29-year-old Josh Heuston is the centre of attention this week, both as the lead of Prime Video's Off Campus and as the actor the show says won't appear in Season 2. Heuston plays Justin Kohl, the charming frontman at the heart of a campus love triangle that pairs him with Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham. The show's creator Louisa Levy told TV Guide Justin won't feature in the next season but left the door open for a return, while Heuston has been talking about the character's humanity in interviews with WHO and a longer profile in the Sydney Morning Herald.

If you are deciding whether to tune in, follow Heuston as a rising Australian star, or care about the rumours he might not return, here is the short version: watch the show if you want to see him working a lead role on an international streamer, and note that the creative team has signalled he won't be part of Season 2 for now.

In Off Campus Josh Heuston plays Justin Kohl, the singer who sits in the middle of a heterosexual love triangle adapted from Elle Kennedy's campus-romance novels. The triangle pairs Heuston's Justin with Ella Bright's Hannah Wells and Belmont Cameli's hockey star Garrett Graham. The books built a big online following, and that BookTok energy has carried across to the screen, helping the series land on Prime Video for an international audience.

Heuston's shift into this kind of lead role is clear from his past credits. Before Off Campus he appeared in Heartbreak High, Dune: Prophecy and Dangerous Animals, credits the brief profile links to his move into higher profile, internationally streamed projects. The part of Justin cements that step into leading-man territory rather than a guest or supporting role.

The actor has described what drew him to Justin in conversation with WHO. "What excited me was how human the story is," he said, and he told the outlet he wanted Justin to feel like more than "just an obstacle" in the love triangle.

Heuston said he looked for quieter, insecure moments to deepen the role beyond the book's frontman persona. He also admitted being slightly embarrassed when asked about becoming a recurring "heartthrob," telling WHO he would take those parts if the story warranted them but that he didn't set out to chase that label.

The context matters. A Sydney Morning Herald profile expanded on his background and screen approach, highlighting his musical ability and the career advice he has received. The longer piece also quoted Heuston explaining why he thinks rom-coms are making a comeback, and framed Off Campus as a lighter, character-driven counterpoint to the darker, larger-scale projects he has worked on. That framing helps explain why Heuston would be drawn to Justin even as his resume includes very different material.

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Heuston's public week was more than interviews. He was visible in Sydney this week at an Off Campus activation in Paddington staged inside the Romancing the Novel bookstore. The event recreated elements of the show’s fictional Briar University and featured a Q&A hosted by Alex Hourigan. Australian singer REDD performed a song that appears on the series soundtrack, titled Messy.

Organisers noted Off Campus is now streaming on Prime Video, which makes the series widely available.

At the same time the series' creative team signalled a change for the next season. Showrunner Louisa Levy told TV Guide that Justin won't appear in Season 2. Levy said, "Not next season, but I love Josh and I wouldn't write him off if I can find a way to bring Justin back at some point," and she added that the series hasn't yet introduced Stella, the character Justin ends up with in the books, which leaves a possible opening for future storylines. Levy also said the show doesn't have Heuston available for the upcoming season, but she stopped short of closing the door entirely.

Put together, the week offers a clear snapshot of Heuston's position. He is a 29-year-old Australian actor who has stepped into a leading role on a global streaming platform, he has talked publicly about the choices behind his performance, and he was on the ground in Sydney helping promote the show. At the same time the production has acknowledged a casting shift for Season 2 that excludes his character for now, even if creative language suggests a return is possible in future seasons or specials.

Those two lines of coverage move different conversations. Fans and BookTok followers are focused on Heuston as the lead they loved on screen and on the creative choices he made to humanise Justin.

The production side is dealing with scheduling, casting and story mapping for the next season. Both matter, because one decides what appears on screen and the other decides whether that actor will be available to appear in it.

If your interest is practical: Off Campus is streaming on Prime Video and you can judge Heuston's performance for yourself there. If your interest is speculative about casting, the showrunner's comments in TV Guide are the latest authoritative update. But if your interest is in Heuston as an emerging name, the Sydney Morning Herald profile and his interview with WHO give a fuller sense of his approach and where he places this role among other, heavier work.

For an Australian actor moving into international visibility, the combination of a streaming lead, positive press and a hometown activation is notable. It's the sort of week that can lift a profile quickly, even as the day-to-day realities of production mean not every season will include every character fans want to see.

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The one concrete milestone to watch is any official Season 2 casting announcement or a release date from the production or Prime Video; that will determine whether Louisa Levy's line that she 'wouldn't write him off' becomes a real comeback. Until then, Off Campus is the place to see Heuston in a lead role and the recent interviews are the best guide to how he has shaped the part. Originally reported by WHO.

This article was created with AI assistance.