Exclusive Interview: James Paxton Talks ‘Last Train to Fortune,’ Championing Important Stories, ‘Twisters,’ and His New Single, “Count On Me”

James Paxton is a multifaceted storyteller whose creative talents span film, TV, and music. Known for his versatile and compelling performances in critically acclaimed projects like Eyewitness and Bit, James consistently pushes the boundaries of his craft. His passion for meaningful storytelling is also evident in his music, where he is part of two dynamic bands, continuously exploring new artistic horizons. His upcoming feature, Last Train to Fortune, is a celebration of educators and their invaluable contributions, showcasing his dedication to impactful narratives.

This July marks an exciting new chapter in James’s career as he ventures into solo music. Under the moniker Love, Pax, he will release his deeply personal debut single, “Count on Me,” a touching song written during his journey of grieving the loss of his father. This release coincides with the release of Twisters, and honoring his father’s legacy through an unforgettable cameo.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with James about Last Train to Fortune, championing stories that matter, the release of “Count on Me,” and honoring his dad and best friend in Twisters.

PC: You’ve got a new film coming out soon, Last Train to Fortune. Mentorship and the importance of education are such cornerstones of that story. Who were the people in your own life who have impacted your journey as a storyteller and artist? Did you channel any of them into the dynamic between your character and Malcolm McDowell’s?
James: That’s a great question. I was attracted to Last Train to Fortune as a project because it was an opportunity to work with a master like Malcolm McDowell. It’s basically Malcolm and me on a horse throughout the entire journey of this film. It’s also a buddy movie, but my experience making the film, in some ways, paralleled the character I was playing because I was learning in real-time and getting all this great acting advice from Malcolm.

My character in the film is learning from Malcolm’s character, who plays an English school teacher coming to the Old West. He takes a job at a budding frontier town called Fortune to be their new schoolmaster. He gets held up by a young outlaw at the train station, played by me. He convinces me during the robbery to shepherd him on the two-day ride with my horse to the town in exchange for his advanced salary for the job.

He teaches my character the importance of reading and how books can take you anywhere and on any adventure. At the beginning, my character is very reticent about that. He says, “I live out real adventures. I don’t need to read about no one else’s.” By the end of it, it’s quite touching because it’s a love letter to great teachers.

I’ve been lucky to have had many amazing teachers growing up. One in particular was Ms. Collins, who was my teacher in first and fourth grade. The only homework she would assign was reading because she believed that if she could foster a love of reading, the rest of education would follow for kids. I firmly believe that.

That’s really the core message of the film, but it’s also a fun adventure through the Old West. It’s relevant today because there are places where books are being banned across the country. When that happens, it’s usually minority groups that are affected first—the LGBTQ+ community and other minority stories that usually get banned. It’s a serious issue. I feel that even though the film is set in the Old West, it has a very topical message for today. I can’t wait to get it out into the world and have it be seen.

PC: That’s a fantastic answer. You also teased a bit about how this character undergoes a drastic transformation throughout the film. For you as an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to tackle that arc? Being a multifaceted talent, how much does music play a role in the way that you prepare for a project and character?
James: Whenever you have the opportunity to take a character through an arc where the audience sees a transformation and learns something in real time with the character, those are the most thrilling and exciting things to portray. I’ve been very lucky in my career to have had some great jobs where I’ve gotten to show that, like in Eyewitness. Last Train is similar in that you get to see my character go through this whole inner and literal journey.

Music has always been my hobby and passion growing up, something I’ve always been able to do on my own time. It’s not like acting, where you struggle through the audition process and get the jobs that you get. With music, you don’t really have to wait for somebody to tell you that you can do it. It’s always been a freedom of expression for me.

I’ve been trying to find ways to bring music more into the characters that I play. I want to combine it in a very practical sense, but I always make playlists for my characters. That’s one of the most fun entryways you can use when you’re doing foundational work on a character.

