Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Vampires vs. the Bronx’s Jaden Michael

Jaden Michael is making waves this year for his performance as Miguel Martinez in Netflix’s Vampires vs. the Bronx. The highly acclaimed film follows a group of friends who are fighting to save their neighborhood from gentrification…and vampires. It’s a project and role that mean a great deal to Jaden, who felt empowered to represent his community and culture on screen. Pop Culturalist caught up with Jaden to learn more about him, his career, and Vampires vs. the Bronx.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Jaden: There are two story lines here. The first one being when my mom put me into modeling when I was a little kid. She said I was cute. I don’t see it, but she wanted to put me into acting after the modeling stuff. It just happened that I really, really loved it.

At first, I was like, “I’m on TV. All my friends see me on TV and that’s fun.” Then I worked on a project called NYC 22 on CBS. I realized like, “Wow. Acting is a little bit more complex than just smiling or being upset.” I fell in love with acting from there. I was like, “Oh, well. I guess I have to take things seriously now.” I was nine.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jaden: I would say Jim Jarmusch. I worked with him on Paterson in 2016. After shooting, we remained good friends and he’s honestly a mentor to me. He inspires me and educates me and my mom on what to do next. He’s been a really important figure in my career.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Jaden: I don’t think we’re thinking of success the same way. I remember we were in London during BAFTA for the premiere of Wonderstruck. It was my birthday and everyone sang “Happy Birthday.” It was a really exhilarating moment. I really enjoyed it, not only because I was at BAFTA hanging out with Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne, but people were coming out to see our art and then sang me “Happy Birthday!”

Vampires vs. the Bronx

PC: Speaking of movies, you’ve got a new one out. Can you tell us about Vampires vs. the Bronx, your character, and what drew you to this project?
Jaden: Vampires vs. the Bronx is a story about three young boys who are passionate and dedicated to their community.

Miguel, specifically the character I play, wants to give back to his community. He sees gentrification happening in his community and he wants to stop it. He can’t stand it. Then they find out that the bloodsucking gentrifiers are the vampires, so he has to fight off the vampires from the Bronx.

One of the main reasons why I was attracted to this project is as an actor, my complexion is either Spanish or mixed race, so being able to be in a film that is catered to the Spanish community, catered to my roots, catered to my Dominican background to Spanish culture was really empowering. It’s really important to me. It’s definitely a story that I wanted to tell.

PC: You’re one of the leads of the film. Did you feel any pressure because of that?
Jaden: It was my first time playing a lead in a film. I was in most of the scenes. But I tried to approach it the same way I approached many of the other projects that I’ve worked on before: taking it piece by piece, breaking down the scenes, just understanding my character to the fullest extent, and then delivering once I’m on set. It was a lot more time-consuming and a lot more stress, but I don’t think it was something that I was thinking about actively like, “Oh my goodness. I’m the main role.” You know what I mean?

PC: Totally. One of the reasons why I think the film works so well is the chemistry that comes off between you and your fellow castmates. How did you all build that bond?
Jaden: It’s really funny, honestly. I had only met Gregory [Diaz IV] during our chemistry read. I had just met Gerald [Jones III] the first day before shooting.

We had a meetup with Oz [Rodriguez] and we all went to watch a Yankees game, thanks to Lorne Michaels. We all got to hang out, meet each other, and get a vibe for each other. There was a lot of natural chemistry there. We are all very similar. We’re all very dedicated to our craft and we’re very pleased to work together. It came together beautifully. Even today, we’re all still friends and in contact and whatnot. A lot of what you see on screen is natural.

PC: The film has been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Jaden: I hope they can assimilate to the story, even though they may not be Hispanic or Latino, and you don’t understand all the abnormal inserts and whatnot, but you can identify with seeing your community change and wanting to stop that. I have friends who live in Dubai who have told me, “I have no idea what a bodega is, but this movie is brilliant.” That’s so meaningful.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Jaden: I’ve seen The Office so many times. I also like watching anime. Right now I’m watching Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, which is brilliant. Actually, Gregory Diaz is the one who told me to watch that. Death Note is one of my favorites. Then there’s a really old anime, only real anime heads will know this one. It’s called Monster and that is really brilliant.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Jaden: I watch a lot of movies. I watch a lot of different movies depending on my mood. Right now, I’m in a horror mood. I’m watching a lot of Korean and Japanese horror movies. One of my favorites is I Saw the Devil. It’s a really harrowing story and you will probably piss yourself. [laughs]

PC: Favorite book?
Jaden: The Alchemist. I love Paulo Coelho as an author. I love how it’s a story that you can read as a child and enjoy it for the adventure. Then you can read it again and enjoy the powerful message in it.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Jaden: How could you do this to me? I listen to a lot of sludge metal, which is a really weird submetal genre. Beyond The Styx, Un, and Monolord are my favorites in that subgenre. Besides that, Tyler, The Creator. Tool, I love Tool. I love Crumbs. Hiatus Kaiyote is really good. I listen to too much music. I can press shuffle and I’m like, “Oh, wow. I forgot this existed.”

To keep up with Jaden, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Vampires vs. the Bronx on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Daniel D’Ottavio