Who are your greatest influences in acting?
Will Smith was a big influence when I was growing up. From
his comedic timing to being able to do comedy and drama, he’s
definitely one of my favorites. There’s also Denzel Washington,
Michael Keaton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Viola
Davis, Meryl Streep, and Robert Downey Jr. Those are people I
just can’t help but watch and want to be. I pay attention to their
performances and just take notes about how they do it and the level
that they do it. And you know, people just can’t duplicate that. It’s
commitment and it is hard work.
I was actually able to work with another one of my idols,
Forest Whitaker. He has this subtlety and greatness behind
every moment; he does everything so quietly and subtly, but
also so powerfully. Working with Forest was just a life-changing
experience for me and something I’m going to cherish for the rest
my life. Getting the opportunity to work with a guy like a Will
Smith or Denzel would really help me transition into who I really
want to be.
“It’s cool to be
What first made you interested in joining the Maze
Runner films? Did you know it was going to be as
able to have a
popular as it is now?
little bit of growth
I’m going to be completely honest: Going into Maze
and maturity in
Runner, none of us had any idea what it would become.
my
character in
I was really, really excited to book the job. I auditioned
the
way that I
just like everybody else; Will [Poulter], Ki Hong [Lee],
play him and the
and I all auditioned for our respective roles and when it
came down to the opportunity to be able to get them, we things that he has
took it.
to accomplish.”
While we were filming the first one, we weren’t
really filming on a large scale. It was very indie, very
set in one place, and only had to deal with one location. Because
of that, we became such a close family and friends and we still all
love each other and keep in touch with each other to this day.
How much has your character changed since filming the
first Maze Runner?
I think he’s grown a lot, to be honest. When you’re in a movie like
this, you end up having a little bit more responsibility because
characters are going or passing on, and some roles end up getting
switched because people are leaving. For Frypan, his character
growth happens the most in the third movie, which is why I’m most
excited for people to see it. He gets put in a position of leadership
with Minho gone. Now, it’s kind of only Newt and Frypan that can
be with Thomas throughout this journey because he lost Teresa and
other people he has trusted in the beginning. It’s cool to be able to
have a little bit of growth and maturity in my character in the way
that I play him and the things that he has to accomplish.
When being in an action film of this size, how physically
demanding are the stunts?
Very demanding. Since we were shooting in Albuquerque, it’s a
mile high city, so it’s really hard to really get oxygen and adjust to
the environment that you’re in. So we did about two weeks worth
of just some cardio and running, really trying to get our bodies
into shape and get adjusted to the area that we were going to be
shooting in.
What has been your favorite moment off screen while
shooting The Death Cure? Were there any pranks or
shenanigans off set?
Yeah, there were a ton; there
were plenty of jokes anytime
we were all together. There
were no pranks per se, but
whenever we’re all together,
especially me and Dylan
[O’Brien], we kind of set the
tone in the comedy aspect.
What type of characters do
you tend to look for when
picking films? Who do you
hope to play in the future?
My favorite movie of all time is
Rush Hour and I think it blends
comedy and action great, so I
would love to do a movie like
that. I would love to be in a
film that will continue to create
conversation points, whether
it be drama or whether it’s in
action. I want to pick people’s
minds and take them to a place
www.clichemag.com
where they can just get away,
escape for a bit, and fall in
love with the scripts and the
characters.
Was there one experience
or person that made you
realize you loved acting?
It’s not just one actor, but there
are moments, like working with
Forest Whitaker, or making
memories with my castmates
on Maze Runner. It’s those
kind of moments where you’re
just being able to find things
that you can cherish for the
rest of your life. For example,
meeting Usher on Burden was
a big thing for me because he’s
one of my greatest inspirations.
It’s great to have those kind of
moments with people you really
love, appreciate, cherish.
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