Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Wretched’s John-Paul Howard

John-Paul Howard is making waves this year for his hauntingly brilliant performance in The Wretched. In the film, John-Paul plays lead protagonist Ben, who’s sent to live with his father for the summer after his parents decide to separate. But the idyllic town his father calls home offers little solace for Ben, who is forced to deal with the local privileged teens and his father’s new girlfriend. Things go from bad to worse after he makes a chilling discovery about the family renting the house next door.

Pop Culturalist caught up with this fast-rising talent to learn more about him, his career, and The Wretched.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
John-Paul: I caught the acting bug, so to speak, when I played in my local theater in my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. I walked out on stage terrified following behind several castmates, waiting for my line. At seven years old, my breath was caught up inside and my heart stopped. Then I said “screw it” in my seven-year-old head and I said my line. The crowd went wild, and I haven’t stopped since.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
John-Paul: The two people I credit most for my career would be my mother, who put in so much time and effort into building something that didn’t exist, and my high school theater teacher. I had no connections, but still my mother somehow managed to help create the career I have now, and my theater teacher showed me what it takes as a person and actor to give the best performance I could.

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?
John-Paul: Not much stands out to me from my career because when I look back on it, I see it all. A vague answer and I’m sorry, but the truth is I carry all of it with me, from my friends to my family to every little memory.

PC: You spent some time doing theater before jumping back into film and television. How did your work on the stage prepare you for your on-camera roles?
John-Paul: My theatrical performances helped teach me one thing that I adjusted to fit films, and that was to listen. You’re far more involved in every scene when you listen and pay attention. It creates empathetic reactions that are favored more.

The Wretched

PC: Tell us about The Wretched, your character, and what drew you to this project.
John-Paul: My character Ben in The Wretched is a troubled teen—troubled because of his parent’s separation, which is something many of us can connect to. I know I sure can! So Ben can be a bit angsty but at the same time is conflicted with that angry part of him to do the right thing when confronted with some life-changing problems next door. I should say life-threatening. And quite honestly, that was what drew me to the character—the relationship he had with his father as well as this sort of resentment to everything that seemed to be happening to him.

PC: Did you feel any pressure being the lead of the film?
John-Paul: Pressure being the lead? [laughs] So much pressure. Every day you just have to push those thoughts out and say, “I’m doing my best, and so is everyone else. We’re here to make a movie.” At the end of the day, you need to feel content with your work. That’s obviously not always the case though. Even as I was white-knuckling it through the premiere because I was so scared, that was the fulfilling moment of “yes, I did my job.” And that’s when the pressure finally leaves, I think.

PC: The film came out in May and has been very well received. What do you think is resonating/appealing to audiences?
John-Paul: I hear mostly about how the practical effects and the performance of our fantastic wretch were some of the features that kept drawing people into the film, but ultimately I keep hearing that it’s just well rounded with a great cast, cinematography, and score with a fantastic location, and the list could go on and on. That’s the best part. There isn’t just one thing drawing people in.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
John-Paul: Impractical Jokers. I could watch it all day.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
John-Paul: Johnny Dangerously

PC: Favorite book?
John-Paul: The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s the second book in the Kingkiller Chronicle.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
John-Paul: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’m a sucker for the classics.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
John-Paul: Ryan Reynolds!

To keep up with John-Paul, follow him on Instagram. Watch The Wretched at home today.