If you’ve logged into Netflix lately to catch the latest chaos in Wellsbury, you probably noticed something. Or rather, someone. Austin from Ginny and Georgia now looks like he could be heading to high school, even though the show is trying its hardest to convince us he’s still a little kid in Harry Potter glasses.
It’s the classic "Stranger Things" problem.
Production delays, a global hiatus, and the natural laws of biology have turned Diesel La Torraca—the actor who plays Austin Miller—into a teenager while his character is frozen in a timeline that barely moves. Fans are losing it. TikTok is flooded with memes of "Austin" looking like a grown man while Georgia still treats him like he's nine. Honestly, it’s kinda hilarious. But behind the growth spurts and the deepening voice, there’s a real challenge for the show’s writers and a pretty interesting career trajectory for the young actor himself.
The Age Gap Reality Check
Let’s look at the math. It’s been a long road since the Miller family first pulled into town.
When Diesel La Torraca first started filming Season 1, he was about eight years old. He was tiny. He fit the "cute younger brother" trope perfectly. Fast forward to 2026, and Diesel is officially 14. He’s a teenager. Meanwhile, the timeline of the show has barely moved a year. In the world of Ginny & Georgia, Austin is supposedly still nine or ten.
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The physical difference is impossible to miss. In Season 3, which dropped in June 2025, Diesel is literally taller than Antonia Gentry (Ginny). To make it work, the production team has had to get creative. Diesel has admitted in interviews with Teen Vogue that he sometimes has to bend his knees during shots to look shorter. They’ve even put Antonia Gentry on "apple boxes" (wooden crates) just so she can tower over him like a big sister should.
He’s literally outgrowing the set.
Why Austin From Ginny and Georgia Now Is a Different Character
It isn't just about height. The Austin we see now is carrying way more weight than the kid who just wanted to wear his glasses and hide in his room.
The Season 3 finale was a massive turning point. If you watched it, you know the stakes shifted from "schoolyard bullying" to "perjury in a murder trial." Austin took the stand and lied to protect Georgia. He claimed his biological father, Gil, was the one who killed Tom Fuller. That’s heavy stuff for a character the show still treats as a fourth or fifth grader.
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Diesel has mentioned that playing a nine-year-old at 14 requires a lot of "acting." He has to:
- Heighten his voice register so he doesn't sound too deep.
- Slouch his shoulders to look smaller and more "insecure."
- Channel a version of himself that he basically grew out of years ago.
The fans have noticed the disconnect. One viral tweet joked that it’s only been a "weekend" in show-time, but Austin aged like he went through a "ten-year time skip."
What’s Next for Diesel La Torraca?
The show isn't recasting. Showrunner Sarah Lampert has been very clear: "Diesel is Austin." They’re leaning into the growth. Instead of pretending he’s still a toddler, the writers are starting to give Austin more "pre-teen" problems, even if the official age on his character bio hasn't moved much.
But Diesel isn't just sticking to Wellsbury. He’s been busy. You might have spotted him in:
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- Unsung Hero (2024): He played Joel Smallbone in this biopic.
- IT: Welcome to Derry (2025): He took on the role of Young Francis Shaw in the high-profile It prequel series.
- La Brea: He had a recurring role as Isaiah.
He’s transitioning from "child star" to "serious actor" right before our eyes. While we’re all laughing at the height difference between him and Ginny, he’s actually building a pretty diverse resume that goes way beyond being the kid in the glasses.
Dealing With the "Wellsbury Time Construct"
The biggest takeaway for fans of Austin from Ginny and Georgia now is that time in Wellsbury is, as the creators put it, a "construct."
If you’re looking for perfect logic, you won’t find it. The show moves at a snail’s pace while the actors are aging in real-time. It's a bit jarring to see a 14-year-old actor playing a character who still gets "tucked in," but that’s the magic (and the messiness) of long-form TV.
Season 4 is currently in the works. Production reportedly started in late 2025 and is running into early 2026. By the time those episodes hit Netflix, Diesel will likely be 15. The "little brother" vibe is going to be even harder to maintain, which means we can probably expect Austin to have a much more mature, perhaps even rebellious, storyline coming up. He knows too many of Georgia's secrets now to stay "the baby" of the family.
To keep up with the latest on the Miller family, you should definitely follow Diesel on TikTok. He’s surprisingly self-aware about the memes and often posts videos "trying to convince people Austin is still 9." It’s that kind of personality that’s keeping the fan base loyal even when the show's timeline feels a little bit broken.
Keep an eye on the Season 4 production updates—it's going to be interesting to see how they handle the next inevitable growth spurt.