Brianne Howey Teases 'Ginny and Georgia' Addressing Austin Recast Concerns
Ginny and Georgia usweekly‘s Brianne Howey teased how season 4 would address actor Diesel La Torraca‘s growth spurt after there were concerns that her onscreen son Austin would be recast.
"I saw a little bit of it," Howey, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her Colgate partnership after their The Science of WOW campaign.. "I didn't take any of it seriously."
Howey hinted that the Netflix show would find a way to lean into the offscreen rumors, adding, "What's so fun about the show as a whole is how tongue and cheek it is. We play into these aspects."
She continued: "So it wasn't something we were actually worried about. But it's hard to deny that he is growing. He's grown so much as a young man."
Howey also praised the show for using La Torraca, 15, getting older - while Austin isn't meant to age more than a day or two between seasons - as commentary on kids growing up too soon due to trauma.
"Absolutely, I think that's what they're so clever with in the writers' room," she noted. "You'll see this season. They started to play into it a little bit last season but even more so this season they play into the natural changes that are happening."
After season 3 aired in 2025, viewers questioned whether La Torraca was now too old to play Ginny's (Antonia Gentry) half-brother while pointing out the lengths the Netflix show went to conceal the young actor's growth spurt.
Creator Sarah Lampertweighed in at the time on why the show wasn't trying to be accurate with Austin's age.
"Anyone who works on the show will tell you I am fastidious about the details. I am just specific with so many things. Then things like Diesel growing five years [older], I'm like, ‘Whatever.' Because you can't control it," she exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2025. "We can't recast. Diesel is Austin."
Before the show returns, Howey has remained booked and busy with partnerships such as with Colgate Optic White as part of their The Science of WOW series. In the campaign, Howey got to highlight how Colgate's hydrogen peroxide complex works with enamel to dissolve years of stains to help reveal a brighter and confident smile.
"I got to learn so much. My favorite part about it all is that it's beauty and science," Howey told Us. "I also got to work with Colgate scientist Dr. Lisa Manus, who was just the best. She's a total natural and she belongs in front of the camera. But I feel like I learned so much about the science of it all with the hydrogen peroxide complex. Most toothpaste targets surface stains, but what Colgate Optic White does is also focuses on deep set stains and the differences between these two things. When you feel confident, you look confident."
Ginny & Georgia is currently streaming on Netflix.
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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 6:16 AM.