Pop Culturalist Chats with Boarding School’s Luke Prael

Luke Prael is an exciting fresh face leading the way for a new wave of talented young actors emerging in Hollywood today. Earlier this summer, he made his feature film debut as a supporting character in one of the most talked-about movies of the year, Eighth Grade. He’ll be seen next leading the extraordinary cast of the indie horror film, Boarding School, where his character is sent away to a mysterious institute where strange occurrences take place. His character, Jacob, must conquer his fears and find his strength in order to survive.

PC: Tell us about Boarding School and your character.
Luke: Boarding School is a horror film that’s set in the ’90s and has a deep connection to the Holocaust. My character, Jacob, is a troubled kid who gets sent to a boarding school by his stepfather, but not for the reasons he may think. At the boarding school, Jacob meets other kids who were sent there by their parents, including Christine (Sterling Jerins), Lenny (Kobi George), Calvin (Kadin George), Phil (Nadia Alexander), and Elwood (Nicholas J. Oliveri). Jacob and the kids have to save themselves from Dr. and Mrs. Sherman. He finds his strength through a connection with his grandmother.

PC: How did you land the role?
Luke: I went in for an audition with Stephanie Holbrook, who was the casting director for this project. I did two scenes: one where I first met Christine and another with Phil. Ten days later, I got a director’s session with Boaz Yakin. I did a few scenes for him with Sterling, whom I’ve actually known my whole life. Sterling and I are very close and we both ended up getting cast!

PC: In the film, Jacob inadvertently embarks on this journey to self-empowerment. Did you draw on any personal experience when tapping into your character?
Luke: Jacob is a very complicated character in extreme circumstances, but I had to take similar experiences in my life and try to channel them into the role. In the film, Jacob is fighting for survival after being trapped at a boarding school. That’s not something I’ve experienced, so I had to find something similar. For me, it was drawing back to feelings of going to school and not feeling like I fit in and also just being in a place where I felt uncomfortable. It was a very difficult but fun role to play.

PC: As you said earlier, Jacob emerges as a leader among the students at the boarding school. Is that similar to your own personality?
Luke: I think I have leadership qualities but I wouldn’t say I’m a leader amongst my friends. We all just enjoy hanging out and being around each other. I’m more of a chill, laid-back guy who likes to go along with what’s happening at the time.

PC: You have two films out right now: Boarding School and Eighth Grade. While they’re very different, they share a similar message about being yourself. Are these the types of stories and characters that you’re attached to?
Luke: I love young adult films that send a positive message. You can take a lot from both films. Eighth Grade is a heartfelt, relatable film. Everyone can relate to the anxiety of fitting in.

PC: You’re just starting out in your career. What was the biggest takeaway from this project?
Luke: This is my first experience as a lead. I worked a lot of long hours and it took a lot out of me, but I wouldn’t want to change anything. It’s what I love to do and this experience is motivating me to do more and more projects.

PC: What do you hope audiences take away from seeing this film?
Luke: I hope audiences take away the strength and power to embrace their heritage.

Boarding School hits theaters on August 31, 2018.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.