Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Stargirl’s Collin Blackford

Collin Blackford is an up-and-coming actor (and future leading man) whose career is without question flourishing. He landed the coveted role of Benny Burrito in Disney+’s adaptation of Jerry Spinelli’s bestselling novel Stargirl, a tale with the timeless message of being true to yourself. Collin, impressively, filmed Stargirl while juggling the demands of high school. Pop Culturalist caught up with Collin in between classes to chat about Stargirl, managing his time, and his plans postgraduation.

Career

PC: How did you discovered your passion for acting?
Collin: I did a play in my elementary school, just like any other kid. It was a grade-wide thing. I realized that it was something I really liked to do. I went to my parents and I was like, “Hey, this is something I really had fun with. I want to do more of it.”

So then I joined the Rocky Mountain Conservatory Theatre in Colorado. That’s where I really discovered my passion for acting. From there, I moved into film. But that’s where it all started, back when I was seven.

PC: Having gotten your start in theater, how has your experience on the stage prepared you for your work on screen?
Collin: Theater helped me feel comfortable with performing in front of a lot of people. It also helped with my public speaking. When I was in front of a camera, I wasn’t really nervous because I’m used to performing in front of hundreds of people. Now I just have to perform in front of like twenty.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Collin: I would say my biggest influence has been my old acting coach Patrick Sheridan. He passed away in 2018 from pancreatic cancer. But he was my film acting coach out here in Colorado, and he taught me everything I know. He was a great friend to both me and my parents. He taught me to be myself, and everything that I have today is from him. Even when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he still had such a positive outlook on life. I have so much respect for him as a person and the impact he had on my career and my life.

PC: You’re currently a junior in high school. How challenging is it for you to balance both life as a normal teenager and your career?
Collin: It’s definitely very challenging, but it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always said that the film industry will always be here, but high school only happens once. I only get to play high school basketball once in my life. It’s very difficult, and there are a lot of tough decisions that I have to make. I may have this big audition that I have to go down to, but then I have a summer basketball game—what do I do? Ultimately, I have to choose. But for me, it’s always been important to experience high school. It’s a tricky process to go through, but it’s one that I think is really worth it.

PC: Speaking of challenging decisions, you’re about to reach a milestone next year, graduating high school. Have you started to think about what life will be like postgraduation?
Collin: I have, yeah. I’ve always wanted to go to college and get a degree. Mostly because I want to have a backup plan. Acting isn’t the most reliable career. Last summer, I visited UCLA and LMU, and I loved them both. This summer, if everything calms down, I want to go out and visit some more schools. I want to go to a school in LA or Vancouver. Both of those areas are places where I can go to school and still audition, which is huge for me.

Stargirl

PC: Your new film, Stargirl, is out now on Disney+. Tell us about the film, your character, and what drew you to the project.
Collin: The film is a love story between the main character—Leo—and Stargirl. It’s their journey together and Leo discovering what it really means to be yourself in high school. My character is one of Leo’s best friends. What’s niche about me is that I eat a ton of food. So throughout the whole movie, in every scene, I’m either having a burrito, a hot dog, popcorn, or something like that—that’s my thing. It was such a fun character to play.

The fact that it was a Disney movie drew me in immediately. But it also has such a strong and relevant message about being true to yourself. It’s a message that’s been told a lot, but this is done in such a realistic way. The same goes for the book. I think the message is so strongly portrayed, and it’s portrayed in such a realistic way, especially for someone in high school.

PC: Was there any pressure heading into this project, given that it is a Disney movie and it’s been a highly anticipated adaptation?
Collin: There definitely was. Working with Julia Hart [director] and Jordan Horowitz [writer] was so great. They made everyone feel so comfortable. It felt like being at home with a great group of kids. A lot of us aren’t big names, which definitely helped because we became such good friends immediately. There was no drama. Everyone got along so well, and that took the pressure off. It felt like a group of friends having fun. I think it shows in the film. I really have to hand it to Julia, Jordan, and the whole cast. It was so much fun to work on.

PC: At the heart of the film are Leo and Stargirl. They have different approaches to high school. Are you more Leo or more Stargirl?
Collin: It’s hard because I relate to both of them. I would like to say that you want to be like Stargirl—you want to be your own person. After filming this, I definitely have become that. I’m trying to be my own person, but everyone goes through periods of their life where they’re like Leo and they try to conform because that’s high school. You look back and you wish you didn’t, but I definitely can’t say that I’m either or. I’ve recently started to lean more towards Stargirl and being myself and being outgoing and not being afraid of who I am.

PC: This is a breakout role for you. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Collin: I got my start doing independent films in Colorado. So the biggest thing for me was on the technical side. This is bigger than anything I’ve ever done before. It was mind-blowing.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Collin: iCarly

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Collin: Office Space. I love that movie.

PC: Favorite book?
Collin: The Outsiders

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Collin: I’d probably go with Julius Caesar. I was Mark Antony in that play when I was eight years old.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Collin: I’d probably go with the late, great Avicii. I have about seven of his songs on my playlist.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Collin: Jason Bateman. We have the same sarcastic humor.

To keep up with Collin, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Stargirl on Disney+ today.

Photo Credit: Kailtin McMullen