Why Ginny and Georgia Viewers Should Overlook Austin’s Age Amid Recast Controversy
While Ginny & Georgia enthusiasts have speculated about whether Diesel La Torraca’s recent growth spurt might lead to Austin being recast, his co-stars have a different perspective.
Scott Porter shared his thoughts on the topic of Austin’s age during an interview with Us Weekly at the Motion Picture & Television Fund NextGen Annual Summer Party on Sunday, June 22. He remarked, “The way the show has handled it is quite clever. As we approach the promotion of season 3, it’s like, let’s just embrace the situation. Let’s wink at the audience and acknowledge, ‘Hey, we’re all in on it.’”
The third season of the beloved Netflix series, which premiered on June 5, sparked numerous memes regarding how the show dealt with the time gap between filming seasons 2 and 3. Season 2 concluded filming in early 2022, with production on the third season commencing two years later, due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
La Torraca’s role in the show became a topic of discussion when Austin appeared noticeably older in season 3, despite the absence of any time jumps between episodes. The series cleverly kept Austin swaddled in blankets and mostly seated to minimize focus on the reality that La Torraca, now 14, portrays a child in the second grade.
Creator Sarah Lampert acknowledged to Us that viewers would need to “suspend their disbelief” since La Torraca “grew up, and it’s just a TV show,” expressing that season 4 of Ginny & Georgia will “really lean into” La Torraca’s real-life teenager status.
“Everyone who works on the show knows I’m meticulous about the details. I focus on so many aspects. But when it comes to Diesel aging five years, I’m like, ‘What can we do?’ Because it’s uncontrollable,” she humorously commented earlier this month. “We can’t recast. Diesel is Austin.”
Lampert hinted that season 4 will further explore Austin’s perceived age.
“Honestly, this works for us because now he’s genuinely part of the family in a way he wasn’t before,” she added. “He was just a little kid. With everything we put him through in season 3 and entering season 4 as a preteen, he’s joining the conversation in a new way.”
Porter, 45, praised La Torraca for making the audience invest in Austin, stating, “Diesel is incredible — it would be a significant loss to not have him continue with our show. If the viewers can overlook it, so can we.”
He continued: “We want to keep Diesel with us, and that’s the main goal. He’s amazing. Austin’s story arc is just starting to get really exciting, and I love witnessing his development over the past few years. I can’t wait to see where he takes it next.”
Reflecting on the show’s popularity, Porter speculated on how long Ginny & Georgia might continue.
“Our creator, Sarah, is a limitless source of stories. I’m sure we could keep this going for a long time, but it’s really up to the viewers and Netflix to decide our future,” he noted. “But I want to extend a big thank you to our viewers for sticking with us through these first three seasons. We never anticipated the show to become this successful — and it’s all thanks to you. So thank you!”
Ginny & Georgia is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
