Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Angelfish’s Jimi Stanton

Jimi Stanton is an exciting young actor who can currently be seen leading the cast of the romantic drama Angelfish. The film tells the story of Brendan (Jimi Stanton), a high school dropout with a complicated family who meets Eva (Princess Nokia), a young woman who’s on her own journey of self-discovery. Together, they help each other become the people they want to be. Pop Culturalist caught up with Jimi to chat about Angelfish, how he connects with Brendan, and the film’s important message.

Angelfish

PC: Tell us about Angelfish and your character.
Jimi: Angelfish is a love story set in 1993 in the Bronx. My character, Brendan, is a high school dropout who just made a career move. That’s how I like to describe it. He’s now working at a deli in a neighborhood a little further than where he grew up.

It’s there that he meets a young woman named Eva. He instantly falls in love with her. Throughout that summer, they go from the honeymoon phase of new love and excitement to realizing they’re from different worlds, not necessarily culturally, but the way they were brought up. It’s a crazy couple of months for this young couple. You see how they deal with it and the decisions they make. They help each other become the people they want to be.

PC: What attracted you to this project/role?
Jimi: Of all the characters that I’ve played, I relate to Brendan so much more than the rest. [laughs] He’s this kid who’s self-aware. He’s made a lot of conscious decisions about the things he wants out of life and what he wants to do. He didn’t hang out with the kids down on the street corner. He didn’t want to work a construction job where he’d be gofer. He likes to take a bit of action and find peace of mind in the things that he does. He has a lot of limited beliefs based on the way that he was brought up and the people in his life. He’s hardwired to believe that he can only do so much and there’s a ceiling on his life because of the person that he is and who his father is.

I have a great family. They are incredibly supportive. I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire where being an actor is seen as a hobby. You can go down and do regional or community theater, but don’t quit your day job. How will you pay your rent? That was the mentality. Being an actor and being an astronaut were the same level of ambition.

With the people I met along the way and my incredibly supportive family, I was able to change my mindset and change the way that I looked at what I could do and what was possible. That’s the same thing for Brendan. He meets this one woman who tells him, “No, it can be this way.” She gives him different outlooks on life. All of a sudden, he has all these different possibilities because this one person listened to him and made him believe he can do stuff.

PC: Great answer! This is your first feature film as a lead. Did that add any extra pressure?
Jimi: Not necessarily. It’s really exciting being that high on the call list. With every job that I have, I always have a bit of imposter syndrome. I’m always like, “There must have been a mix-up with the paperwork and they called the wrong person. Now, they’re stuck with me.” [laughs]

I had some fear and nerves before we start shooting, especially knowing how much I had to do in this movie. But once you get on set, everyone has a job to do. Actors tend to get put on this pedestal and tend to get pampered, but I’m nothing without the cast and the crew. Having Peter Andrew Lee [writer and director], Jamal Solomon [cinematographer], Kat VanCleave [set designer], and Alexa O’Neill [costume designer] there really helped build this world. You feel the pressure, but you know you’re not alone.

Everyone is working hard and wants the same thing. It’s a team effort, especially on a low-budget indie. There are a lot of things that you’re battling and a lot of obstacles that you have to deal with, but everyone is in it. It’s a very romantic notion. There’s so much passion involved. You’re not getting Marvel movie checks or anything. You’re there to do the work and to tell a story that means a lot to you. Every time I would get nervous, I knew it wasn’t just me out there. I knew everyone had my back. There was a lot of trust with the crew. Peter was so supportive throughout the whole process. You knew that you were doing the right thing. If you weren’t, you knew people would sit and take the time to help you get it right.

PC: This is Princess Nokia’s debut film. What was the collaboration like, working with her? Did you share any words of wisdom?
Jimi: She didn’t need any words of wisdom. She walked in confident. Her capability is bar none. She’s an artist through and through. She’s a musician but she’s someone who can try out any art or any type of medium and thrive in it. She signed onto the project before I did. She came in and had so many ideas. Her instincts were so on point. She’s from this world, which I’m not. She was so helpful. She told me what kind of movies to watch and what it’s like for a kid living in New York. Honestly, from day one, I feel like I was looking to her for advice and guidance. She would ask me things about life on set and other projects that I worked on. But, it was more or less talking shop than giving advice. From day one to wrap, she was just a force.

