Corey Fogelmanis was not a kid who waited for permission to perform. Born on August 13, 1999, this California-raised actor was already on a stage by age six — long before Disney came calling.
Today, he is one of the most quietly compelling young actors working in Hollywood, known for roles that ask him to go to deeply emotional places.
Who is Corey Fogelmanis?
Corey Shain Fogelmanis is an American actor best known for playing Farkle Minkus on the Disney Channel hit series Girl Meets World.
He carried that role for all three seasons from 2014 to 2017, earning two Emmy nominations along the way. Since then, he has pushed well beyond his Disney roots.
He has appeared in the Universal Pictures thriller Ma (2019), earning a Teen Choice Award nomination. His Netflix series My Life with the Walter Boys debuted in December 2023 and became one of the platform’s most-watched young adult dramas.
In 2025, he starred as the lead in I Wish You All the Best, a Lionsgate coming-of-age film that premiered at SXSW and received glowing reviews from critics.
Corey has spoken openly about what it means to him to play queer characters in a string of recent projects. He publicly came out as queer in June 2020. His authenticity on and off screen has made him a favorite among fans who feel seen in his performances.
Beyond acting, Corey is known for his love of photography, his deep bond with close friends including Sabrina Carpenter and Conan Gray, and his warm, unpretentious personality.
He is a genuine animal lover who has shared his home with dogs, a cat, and even a small flock of chickens.
Corey Fogelmanis Early Life
Corey Shain Fogelmanis was born in Thousand Oaks, California, and grew up in the nearby city of Camarillo. His middle name, Shain, is a portmanteau of his parents’ first names, Shannon and Dain.
His father Dain worked as a delivery driver for UPS. Corey’s mother Shannon has been a steady presence in his life. He has one younger sister named Baylee.
The Fogelmanis family surname has Latvian roots. Corey’s grandfather was a Latvian immigrant, making that heritage a meaningful part of his identity. His ancestry includes Latvian, Irish, English, Norwegian, and Swiss-German backgrounds.
Corey fell in love with performing almost as soon as he could walk. He began acting in local stage productions at age six. By the time he entered his teens, he had performed in approximately eighteen productions across the United States.
One of his most memorable early stage roles came at The Pasadena Playhouse in Southern California, where he appeared in Peter Pan and Tinker Bell alongside future close friends Sabrina Carpenter and August Maturo.
In 2011, he attended the Broadway Artists Alliance Intensive Workshops in New York City. That same year, he made his on-screen debut in the short film The Maiden and the Princess. His drive to learn and grow never stopped.
He later studied acting at Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop and spent a semester at The New School in New York City.
Corey Fogelmanis Age
Corey Fogelmanis is 27 years old as of 2026, born on August 13, 1999.
Ethnicity and Nationality
Corey is American. His heritage is a mix of European backgrounds, including Latvian, Irish, English, Norwegian, and Swiss-German ancestry.
Corey Fogelmanis Height and Weight
Corey Fogelmanis stands 5 feet 9 inches tall (1.77 meters). His reported weight is approximately 141 pounds (64 kg). His early training in gymnastics and dancing gave him a naturally athletic build that translates well on screen.
Corey Fogelmanis Career
The Disney Years: Girl Meets World
Corey’s career shifted into a completely different gear when he landed the role of Farkle Minkus on Girl Meets World in 2014. The Disney Channel series was a spin-off of the beloved 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World. Farkle, the quirky, lovably intense genius, became a fan favorite almost immediately.
The show ran for three seasons and ended in 2017. Corey appeared in every episode of the first season, initially as a guest star before being promoted to the main cast.
He worked alongside Rowan Blanchard, Sabrina Carpenter, Ben Savage, and Peyton Meyer. The role earned him two Emmy Award nominations, a remarkable achievement for a teenage actor on a family series.
Breaking Out of the Disney Box
After Girl Meets World ended, Corey was honest about the challenge of moving beyond his Disney image. In a September 2025 interview with Teen Vogue, he reflected that it felt like he had a lot to prove.
He acknowledged a period of waiting, learning, and showing industry gatekeepers what else he was capable of before they would take a chance on him.
He got his first major post-Disney opportunity with the 2019 Universal Pictures thriller Ma. Corey starred alongside Oscar winner Octavia Spencer in the psychological horror film, playing Andy.
The performance earned him a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Summer Movie Actor. It was a bold step toward proving his range.
In 2021, he appeared in the Netflix comedy-drama Moxie, directed by Amy Poehler. The film explored themes of feminism and activism at a high school level, and Corey played Mark.
The role showed he could hold his own in a larger ensemble cast with a sharper social edge.
Netflix Success: My Life with the Walter Boys
The role that introduced Corey to a brand-new generation of fans came in December 2023. Netflix premiered My Life with the Walter Boys, a coming-of-age drama based on Ali Novak’s novel. Corey played Nathan Walter, an openly gay teenage musician living with epilepsy.
The show was a significant hit for Netflix and was quickly renewed for a second season, which premiered in August 2025. A third season followed, with all ten episodes streaming from August 6, 2026.
