September/October 2018 - 46 ISSUE
JAMO
Interview
First of all thank you so much for being on JAMO, Tell us about your role in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween?
Thanks for having me. I play the role of Tommy Madigan in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. He’s not very kind and likes to cause issues for some of the other kids. It was a really fun role to play as he is a central character to the plot of the movie.
How would you differentiate your character in Goosebumps from your Stranger Things character?
Troy from Stranger Things takes things to extremes by threatening to kill the kids at one point, I can’t say Tommy takes things to the same level. I think Tommy is a much more well-rounded character where Troy never really developed beyond his psychotic bullying.
How do you respond to haters and bullies on social media?
I’m fortunate enough to not get very much hate, but when I do, I usually just ignore it. Typically, if they take it too far, I may respond with something snarky every now and then to hopefully make them realize there is a difference between the character I play and the person I really am.
Where would you like to be in your career five years from now & What has been your greatest accomplishment as an actor?
Five years from now, as long as I’m working steadily throughout every year, I’m content. Being able to do what I love on a continual and consistent basis is what I truly want. It would seem my greatest accomplishment would have been booking Stranger Things, but I think my greatest accomplishment has been being able to continually book larger roles on a consistent basis since Stranger Things. Obviously, the exposure from Stanger Things has certainly helped with that.
What have you learned about yourself since you becoming an actor?
I think I’ve learned that I don’t necessarily have to take the same life path as others. I feel like you are always kind of taught to take the safe route: finish high school, go to college, get a degree, get a good job. You are not taught to take risks, however, you are always told to “follow your dreams”, but very few people actually do.