PC: Your character has a lot of complicated relationships in the film. Which was your favorite to explore? Which was the most challenging?
Jimi: Oh, man. Great question. Off the top of my head, working with Stanley Simons, who plays my younger brother. He’s amazing in the movie. I’m a younger brother. I’ve never played the older brother. I have a younger sister, but I was never the big brother type that would intimidate any guys that came over. [laughs] I wasn’t really marching around telling her what to do. I was the one who was following my brothers around and doing what they were doing. It was a lot of fun to play the older brother, the responsible one. That was probably the most challenging too. I tend to sit back and fall into the conditioning of being a younger brother, but it was fun to step up and think about my two older brothers and our relationships.

I will also say the relationship with Brendan and his mother as well. Erin Davie was brilliant. There would be scenes where she’d break you down but give you a look and bring you back in. That’s the reason why Brendan continues to stick around and cares for her. My mother is my hero. She’s one of the strongest women I know. She’s so sweet and positive. She’s been caring since day one. I’ve never questioned whether she’s had my back or supported me or my entire family. It was interesting to play on a relationship where the mother is the opposite of that.

PC: What do you hope audiences walk away with?
Jimi: I hope when they see the film, they realize that small moments can change your life. People can come into your life and make a huge impact. What I love about Angelfish is that these two people meet and they show each other that they can be who they want to be and they can do what they want to do. They don’t need to be held down by circumstances or limited belief.

But also, it doesn’t necessarily have to be two people falling in love. Sometimes it’s about falling in love with yourself. There are possibilities in everything you do if you work hard. If you’re willing to fight for it, you can do what you want to do. You can be who you want to be. You can be true to yourself and be authentic.

Career

PC: You’re an actor, writer, producer, and director. How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Jimi: It was a very slow, interesting process. Growing up, I was always fascinated by movies. I will never forget watching Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. That was probably the movie that inspired me the most. Watching that movie and seeing the interviews that Tom Hanks did after, I was blown away that was the same person. Growing up in a small town, not that anyone told me I couldn’t, the idea of being an actor sounded silly. When I graduated high school, I went to school for business because a couple of my friends were doing that.

I remember I was sitting in an accounting class on the first day and I had a panic attack. I realized this isn’t what I want to do with my life. I found myself at a crossroad. A friend of mine recommended taking an acting class. I got hooked. I fell in love with it. I was lucky that I got to do some regional and community theater. It slowly started to build. With each project and each book I read, I realized this is what I want to do. This is something that I really love. I enjoy the process. I love being on set. I love being on stage. It started to build and grow. Nowadays, with how much opportunity is out there with creating your own content, streaming sites, there is so much opportunity to take advantage of. I never set out to be a writer, producer, or director, but it organically happened.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jimi: Whoa! That’s a good question. Personally, my family. Growing up, we were a bunch of jokers. My father was always doing accents and making jokes. My mom always had these incredible movies on. We would run around and play make-believe. It was always fun. When I said that I wanted to pursue acting, since day one, they’ve been nothing but supportive. They’ve come to all my shows. They’re always the first ones to buy tickets or come down. Whenever I’m able to celebrate a win, they’re the first people I call. They’re my rock. And my girlfriend too. I was working part-time at a gym in Massachusetts and I met her. I told her that I wanted to be an actor, and she was so supportive from day one. It’s been almost eight years now. She inspires me every day to keep pushing. When things get hard, she encourages me to dig my feet in and stay the course.

Professionally, the two people that come to mind are Tom Hanks and Heath Ledger. Every time I see their work, I’m incredibly inspired. There are endless people like Princess Nokia and other people I’ve been lucky to work with. It’s a community that I’m lucky to be a part of, and I hope I get to meet more people.

To keep up with Jimi, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch Angelfish in select theaters and on VOD.

Photo Credit: Angelfish