Tyler [Matthew Young] and I made playlists for our characters on Eyewitness, and then we made a playlist for their relationship, which was really fun. With Last Train, I couldn’t keep it time-appropriate. [laughs] The movie is set in 1873. I think music informs acting and vice versa.

PC: I feel like storytellers should be required to release these playlists because it’s so interesting to hear about. Not only are you starring in it, but you also produced it. How have your experiences behind the camera influenced your work on screen and vice versa?
James: I’ve found in my career that the things I’ve done have had a natural progression. I realized that if I’m going to get involved in the filmmaking process beyond being just an actor on screen, which has always been my goal, I have to take it step by step. My goal has always been to learn every component of the filmmaking process. Producing was a necessity in that respect because it gave me a little more power to champion the stories I want to tell. I’m very passionate about this film. I want to work on things that have a positive impact and are not just popcorn entertainment. No disrespect to that; everything has its time and place, but I want to work on things that I believe in. You get to this point as an actor where you have to take some power back if you can because there’s very little to be had anyway. Producing was where I felt I could take that control.

I’m a creative producer on this film. I don’t have a financial stake in it; it was more about the creative elements. I was involved in casting, workshopping the characters with Malcolm, and going through script drafts with Adam [Rifkin] and his mother. I even found some locations for the film. I learned so much about things you would never see coming or be aware of if you were just acting.

However, when you start filming, there’s a mode where you have to switch. While shooting, I had to be in the character’s headspace and think about my work, leaving the rest to the other producers. But I felt really honored to produce it. I hope to produce more in the future and am already working on a few other features to produce.

PC: Speaking of continuing to champion stories that you’re passionate about in front of and behind the camera, what are the types of projects that speak to you?
James: Any kinds of social injustices always fascinate me because you have to use art to create empathy. There’s almost no other way to reach people who may be closed-minded to certain things, ideas, perspectives, and other ways of life. If they have seen a great series or movie or listened to a great piece of music, it can be anything that makes them second guess or think a little more about their prejudices and rethink them.

I also love period pieces. I’d love to do a biopic one day. There’s almost no greater challenge or responsibility that an actor can have than when they’re playing a real person. I’ve dreamt about playing David Bowie or Tom Petty or people like that because I want to incorporate music, like I was saying earlier.

But definitely something with a social cause, maybe something that speaks to the environmental crisis. Last Train for me was a love letter to all the great teachers I’ve had in my life. This movie celebrates them. The role of a teacher in America, especially, is very undervalued. Clearly, it’s undervalued financially. It’s taken for granted. We would be nowhere without our teachers and educators. I just have to find something that I believe is important about the project.

PC: Beautifully said. Art does have that ability to be a gateway for people to see new perspectives. You’re creating a lasting impact with the roles you’ve taken on. In addition to Last Train to Fortune, you’re also going to be seen in the upcoming Twisters. This project is going to introduce this iconic film to a new generation. What has it meant to be a part of this franchise and honor the legacy of your father?
James: Great question. Thank you. I can’t say too much about the Twisters role, but it is a cameo. It’s a way for me to infuse my dad’s spirit into this new one and celebrate fans of the original while passing the torch, which is a part of life. It’s tough because it’s emotionally complex for me. I wish it was him in the sequel and not me appearing in it. But given the circumstances, I feel like this is the best way that I can honor him and do this for him as well as for the fans of the original.

It’s also a way to give my blessing to this version. I really enjoyed working with Glen Powell. He’s a really sweet guy, as well as Daisy Edgar-Jones, who is lovely. It’s tricky because I’ve been acting professionally for ten years now. I’m my own person and I have my own thing. I’m not that similar to my dad in a lot of regards, but I was as close as ever with my dad. He was my best friend. So I never want to shy away from celebrating him and paying homage to him. That’s why I realized this is a very special opportunity if I can be there to represent him. It’s not my film. I just did a little cameo to honor him. But I hope the film is a massive success.