For Season 3, Corey transitioned to a recurring role as Nathan’s storyline evolved. The series has been one of the platform’s most warmly received young adult dramas.
I Wish You All the Best and the Lead Role Breakthrough
Perhaps the most important chapter of Corey’s career so far came with the 2024 film I Wish You All the Best, directed by Tommy Dorfman.
Corey played Ben in what critics described as a breakthrough lead performance. The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2024, where it received exceptional early reviews.
Lionsgate released it theatrically in the United States on November 7, 2025. Variety praised the film for its compassionate take on a young person’s journey of self-discovery.
In an interview at SXSW, Corey spoke about how meaningful it was to lead a film of this kind. He described using the novel’s internal monologues as a resource for getting into character, and director Tommy Dorfman noted that Corey’s willingness to be deeply vulnerable made the film what it is.
Conan Gray Music Videos and The Adventures of Cliff Booth
In 2025, Corey appeared in a music video trilogy with his close friend and musician Conan Gray. The three videos for the songs “This Song,” “Vodka Cranberry,” and “Caramel” featured Corey and Conan playing characters named Brando and Wilson in what became an intimate, beloved series of visual pieces for Gray’s fans.
Corey also filmed a role in The Adventures of Cliff Booth, a David Fincher-directed sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The film stars Brad Pitt and was eyeing a Summer 2026 release through Netflix.
Stage Roots
Before any of the screen work, there was the stage. Corey began performing in local theater productions at six years old.
He went on to complete around eighteen productions across the country before transitioning fully to screen acting.
His stage work included musicals, plays, and a memorable run in Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirate’s Christmas at The Pasadena Playhouse.
Corey Fogelmanis Net Worth
Corey Fogelmanis’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026. His income comes primarily from his acting career across film and television.
His most commercially significant projects include his multi-season run on Girl Meets World, his role in the Universal Pictures film Ma, and his ongoing work on the Netflix series My Life with the Walter Boys.
Netflix series leads typically earn competitive rates for streaming platforms, and Corey’s steady output of film and television work has steadily built his financial standing.
Brand partnerships and social media have added to his income. He has a meaningful presence on Instagram, where he engages regularly with his fan community, known affectionately as his “Fogelmaniacs.”
Corey Fogelmanis Social Media
Corey is most active on Instagram, where he shares personal photos, behind-the-scenes moments, and his photography work.
He also runs a separate photography-focused Instagram account, @outofthedarkroom, which showcases his passion for the medium.
He is also on X (Twitter) and TikTok under the same handle, @coreyfogelmanis.
Corey Fogelmanis Boyfriend
Corey Fogelmanis publicly came out as queer in June 2020 through an Instagram post, in which he wrote about marching at his first LA Pride.
He noted that while he had identified with the LGBTQ+ community for some time, he had not previously stepped up publicly to support queer visibility and freedom.
That post resonated deeply with fans and marked an important moment in his public journey.
His current relationship status is not officially confirmed. One report links him to Jaylan Evans, an actor who also appeared on My Life with the Walter Boys, though this has not been publicly confirmed by Corey himself.
One of the most discussed aspects of his personal life is his close friendship with musician Conan Gray. The two have been friends for nearly a decade.
Conan cast Corey as his love interest in the 2025 Wishbone music video trilogy, leading many fans to wonder about the nature of their relationship.
Both Conan and Corey have described their connection as a deep and lasting friendship. Corey attended the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards as Conan’s date, and Conan brought him on stage during the ceremony.
Corey also remains close to his former Girl Meets World co-star Sabrina Carpenter. The two have maintained a warm public friendship over the years, with Corey attending multiple shows on her concert tours and reuniting publicly on social media. He has spoken warmly about their bond in interviews.
Corey Fogelmanis Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Maiden and the Princess | Evil Sibling | Short Film |
| 2012 | Partners | Young Louis | TV Series |
| 2012 | House of Lies | T-Bird | TV Series |
| 2014–2017 | Girl Meets World | Farkle Minkus | TV Series |
| 2016 | Mostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House | Max Doyle | Film |
| 2017 | PrankMe | Jasper Perkins | TV Series |
| 2017 | #SquadGoals | Various | Film |
| 2019 | Ma | Andy | Film |
| 2019 | Into the Dark | Various | TV Series |
| 2021 | Moxie | Mark | Film |
| 2023–2026 | My Life with the Walter Boys | Nathan Walter | TV Series |
| 2024 | Carved | Cody | Film (Hulu) |
| 2025 | I Wish You All the Best | Ben DeBacker | Film |
| TBA | The Adventures of Cliff Booth | TBA | Film |
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Summary
Corey Fogelmanis started performing before most kids his age could read a script, and that early love for storytelling has never left him.
From a stage in Camarillo to an SXSW premiere, his path has been shaped by patience, authenticity, and a quiet determination to be part of work that means something.
He brings that same spirit to his personal life, whether he is supporting a friend’s concert tour, advocating for queer visibility, or photographing the world around him. He is still only 27 — and the best chapters are very likely still ahead.