Hollywood Arts Star Martin Kamm on Oscar, Victorious and New Music

Photography by Charlie Neuenschwander

For Martin Kamm, Hollywood Arts marks the kind of breakout moment that brings several parts of his creative life together at once. The rising actor, singer-songwriter, and musician stars as Oscar in Netflix’s new Victorious spin-off, stepping into the world of Hollywood Arts as a fiercely confident theater obsessive whose identity is tied closely to his talent, ambition, and larger-than-life self-belief.

Kamm, who grew up watching Victorious, admits he initially felt the weight of joining such a recognizable universe, but says the cast, crew, and returning star Daniella Monet helped turn that pressure into something fun and collaborative.

The role arrives just as Kamm is introducing audiences to another side of himself. One day after Hollywood Arts premieres, he will release his debut EP, Listen to the Radio, a project shaped by adventure, road trips, and the experiences that have helped define him as both a person and an artist.

LO’AMMI spoke with Kamm about becoming Oscar, entering the Victorious universe, learning from Monet, and what his music reveals that audiences may not see onscreen.

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More than 5,700 actors auditioned for the five central roles in Hollywood Arts. When you think back to your first audition for Oscar, what did you connect with in him that made you feel, “I know how to play this guy”?

What I noticed immediately is Oscar is a big theater nerd. He lives and breathes it and knows so much about it. That was something I gravitated toward immediately.

Oscar walks into a room genuinely believing he might be the most talented, and probably the best-looking, person in it. That confidence could easily become one-note, but there’s also something vulnerable underneath it. What did you discover about why Oscar needs to believe in himself so loudly?

What I found is that Oscar doesn’t just believe it, he knows it. To him, so much of his identity is tied to his good looks and talent. Oscar is so loud about it because he’s making sure that everybody knows exactly who “Oscar” is. When that is questioned, he believes that reflects him as a person.

So much of Oscar’s comedy seems to come from how seriously he takes himself. When you were building the character, how did you find that balance where Oscar can be ridiculous without ever realizing that he’s the joke?

Because Oscar believes so much in himself, he really can’t fathom a world where that’s the case. To him, how he thinks of himself is totally normal and part of life - like needing oxygen to breathe.

You’re stepping into the world of Victorious, which already means something very specific to millions of people, but you’re also introducing a character and an ensemble that have to belong to a new generation. Did you ever feel the weight of that history while filming, or did the cast have to consciously forget about it and make Hollywood Arts your own?

At first, I absolutely felt the weight. Especially seeing those magnificent sets for the first time! I grew up with Victorious and now I’m here in the world. Our directors, writers and crew created such a wonderful and fun atmosphere that really helped ease the weight. Hollywood Arts is an incredibly fun show, and during the process, we had fun!

Daniella Monet has known this world since the original series, but now she’s returning not only as Trina, but as an executive producer and someone helping guide a completely new cast. What did you learn from working with her that you might not have learned from another scene partner?

She taught us how to turn our characters off and on. Daniella Monet is so different from who Trina is in real life, it’s almost night and day. Her ability to just step into that character was incredible, simultaneously with her ability to wear many hats: flipping from Executive producer to actor, to friend. Daniella was always professional and a joy to be around. Truly couldn’t have asked for a better mentor on set!

There’s an interesting parallel between Oscar arriving at Hollywood Arts convinced he’s destined for something big and you entering a potentially career-changing moment of your own. As this show introduces you to a much larger audience, how do you hold onto the person and artist you were before all of this happened?

I will be honest, I got really lucky with the people who surround me; family members, mentors and friends. They’ve always been extremely supportive and are quick to give me a reality check when I need it.

Then, almost immediately after Hollywood Arts premieres, you’re releasing your debut EP. Acting, songwriting and musicianship have all been part of your life for years, so what will people hear in that music that they might never understand about Martin simply from watching you play Oscar? The EP “Listen to the Radio” shows how much I love adventure and love sharing experiences with people. The majority of the music is very road trip coated. The song Cheap Coffee I wrote while literally on a road trip to LA! It was some of the most fun I’ve had and gave me a lot of time to think about who I am as a person and artist. I wanted to share that experience with the world.