Ashby Gentry Has A Problem With Those Walter Boys TikTok Edits

My Life with the Walter Boys Season 2 is currently in production, which means fans will once again have to take a side when it comes to Jackie’s love interests. Are you Team Alex or Team Cole?

It seems a good love triangle is the secret to a successful YA series (e.g., The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Vampire Diaries, Twilight), and MLWTWB is no different. In Season 1, Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez) was torn between brothers Alex (Ashby Gentry) and Cole (Noah LaLonde). It didn’t take long for fans to passionately take sides.

“This tends to be the reaction to me in group settings,” Gentry tells Elite Daily. “Half the people either really like me or really don't. And it’s the same thing with Alex. People hated him and loved him at the same time.” Since the first season dropped last December, Gentry has had a bit of a glow-up, as well, which has made some of those Cole supporters switch sides.

“I wore Invisalign throughout all of the press for Season 1,” Gentry says. The 25-year-old is now a partner with the clear aligners brand. “If I had traditional braces throughout a press junket, I don't know how pleased I would've been about that, especially as an introduction to the world.”

Some people will miss Season 1 Alex, but he's gone and there's a new kid in town.

Gentry’s new smile isn’t the only thing that fans can look forward to in Season 2 of My Life with the Walter Boys. “Almost everything about him has changed,” he says. “They're getting a different Alex next season. Some people will miss Season 1 Alex, but he's gone and there's a new kid in town.”

That makeover will definitely have an effect on the MLWTWB love triangle. Below, Gentry dishes on what fans can expect for Season 2, what’s going on in the cast’s group chat, and his one big gripe with the fans over the Team Alex versus Team Cole debate.

Elite Daily: You’re currently filming Season 2, so what can you tease for fans?

Ashby Gentry: Overall, it's a different ballgame this time around, and I like it a lot better. The characters you loved from Season 1 are not gone entirely, but you're getting different people this year.

ED: How has filming been different between this season and the first one?

AG: It's a lot faster. We're doing it in four months rather than five, and we're shooting very quickly. It's a lot less group stuff and a lot more individual and paired scenes. It's a little bit more separate and intense, which I love.

ED: Is the cast’s group chat still going strong, and who texts the most?

AG: It is. When Isaac [Arellanes] and Myles [Perez] are in town, they text the most. When they're out of town, they don't text at all. It's like their ability to perceive things is only what's in front of their face at that moment.

Every week it switches with you people, especially on TikTok.

ED: What was your reaction to the fans after Season 1?

AG: It is really bizarre to see edits of yourself. When I was in high school, it was Dylan O'Brien getting fan edits. I saw those and I was like, “Oh, wow. I guess that's the standard for men,” so to have that be you is really jarring.

And the fans, they switch loyalties so much. Now the narrative is Alex has always been this fine. Every week it switches with you people, especially on TikTok. I’m mainly just fascinated by the fans.

ED: Have you seen any fan theories for Season 2 on TikTok?

AG: I thought it was interesting to see people shipping Kiley and Cole. After the scene with them at the pizza place, there were a couple of people who were like, “Whoa, what if these two got together?” That would not go over well with Alex.

I am pro switching. Switch as frequently as you can. Switch mid-season, switch mid-episode.

ED: A lot of fans were Team Cole, but now they're Team Alex. What's your plea to the fans to be Team Alex?

AG: My pitch is stop making it completely about how we look and pay attention to what happens in the story. Nothing has changed. Why are you all of a sudden Team Alex? I don't even look different. I have no clue what they're talking about.

I like the switching, because who's to say I'm still Team Alex? You never know. I am pro switching. Switch as frequently as you can. Switch mid-season, switch mid-episode. That's the point, right? There are endearing and repulsive qualities to everyone, and Alex and Cole are no exception.

But consider them holistically. Don't just make it about their hair or their teeth or whatever, because beauty isn't everything. It certainly does make you feel better to have that narrative shift, though.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.