camping or hotels?

Camping for sure.

[Joseph] Okay, and what's the most romantic gesture

that's ever been done for you?

My heart is attached to my stomach,

so any cooked meal, any family recipe,

that's the way to my heart.

[Joseph] You hear that, ladies?

So Cole, Vancouver is stunning.

Are you enjoying it here?

When the sun is out,

it is the most beautiful city on Earth, truly.

[Joseph] And I'm happy to see

that you're being taken care of so nicely here.

Well, I wanted to impress you, Joe.

[Joseph] Ah, no need for that,

but it does seem like some other people

are going to be thoroughly impressed

with your culinary presentation.

[Cole] You like that?

[Joseph] Consummate hospitality.

This is for all my imaginary friends, and maybe you.

[Joseph] I feel honored.

I wouldn't expect anything less from someone

staying in the Chairman's suite.

I know.

Just really living the suite life, aren't you Cole?

Just can never escape it.

[Joseph] That's a good one, Cole.

I see what you did there.

So who is this Chairman and what did you do with him?

Don't worry about it, I'm blackmailing him

but we don't gotta mention his name on camera.

Legal reasons, you know?

Big disputes.

[Joseph] Oh certainly, certainly.

Now can I ask you some questions about your childhood?

Geez, okay.

A little family therapy again, Joe, let's go!

[Joseph] Exactly.

So what's something that most people don't know

about being a child star?

It's very competitive.

It's a very competitive arena.

[Joseph] And do you have any

personal anecdotes about that?

Well it just so happened my direct competition

was my identical twin brother,

but we read not the same table, so same team.

[Joseph] Do you ever go back and watch old episodes

of The Suite Life?

When I'm drunk or feeling really narcissistic, yeah.

[Joseph] And how does it feel when you're watching

your younger self on screen like that?

I don't really like to watch anything I do,

so I try to stay away from it.

[Joseph] Okay, fair enough.

And if you could go back in time,

what would you tell your younger self?

Get a good financial advisor

and don't do your own taxes, kid.

[Joseph] I feel like there's a story in there.

Yeah.

Are you the government?

[Joseph] What's your best memory from that time?

Well, when I graduated middle school,

the crew threw a big graduation and I cried on screen,

and you know what?

I think it's on video somewhere, so maybe just scrub it.

[Joseph] Now I have something to hunt for.

No, please don't.

[Joseph] Was it ever hard to find your own identity

outside of being known as the Sprouse twins?

It wasn't hard for me.

It was hard for the audience, I think.

But it's a double edged sword.

I get to bask in all of Dylan's accomplishments too,

so take credit.

[Joseph] Win win.

Now I happen to see that you brought

all your camera gear here.

You're finding some time to use all this stuff?

I am, yeah.

That's my digital camera and my first,

actually this is my first little film camera.

[Joseph] What's that?

This is a Canon AE-1.

Student camera, cheap, efficient, like Cole.

[Joseph] I think I'm gonna leave that there

and go to the next question.

Okay.

[Joseph] So I hear your dad likes to take credit

for inspiring your photography.

Yes, but that's what fathers do.

Isn't that a prerequisite for being a father?

[Joseph] Certainly.

Does he ever give you any tips or advice on photography?

He's an incredible location scout, I will give him that.

[Joseph] And what's the best location

that he ever scouted for you?

Oh man, best location.

My future grave site probably, yeah.

[Joseph] Oh God.

Nice little plot in the desert somewhere.

[Joseph] Morbid.

Tumbleweeds.

Yeah, it is a little bit morbid, isn't it?

[Joseph] So have you been designated

as your family photographer?

Yeah, it'll probably just be a matter of time

til I'm doing senior portraits or wedding photos and things.

Just dreadful.

[Joseph] Come on, it's family, that's how it works.

So when you're taking a photo,

what's the first place your eye goes to?

Hmm, the landscape, certainly.

[Joseph] And do you have any favorite landscapes here?

Yeah, one of my favorite shoots ever

is actually right across the water.

