Netflix teen drama, 13 Reasons Why, gained prominence quickly, becoming a hot topic of conversation during its premiere on March 31, 2017. The series skyrocketed its cast’s careers, including that of Dylan Minnette, who took on the lead role of Clay Jensen. His impeccable acting skills surely caught everyone’s attention, but it’s been a while since we last saw him on screen.
The actor was last active in 2022 but has continued to stay prominent in his music career. In a recent interview, he reflected on what led him to quit acting.
13 Reasons Why Alum Dylan Minnette Got Candid About His Acting Career
Actor and Musician Dylan Minnette gained wider recognition with the role of Clay Jensen in the Netflix teen drama series, 13 Reasons Why. His character is a high school student who has a crush on his classmate, Hannah Baker (played by Katherine Langford).
As the series proceeds, he gets deeply involved in unraveling the reasons behind Baker’s death, after a series of recorded tapes delves into why she took her own life.
His portrayal as Jensen is significant to the series, which not only contributed to its critical acclaim but also its popularity. However, those days are over for a while now, with the actor only focusing on his music career.
In a recent appearance on the Zach Sang Show, the 27-year-old actor reflected on why he left acting behind. Initially speaking about making his comeback in the industry again, he stated,
I think about it for sure. It’s really interesting. I’ve done it, for so long—like, a really long time. I was very fortunate to find success in it; we’ve always worked a ton.
He further reflected that the Netflix series gave him a significant push in his acting career. However, things started to go differently. He continued,
Then I was on, you know, 13 Reasons Why, and it was really popular and definitely reached a peak so far in what I’d had in acting. But it also started to feel like a bit of a job.
He added,
I was in a very fortunate position where it was always fun for me, always really inspiring. But then I was like, as soon as you start to feel like it’s just a job…
He is thinking of returning to acting someday, but for now, he plans to give his cent percent to his music career. He is a band member of a group called Wallows alongside Danny Ferenbach (trumpet), Cole Preston (drums), and Braeden Lemasters (singer, guitar).
Dylan Minnette Reflected on His Deep Connection With His 13 Reasons Why Character
In an old interview, Minnette expressed his thoughts on the time portraying the Netflix series character. He expressed that he felt a deeper connection with his role, Clay Jensen, during the show’s run. He told PEOPLE at a Netflix junket,
I would go home and sleep for a few hours, wake up and go to work and learn the material again. So my life wasn’t escaping the character — you can’t really escape it.
He continued,
At the same time, I started to see so much of myself in Clay, and see so much of Clay in me that sometimes I’d be on set and it would affect me a lot more.
The Netflix series is based on Jay Asher’s 2007 novel of the same name with the author stating that the former “would be absolutely perfect” as per Entertainment Weekly.
Portraying the character was a mega-booster in his career, who continued to work in notable projects. His diverse roles and creative endeavors further are a testament to his talent in the entertainment world.
13 Reasons Why is available on Netflix.