I’m really grateful to the filmmakers. I love the director, Lee Isaac Chung. He directed Minari, which is one of my favorite films in recent years. It was so great to work with him. He goes by his middle name, Isaac. He was so cool. So it was special all around, but also complex and hard to put into words.

PC: It must have meant so much to the creative team to have your involvement. You’re doing your father proud. Outside of the film and television industry, you’re also a singer-songwriter and musician. You’re embarking on an exciting new chapter in your career with the release of your own solo music. Tell us about your upcoming single and the inspiration behind it.
James: Thank you for that question. I’m very excited to talk about my upcoming single. I’m releasing a song called “Count on Me” on July 12th. It’s my first release ever as a solo music artist. I’ve been making music since I was thirteen with my band, Flamingo Dogs. Then five years ago, I started another band that was an extension of that one. I’ve always loved dabbling in different musical genres, but this solo project, I’m releasing under the name Love, Pax. It’s my literal signature moniker. A lot of people call me Pax or J Pax—that was my nickname.

This is a song I wrote a long time ago. It’s part of a collection of songs I’ve written on guitar since my dad passed. They’re very personal. I was nervous for a long time because I’m a perfectionist and was hesitant to record under my own umbrella and outlet for music. I’ve been working on these songs for a long time. I got to produce it with a wonderful guy named Nikolas Thompson.

The cool thing about this song is I recorded it during my off days in Oklahoma while shooting Twisters. My friend has a studio in Norman, Oklahoma, and he produced the song with me. It’s me playing the guitar and singing, and he added some textural production elements like strings, bass, and piano keys. I’m really proud of it. I also shot a music video for it, directed by Greg Gorman. It features old Super 8 mm film footage my dad made when he was a teenager back in the ’70s that has never been seen before. I intercut family footage from those films into this music video. It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever released into the world, so I’m very excited but also kind of nervous about it.

PC: You touched upon this already, but you’ve been a part of two bands. How have those experiences prepared you for this moment?
James: That’s a great question. Working with the two bands over the years has taught me more about what it means to collaborate creatively than anything else. I learned a ton from my film and TV experiences too, but it’s a little different because when you’re working in bands, you’re all trying to do the same thing on the same playing field. It can be really challenging to figure out how to make everything work creatively. There have been struggles over the years, but we’ve always been so proud of the final product and the music we’ve put out.

I don’t think I could have jumped straight into releasing my own music had I not had those experiences in the bands. I still make music with them. They’re my oldest friends and dearest collaborators. I’m always going to make music with them. They’re a way to explore different genres of music, just like exploring different kinds of characters and genres of film.

In Soundaze, it’s a blend of genres. We’re more alternative, hip-hop leaning, like BROCKHAMPTON. In Flamingo Dogs, we’ve branched into more upbeat electronic dance music in recent years. My Love, Pax stuff couldn’t be more different. The influences are Iron & Wine, Elliott Smith, José González, and Nick Drake. It’s very soft, introspective, mellow guitar music that’s a bit melancholic.

PC: It’s very folky and singer-songwriter. I was very surprised when I heard this single, just knowing the other two bands that you’re part of. You’ve recorded a bunch of music for this project that’s coming out. Are we heading towards a debut album? Are there plans to hit the road?
James: I’m definitely building towards a debut album, but it’s going to take some time. I’m going to release singles for a while and really focus on that, but I will eventually be releasing an album.

I’d love to be able to perform these songs live. A lot of them I would like to perform with some sort of instrumental accompaniment. I play guitar in a very rhythm player, basic kind of way. I taught myself in the last six or seven years, so I’m still at a beginning level. I know enough to play, sing, and write songs. But I would like to play with more experienced musicians who can add textural elements to the performance. I’d like to find those collaborators when I do start performing live, but I absolutely want to.

To keep up with James, follow him on Instagram and Spotify.

Photo Credit: Greg Gorman