Exclusive Interview: Jordan Oosterhof Talks Punch, Exploring Vulnerability Through Art, and More

Jordan Oosterhof is an exciting new face in the industry. This year, he makes his feature film debut in the gut-wrenching drama, Punch. His performance is quickly garnering a lot of buzz and attention.

The coming-of-age story follows Jim, a promising teenage boxer, training under the watch of his demanding and alcoholic father. When Jim develops a relationship with a male classmate, the two are forced to navigate isolation, homophobia, and the brutality of small-town life. As Jim discovers what it means to be gay, he realizes how little strength has to do with heroism.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Jordan about Punch, exploring vulnerability through art, and more.

PC: Tell us about Punch, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Jordan: Punch is a film about a young man going through this tumultuous time in his life. It’s that crossroad going from being a boy to being a man where you’re like, “I don’t know what to do or who I am.” It’s complicated by his relationship with his father and the fact that he has an impending boxing fight where it’s like, “My future will be made or broken by this,” as well as the burgeoning relationship with Whetu who is this strong androgynous boy from the town where they live. He’s the epitome of strength. Jim can’t help but feel that growing attraction.

It’s a beautiful film. That’s what drew me to this project. The moment that I read the script, I felt it. I felt Welby Ings’ heart and soul and the elements of his life story that he put into it. It resonated. I was crying reading the script. If something is like that, you do your utmost to be part of it in any way you can.

PC: This is a deeply personal story to Welby. Did that bring any added pressure? Is the experience different when the person who created this world is also at the helm directing? What was that collaboration like?
Jordan: It didn’t bring any pressure. I felt honored. I felt like if he trusts me to do this then I must be able to. All I can focus on is trying to be as truthful and honest to the script as I can.

Because he wrote and directed it, it was uniquely Welby’s vision. From day one, Welby was like, “Look, we are all artists, whether we work in sound, lighting, camera, actors, we’re all working on this together. I appreciate and take validly your opinions on things.” When something is set up like that, there’s so much honesty and a true connection between everyone on set. It felt like a beautiful collaboration between everyone involved. Everyone would pitch in ideas, and we’d talk about it and have a go.

PC: This role requires so much physicality. Tell us about the training that you had to do for the project. How did that preparation enable you to bring that authenticity that we see on the screen?
Jordan: I boxed five days a week for three months with a coach named Cam Todd in New Zealand. He coaches Commonwealth Games boxers. He trains people who are New Zealand champions. I’d never boxed before. I played high-level sports my entire life, but I never boxed. Getting to go there and be a sponge around all these amazing boxers and learning from them and watching their technique and applying that to my own was such an incredible learning experience. When it came time to film, I knew the level of commitment, the level of speed, energy, and everything that you have to put into this. It was tiring, but it was great.

PC: There’s so much vulnerability that you need to tap into a character like this who’s discovering his identity. How did you create the space for yourself to dive into that journey?
Jordan: I’m a pretty vulnerable person. I feel things pretty deeply. Reading this script and what it elicited from me, I was scared. When you’re being this vulnerable and you are putting your heart on your sleeve and trying to be authentic to this character, it’s scary. What is art if not scary? You have to be uncomfortable in order to hopefully break through in those moments. I can’t say whether that came across or not, but what matters is I personally felt it was real between all of us.

PC: This is your first feature film. Did anything surprise you? What did you learn about your craft?
Jordan: It was a masterclass in acting—but one that I was getting paid to do rather than paying other people to show me. It was amazing. I learned everything about the filming process, the stuff that goes in beforehand, and what it takes to step up and put it down.

When you join a class and you do scenes, you’re like, “I love this. I feel like I can interpret it. I can live it truthfully.” But you’re doing that for 30 days straight, and you’re running up a hill for half the day, a hill of sand as hard as you can, and then you have to go and do a really happy scene after that, and then an emotional scene. I’ve realized how emotionally exhausting and taxing it can be. It added to my appreciation of how difficult it is to do this at its highest level. That’s pretty much what I learned, which was everything.

PC: Was there a scene that you’re excited for audiences to see?
Jordan: That’s a good question. I love the action shots. I love the car exploding and the intensely emotional scenes. They were very full-on and very moving. I felt like those translated quite well. The beauty of Punch is the small moments. It can be violent, fast, and aggressive, and then that contrasts with these little smiles between characters. Those are the moments that also mean the most because sometimes all you need to say between two people, even in real life, is a little glance, look, or smirk.

PC: There are so many universal themes that this film touches upon. Was there one that hit home for you?
Jordan: I think it’s the fact that Jim, Whetu, and Stan are striving for their place in the world. They feel fenced in by this town in which they live and the society in which they were born into at no fault of their own. I feel like so many people can associate with that. They feel like, “I’m not supposed to be in this part of the country or world. My family and I don’t gel.” I think it’s an ode to fighting to find your place in the world.

To keep up with Jordan, follow him on Instagram. Punch is out in select theaters and wherever you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Andi Crowne