The actor and podcast host, who was adopted by a White Jewish family as a baby, used his upbringing as inspiration for the upcoming series 'Off Color'
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NEED TO KNOW
- Owen Thiele broke out in 2025 with roles on the series Overcompensating and Adults
- The actor, who was born in Houston, was adopted by a White Jewish family as a baby
- He used his upbringing as inspiration for the upcoming series Off Color
Years before Owen Thiele was a TV star and podcast host, he was a teen in Hebrew school who found himself in a bit of a pickle.
Like many Jewish kids, Thiele, 30, who was adopted by a White Jewish family as a baby, was enrolled in Hebrew school as he prepared to become a Bar Mitzvah — a rite of passage marking the transition to adulthood.
And like almost every child that age, he was thrust into some middle school drama. In Thiele's case, it put him squarely in the crosshairs of his rabbi.
“It's such a long story, but basically, somebody wanted to kiss somebody else. And I, of course, was in the middle, and I was brokering the deal,” Thiele tells PEOPLE. “I was helping both sides of my friends, and I got a text. By the way, I had a cell phone. I don't know why at 13 I had a cell phone — that's on my mother and not me."
"I had a cell phone, and a friend texted me saying that they didn't end up kissing, and out loud I said, 'Jesus f—ing Christ,' in a temple," he continues. "And yeah, my rabbi wasn't so happy with that.”
Credit: Owen Thiele/Instagram
The outburst led to Thiele’s rabbi asking if he wanted to continue taking lessons privately or to stop studying altogether.
“Obviously for me, Hebrew school was a social event as well as a religious event,” Thiele says. “So I was like, ‘If I'm not with my friends, then there's no point.’ And my parents were very upset, but I stood my ground.”
Though the snafu resulted in his stint in Hebrew school being cut short, Thiele says, “I think at some point maybe I will get Bar Mitzvahed as an older man.”
Thiele’s upbringing as a Black kid in a White Jewish family inspired the upcoming Amazon series Off Color, which he’ll star in, write and co-executive produce.
“It's truly a therapy session every time I'm writing it, but in a good way. It's not trauma. It's more the love I have for my family and friends,” he says.
Growing up, Thiele’s parents were his biggest cheerleaders. “Even when I was dancing alone on tables and other people would beg me to get down, my parents were filming me and telling me to hit a sharper move. And 'No, you missed the knee pop,' things like that," he recalls. "So I think it's always fun to show the love that parents can have for a kid, and truly, it's just blind love.”
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“I know that's not everyone's journey, and I know I'm so lucky for that,” he adds. “So yeah, it's really nice to write about. I find that I love my parents, every time I'm writing the script, more and more.”
Thiele’s career took off last year with his roles on Overcompensating and Adults. Both shows are set to return for a second season.
“I loved filming Adults so much. It's truly — I say this every year in press, but it's not a lie, so I have to keep saying it. It's truly a family, and every time I'm on-set with my castmates, I never want to leave them,” he says. “And Overcompensating. I feel the exact same way. [Creator, writer and costar] Benny [Skinner] is one of my best friends ever. And so to work with him, it's just so much fun.”
“And George in Overcompensating has a really fun storyline this year, so I'm excited about that,” Thiele teases. “Yeah, there's some really fun things coming up.”
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