Jason Drucker is a name that should be on everybody’s radar. At only thirteen, he’s already led his first feature film, stepping into the shoes of Greg Heffley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. This December, he’s adding another major credit to his already impressive résumé, starring alongside Hailee Steinfeld in Bumblebee. Pop Culturalist caught up with this rising star to chat about the film.
PC: Tell us about Bumblebee, your character, and what drew you to this project?
Jason: It was such a blast working on Bumblebee. First off, it’s an incredible franchise. I’m only thirteen and I feel extremely blessed to already be a part of such a huge franchise this early in my career. I play Otis Watson, who is the younger sibling of the protagonist, Charlie Watson. I’m mainly in the movie to build more of the story and also serve as the comic relief. Throughout the movie, you’ll see how our relationship as brother and sister progresses. We end up showing more love and compassion towards each other.
PC: The film’s set in the ’80s. How did you prepare to jump into that era?
Jason: Well, I asked my parents a lot of questions about the ’80s: what they wore, what kind of music they listened to, and stuff like that. Once I got on set, I learned even more than what my parents told me. From what I could take away, people wore high waisted pants, neon colors were in, and big hair was a thing. Also, technology was a lot less advanced than today.
PC: How similar or different would you say you are to your character?
Jason: For the most part, I’m pretty similar to Otis. We both get along well with our siblings, but there are times I can be a bit mean, rude, or pouty towards them.
PC: This is your second time working with Hailee Steinfeld. How helpful was that when building a dynamic between your two characters?
Jason: Hailee is such a great person and it was incredible working with her again. She’s so humble and down-to-earth, regardless of everything she’s achieved. She’s a multi-platinum artist and Oscar-nominated actress, but she hasn’t changed one bit. She also gives the best advice!
PC: You’re best known for your role in The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Did you take any lessons that you learned from that project over to Bumblebee?
Jason: Yeah, for sure! I was the lead for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, so I was needed a lot more. I didn’t have a lot of time to spare like I did on Bumblebee, but I took my skills of dealing with being under pressure to Bumblebee.
PC: What can you tease about the impact that Bumblebee will have on Otis and Charlie?
Jason: Well, Otis and Bumblebee don’t interact too much. I think the beauty of this film is the relationship between Bumblebee and Charlie. This film is different than others in the franchise because it focuses on the robot to human relationship and it’s a lot more lighthearted. Everyone will fall in love with Bumblebee because he’s basically a human. He also has a lot of very, very funny moments, and some kick butt ones too.
PC: What was your favorite scene to film and what was the most challenging?
Jason: I have one scene that falls into both categories! It was when we were filming a car chase, but it wasn’t real, of course. We were using all special effects, but it was really fun because we were in front of a green screen. They were rocking the car to make it look like we were actually in a car chase. Then, they had to yell “cut” real quick, but I couldn’t move a muscle because at the end of the scene, my character throws up. Someone from the side came over to me and poured some watered down oatmeal in my mouth then they yelled “action” immediately and I spit it out. It turned out fantastic.
PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences take away?
Jason: I hope they fall in love with Bumblebee. Like I said earlier, this film focuses on the Transformers themselves, who they are, and why they’re on earth to protect and be loyal guardians of the planet. I hope they enjoy the little differences and have a great time.
PC: Do you remember the moment that you discovered your passion for acting?
Jason: I don’t know if I remember the details because I was six-years-old when I got into the industry, but I’ve always enjoyed entertaining people and I’ve always been very animated. My mom saw this in me and said, “Hey, why don’t I put you in an acting camp and see if you like it!” I loved it, but it wasn’t anything too serious because I was just having fun. My mom had me go interview with some agents. Low and behold, I was signed in the first interview. Soon after, I got submitted for a little commercial. I booked it and it kept on snowballing from there, just bigger and better projects from that tiny little commercial.
PC: Your career is just kicking off. Do you have a dream role or somebody that you would love to work with in the future?
Jason: My two idols in acting are definitely Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell. It would be insane and absolutely mind-blowing if I were able to work on a project with either one of them. I’d also like to get a role in a superhero movie or as a superhero, that’d be pretty cool.
PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Jason: It’s SpongeBob. I honestly don’t watch too much TV, but when I do, I just watch a bunch of silly cartoons on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.
PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Jason: Oh man. Oh, The Shining. I know horror movies aren’t exactly a guilty pleasure, but I just fell in love with that movie the first time I saw it. I could watch for it days on end. I could watch it every single day and not get bored of it. It’s such an incredible movie.
PC: Favorite book?
Jason: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
PC: A favorite play or musical?
Jason: I haven’t seen too many, but I’m seeing Hamilton with my grandparents in a few weeks.
PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Jason: I don’t really listen to too many different genres of music other than rap and rock and roll. I feel like people may be a bit more surprised that I listen to rock and roll. AC/DC and Led Zeppelin are my two favorite bands for sure.
PC: Hidden talent?
Jason: I’m not too talented aside from acting. I’m pretty good at baseball, but I feel like a lot of people know that. Let’s see. I can make my finger snap by just squeezing my fist.
Make sure to follow Jason on Twitter and Instagram, and catch Bumblebee in theaters now!
Photo Credit: Neil Cohen Photography
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