I can go and show you if you like.

[Joseph] I'd love to take a look at this.

It's funny, everywhere I go here, there's a nice view.

There's just, there's nice views everywhere in Vancouver.

Yes, and some nice views for the people watching me bathe.

[Joseph] So what's your favorite photo shoot

of all time that you've done?

Favorite photo shoot.

It's this location I'm about to show you.

It's a large yellow mountain on the north of Vancouver

that my friend and I shot at

when I was in the first season of Riverdale.

[Joseph] Sounds so magical.

Let's check out this magical view.

Come through.

Well, maybe I'll show you on the deck in a little bit.

This is the view.

[Joseph] Wow.

[Cole] Welcome.

[Joseph] Wow, I love it.

Now obviously, you're quite the traveler, right?

Oh, I'm obsessed.

[Joseph] Yeah, you believe the privilege of traveling

could be very educational.

What could be the biggest takeaway for anyone who travels?

Well I think before the advent of social media,

traveling was one of the greatest ways

to really learn about otherness.

I think it's important to travel alone too,

suspend your own personal culture inside some place

that feels unfamiliar to you really.

[Joseph] We can all benefit

from getting out of our comfort zone.

And what's been your own

biggest personal takeaway from traveling?

Probably my palate.

[Joseph] Of course, such a foodie.

What's the craziest dish you've ever eaten?

I like the bugs, man.

I'll say it, I think we should all

be eating a lot more bugs.

[Joseph] Would you cook a bug?

I would cook a bug and eat the bug.

[Joseph] What bug would you cook?

Crickets, beetles, there's tons of 'em.

It's the most diverse species on Earth

and they're probably all delicious.

[Joseph] Maybe this is your next favorite recipe.

Yeah, I'll stick to the carbonara for now.

[Joseph] What's the most memorable place that you visited?

Japan, certainly.

[Joseph] If I were gonna go there,

what city should I visit?

I'd say Kyoto.

[Joseph] Noted.

Do you think you're a good travel buddy?

Well, if I'm hyping myself up, yes.

[Joseph] And what is your number one travel tip

you'd recommend to anyone flying?

Don't nap on the first day.

That's the big no no.

[Joseph] Cole, what is on the bedside table

reading list these days?

Oh, I can't read, but I placed that there

because I think it looks like I can read.

But that's The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

[Joseph] Would you recommend it?

Yeah.

When I'm feeling the lightness in my being,

I don't find it to be that unbearable.

[Joseph] Cool, philosophical.

And you'd also recommend comics, 'cause you're such a fan.

I am, big time.

[Joseph] What's your favorite comic?

Ooh, my favorite comic, it's more of a graphic novel

called Black Hole.

[Joseph] Interesting.

And do you own any priceless comic memorabilia?

I own a lot of really great old Incredible Hulk's

and Fantastic Four's, but the one that is closest to me

is Avengers 500.

[Joseph] And speaking of old,

you worked in archeology after graduation, is that right?

Great segue, Joe.

[Joseph] What sparked your interest in archeology?

My grandpa was a geologist and it was a discipline

that combined a lot of my mutual interests.

[Joseph] Did you discover anything

particularly interesting?

Oh yeah, some spooky stuff too.

I found an old ceramic theatrical mask of Dionysus

in Bulgaria, a little Hellenistic settlement.

[Joseph] Wow, that's spooky.

I would've freaked out.

What a special experience.

Yeah, yeah, I'm still waiting to wake up

from the fever dream, I think.

[Joseph] So how does it feel to unearth

major parts of history?

A lot more special than take three

on a long running production.

[Joseph] Pretend like I don't know what that means.

So what exactly happens on an archeological dig?

Not Indiana Jones, that's for sure.

A lot of you digging over a trench of dirt

with a toothbrush.

[Joseph] Would you play Indiana Jones if offered the role?

It's a hard act to follow,

but I think I could put on some muscle.

[Joseph] Do you ever see yourself returning to the field?

I do, eventually.

