NYLON Nineteen
Travis Bennett Is Unbothered
The star of ‘Dave’ talks loofahs, his St‑Germain obsession, and shares his preteen nickname turned AIM screename.
Travis Bennett might be getting a parking ticket. He mutters about this while digging into a protein breakfast at Go Get Em Tiger in Los Angeles on a recent April morning he’s enjoying with “his boys.”
“I’m about to get a ticket,” he tells NYLON. “It's OK. I'll have to live like that.”
He’s unbothered by the ticket, just like he’s unbothered by the last internet rabbit hole he went down — an attempt to figure out what the squeaky sound his breaks were making meant. The actor has been successful since he was a teenager, when Odd Future, the rap collective he served as a DJ and hypeman for, catapulted to fame over a decade ago. But now, Bennett has even more reason to be unbothered: He’s enjoying life as the breakout star of Dave, the hit FX show helmed by Dave Burd that dramatizes his real-life rise to fame as the rapper Lil Dicky, which returned for its third season on April 5 and airs weekly on FX.
Bennett, formerly known as Yung Taco, was best known for years as the goofball in Odd Future. Even though he’s past his Taco days, it’s still impossible for Bennett’s goofiness to not come out in his roles. That’s not because he is necessarily like his character Elz, Dave’s childhood friend from Philadelphia who’s pursuing his dream of becoming a music producer, but because he can’t help but be himself in every situation.
“For the most part, I'm in every scene, feeling like it's all brand new and all real life,” he says. “It doesn't feel like acting to me half the f*cking time, in general.”
Bennett is experiencing the show alongside all of us as it airs each Wednesday night, especially because he doesn’t remember what happened this season, plotwise.
“It sounds crazy, but when I shoot things, I'll remove myself from it and then I can't even lock it. I don't know what's going on. I watched the episodes last night and it was all new to me. It was like I don't remember everything. It's all a blur, but I had a great time doing it,” he says. “I love that the show comes out weekly, but I also hate that it comes out weekly, you know? Because being a fan of shows like Succession and Game of Thrones, that weekly sh*t is bulls*it. That breaks my heart. That stresses me out. I get to therapy and I'm like, ‘Dude, I don't know what's going happen, dude!’”
NYLON caught up with Bennett ahead of the release of the third episode of Dave Season 3 as he took on the NYLON Nineteen, telling us about his dream music festival lineup, his old AIM screen name, and his St‑Germain obsession.
1. Do you believe in ghosts and have you ever seen one?
Yes, I believe in them. No, I've never seen one. But 100 percent, they exist. There's no way that they don't.
2. What is your go-to drink order?
It depends, but like on a good night? A glass of wine is nice. I can also do a margarita, no salt. Or a skinny marg, no salt. Then, there's a drink I like that's an elderflower liqueur called St‑Germain — that with Sprite and a lemon is so delightful on a good day, good night.
3. What is your go-to hangover cure?
IV.
4. Who would be the three headliners of the musical festival or your dreams?
Of my dreams? F*ck. Lil Wayne, Lil Wayne, and Lil Wayne.
5. What's a bad habit of yours that you've been meaning to fix?
Oh, Lord. Which one today? Waking up late was one, but I started that change recently. I wake up at like 7:30 now every day, which is strange, without an alarm. Bad habit? F*ck, I don't know...not working out?
6. What is the last internet rabbit hole you went down?
Oh my God. The other day, I was trying to figure out why my car's brakes squeak, so I went down a rabbit hole for that. I also went down a rabbit hole for crows, the birds, because I found out how smart they were.
7. Describe your worst date in three words.
She was weird.
8. What was the last DM you received?
It was about Disneyland, that's all I know.
9. If you could be in any music video, what would it be?
“Big Pimpin',” by Jay-Z and UGK.
10. What was your first concert and what are your memories of it?
It was a reggae concert, it was Third World. I met Shaggy. That's what I remember.
11. What was your AIM screen name?
It was @natboii. My friend said I was a gnat, but I didn't know it was spelled with G. I was young.
12. What lyrics would you make your AIM away message today?
Oh, Lord. "She's a hood queen and her name is Renata." It's a YoungBoy song. Either that, or: "It's a parade inside my city, yeah."
13. What's your favorite meme or internet joke and why?
It's what I posted yesterday of this dude at a SZA concert displaying toxic masculinity.
14. What is your go-to break-up song?
“Feel No Ways” by Drake.
15. What piece of clothing from high school do you wish you kept?
All my Supreme shit. Jesus Christ.
16. What is one thing everyone should buy that is under $10?
A loofah.
17. What is one question you never want to be asked again?
What is somebody else's phone number.
18. What is your favorite fast food place and what's your order?
McDonald's: chicken nuggets, french fries, and a Coca-Cola.
19. What is your favorite pair of shoes you own and why?
Black Converse, just easy to go with everything and I love it when they're messy; I love when they're clean. Wait, also I love the Margiela brand. They're really a staple in my outfits now.
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