The actor and musician gives us an introduction to his character, Henry.
You were in the second season of "The Wilds." What can fans expect from your character?
You can expect a lot of darkness from Henry. He’s an emo kid that often keeps to himself and lives in his own world. There’s usually My Chemical Romance blasting in his headphones. He also loves “Gives You Hell” by The All-American Rejects. He’s very smart but when he does speak up, it’s often at the wrong times and tends to create even more stress in the already stressful environment they have found themselves in. He also has an interesting relationship with his stepbrother Seth, who is on the island as well. Henry already has his own issues with Seth and their relationship goes through many ups and downs while on the island. The one sentence I’d use to describe Henry would be “quiet former boy-scout with deep emotions and knowledge”.
If you could have been cast as any other character in “The Wilds” who would it have been and why?
Of the girls, I feel like Toni would be really cool to play. She’s a very complex character and I feel like I learn something new about her every time I watch the show. Of the boys, I would say Josh because we’re really different from each other, so I feel like it would be challenging and interesting to take on.
You’re a producer and musician and debuted your first album at 14. What made you want to be an artist?
I’m from Honolulu, Hawaii, and my parents both worked in the film + TV business over there when I was a kid, so I was around a set for a lot of my childhood. I fell in love with the behind-the-scenes part of it all, and knew I wanted to do something in the industry. It inspired me to make my own little short films. I would film, edit, and sometimes act in them. They were bad but I was like 10 years old. I didn’t know I really wanted to be an actor until later on in my teenage years. I honestly really fell in love with it right when I turned 18, which was pretty recently.
As a producer and musician, I’ve been making music for a long time. My first instrument was the ukulele. I had been playing it since I was 4 and started to write my own music when I was 12. My first album is just a bunch of songs I made when I was 14. I guess it’s fine for a 14-year-old kid but I really wouldn’t recommend anyone to go listen to it now. I’m 20 now and it’s taken me a while to really figure out the type of music I want to make, but I feel really comfortable and proud of what I’ve been working on recently. I learned how to produce around 4 years ago and have been producing and co-writing for other artists and their projects, which has been really nice.
If you could sit in on a creative session of any artist living or dead, who would it be?
I would probably have to choose Jai Paul or Rosalia. I think Jai Paul is one of the best producers to ever exist. Every time I listen to his music, I feel very inspired. It sounds so raw and new, even though the album was released in 2013. I think he’s a very unique and one-of-a-kind artist. It’s exactly how I feel about Rosalia as well. She just does her own thing and doesn’t really care about what anyone else thinks. She’s incredible and her new album “Motomami” is a very creative and genre-bending album. It’s amazing. On top of that, I hope my visuals (music videos, art) are even half as good as hers one day. Both of these artists are exactly what I think music is all about. Just being yourself. And not alive, I would say Prince.
If you were not an actor, where do you think you would be right now?
I really have no idea. I’ve never really had another plan! Maybe a lawyer? Or a therapist? Very difficult jobs but might be interesting.
What advice would you give to an up-and-coming actor who is just starting out in this industry?
Learn something new every day and surround yourself with likeminded people you can learn from and grow with. Keep falling in love with your craft. Constantly create and try new things. Figure out what makes you stand out. Watch other artists that do their own thing.
If you could go to one country right now, which one would you pick?
Japan is my favorite place in the world. I would go there right now. I would like to move there when I retire.
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