In the early 2000s, Ed Westwick (35) was current in the role of Chuck Bass in the popular drama series Gossip Girl.
Now he is in Norway and in a longer interview with Good evening Norway, he opens up about his plans for the visit to Norway.
The star is here to make music with his newly established band “For You”.
Norwegian producer and bassist
The band consists of Norwegian producer and bassist Hans-Kristian Nordin, American drummer Frank Giampietro, American Michael Mathern on guitar and Westwick, who is the vocalist.
It was rather coincidental that the four ended up in the same music group.
GUITARIST: Michael Mathern is the guitarist in the band. Photo: Kristoffer Arnesen / Good evening Norway
The guitarist was the first to meet the actor. He made the trip to Los Angeles, where Westwick previously lived.
– It was probably back in 2018 or 2019, and I was invited to Ed’s home in Beverly Hills. I had heard that there was an actor who lived in the house, but not who.
When the guitarist first heard who lived in the house, he did not recognize the name, but Mathern’s sister, who was also on the trip, was ecstatic when she heard that it was the actress from Gossip Girl.
– After that he suggested that maybe we should start a band and that’s how it started, but then it developed from there, says Mathern.
Photo: Kristoffer Westwick / Good evening Norway
Was nervous before the first meeting
Nordin, Mathern and Giampietro met when they were all music students at Berkley College in Boston.
The drummer explains that he was asked to join the band at the same time he moved to Los Angeles. Nordin came in later.
The Norwegian says that he himself has seen one season of Gossip Girl and that he loved it.
– I think it was so good that I was actually a little nervous to meet you, he says and turns to the actor.
NERVOUS: Hans-Kristian Nordin says that he was nervous ahead of his first meeting with the actor. Photo: Kristoffer Arnesen / Good evening Norway
Base in Oslo
Nordin lives mostly in Norway and has his base in Oslo.
– I have been quite a lot back and forth between Oslo and Los Angeles, so there will probably be some trips to London in the future.
Mathern and Giampietro live in the USA, and Westwick in London.
The band says that they will be spending a lot of time in Oslo in the future.
– We can still be a band even if we live in different places. It works very well to be here in Oslo, it’s not far from London. It is also no problem for us to travel to meet, explains Westwick.
Nordin adds that they have become good at planning.
In addition to making music, the band has seen large parts of the city.
– We have been everywhere in Oslo and have had a nice tour of the city. Now we’ve spent a lot of time in this basement, so we haven’t seen much these days, but we still have a few days we can spend being a bit of a tourist, says Mathern.
DRUMMER: Frank Giampietro is the drummer in the band. Photo: Kristoffer Arnesen / Good evening Norway
From acting to bands
Westwick says that he has always had a great interest in music.
– People are probably a little surprised that I am now in a band, but I have always loved music and had a band when I was a child. I have never been able to set up a new one that has clicked, but this band has developed in a cool way and works well, he explains.
Although he spends a lot of time on music, he has not put his acting career on the shelf.
– When I’m not recording films or series, or walking the dog, I make music. Life is about balance. I am in a good place in life, where I feel creative.
– Lucky to have the opportunity
When asked if Westwick wants to move away from the stigma of Gossip Girl character Chuck Bass, he replies:
– I don’t think I want to move away from it or that it is under my control. I am very proud of it. I put a lot of energy and hard work into that series. It was absolutely amazing and I can look back on it and think I was lucky to have that opportunity at such a young age.
GREAT INTEREST IN MUSIC: Ed Westwick says that he has always had a great interest in music. Photo: Kristoffer Arnesen / Good evening Norway
Furthermore, the actor says that he is happy that the series is still being talked about.
– The fact that people are still talking about it, I think is very important. There aren’t many series like that. It’s something I’m proud of.
In the series, he played opposite Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, Leighton Meester and Chase Crawford, among others.
– I am certainly still friends with them, but we live in different places in the world and live different lives.
Album release and concert
The band can reveal that they have plans to release both an album and hold a concert.
– We are recording new music now and have something ready. Our second song is coming in a couple of weeks. Then we’ll probably make a few more and then we’ll release an album in the spring. Then we want to be able to play some concerts, says Westwick.
Nordin says that they have talked about various ways in which they can reach out to the public by playing a concert. In addition, they have made up their minds about where the concerts will be played.
– We envision being able to play in some of the bigger cities here in Norway. Trondheim, Bergen and Oslo, says the Norwegian.