I got some other milestones I have to hit first.

[Joseph] Priorities.

Now, you started a super fun Instagram account

called Camera Duels.

What was the inspiration there?

Rage.

[Joseph] Of course, the best inspiration.

Has anyone ever commented on those photos and said,

Hey, that's me.

I get reached out to almost every single photo I post.

[Joseph] And what's the weirdest place

someone ever tried to take a photo of you?

The bathroom, yeah.

I wasn't in the stall, it was just at the sinks, but.

[Joseph] Ah, okay.

Still a little vulnerable, you know.

[Joseph] Do you think you'll ever get used

to the fact that strangers take photos of you?

Not in the bathroom.

[Joseph] And how's this for another classic segue.

The shower looks amazing!

[Cole] Yeah.

[Joseph] And it leads me to ask

the most important question of this interview,

how many shower heads is too many shower heads?

Depends on the stance, Joe.

[Joseph] Of course.

Cole, you talk a lot about preserving your mental health.

What are some non-negotiable things that you do

to help make that happen for yourself?

Oh, I stay off the Internet.

[Joseph] I think we should all stay off of the Internet.

I think so!

[Joseph] So why is it so important for you

to be open and vulnerable about your mental health?

Let my family and friends know how I'm doing.

[Joseph] It's very important.

So Cole, do you journal?

Every day, right to my therapist.

[Joseph] Can you tell me one thing

that you learned about yourself recently?

I'm a bit of an emotional sponge.

I absorb others' energies.

[Joseph] Okay, and what kind of energy

are you picking up right now?

Intense arousal, Joe.

Intense arousal.

[Joseph] Must be from all the sweeping vistas

of Vancouver, obviously.

Maybe it's all the seagulls around.

[Joseph] Yeah yeah, it's the seagulls.

So last year, you took a break from social media.

What did you do instead?

Cooking.

[Joseph] And we're gonna have a little bit of that later,

thank you.

You produce and star in Borrasca, a narrative podcast.

What attracted you to this type of podcasting?

I wanted to get a little more hands on

with the production cycle.

[Joseph] What new creative muscles did you develop

as a podcast producer?

It was nice to see how a project could be sold

after it's completed and has a fan base.

[Joseph] And what's the last podcast that you listened to?

Welcome to Night Vale.

[Joseph] And in your opinion,

who has the most legendary voice of all time?

David Attenborough, hands down.

[Joseph] Now I'll try not to be disappointed

you didn't say me.

Oh Joe.

[Joseph] Can you do an impression of David Attenborough?

Oh, my best David?

[Joseph] Mhmm, best David.

The turtles wash up on the same beach

they've come to for millennia.

[Joseph] We're gonna make sure that he sees this.

Who would you say your mentors are?

When I was younger, Adam Sandler for sure.

[Joseph] Yeah?

How so?

It was the way that he was always in love with production

and he worked with his friends and his family

and was still able to turn and do more independent films

and artistic films while balancing commercialism.

[Joseph] What's your favorite role that you've ever done?

I know it sounds cheesy,

I still have a really deep fondness for The Suite Life.

[Joseph] I think we all have a deep fondness for Cody.

I hope so.

[Joseph] And what role challenged you the most?

When I was a kid, Big Daddy.

It was this huge production and I was six

and I got to see New York City for the first time.

[Joseph] Do you think that inspired

your return to New York later?

I think so.

[Joseph] And what would you say draws you

to a script or character?

I guess the humanity and the paycheck baby, hee hee.

[Joseph] That helps.

Do you tend to stay in character in between takes?

I try to.

[Joseph] Cole, is that Polaroid ready?

Why yes it is, Joe.

[Joseph] Let's see, come on!

Let it develop a little more, okay?

[Joseph] Okay, let's see him.

Looks good.

Can I keep it?

You can keep whatever you like.

[Joseph] Nice.

Cole, last question, question number 73,

what's the ETA for the finger food?

Joe, I totally forgot.

[Joseph] Cole!

Make sure it's not burning!