Pop-Culturalist.com

Reed Shannon is one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars. He’s captivated audiences in the studio, on stage, and on the screen. Past credits include School of Rock, Blaze and the Monster Machines, and Arcane.

This May, he can be seen in Prime Video’s addictive series, The Wilds.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Reed about The Wilds, his character, and more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Reed: My sister was in dance class. At the time, I was two or something. I couldn’t focus on anything, like many two-year-olds, but I snuck into her dance classes a lot. I started dancing, and then I got into musical theater. I set my sights on Broadway. I happened to book Motown: The Musical as little Michael Jackson. That was the beginning of my understanding that this was something that I could devote my life to. It evolved into a passion that’s always growing.

PC: It’s still very early in your career, but you’ve had so much success. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Reed: Wow. It was pretty crazy when I got to meet Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson. He was like, “I’m Uncle Smokey.” [laughs] That was crazy. Another moment was when I became the voice of Cartoon Network and was announcing their shows. I used to watch Cartoon Network as a kid. I would always push the announcer to the back of my mind, so when it came around and I was auditioning for it, I was like, “What did it sound like?” I ended up booking it. I was like, “Wow. I’m announcing Cartoon Network shows.”

PC: You’re going to be starring in Season 2 of The Wilds. What should audiences know about your character?
Reed: Scotty talks a lot, but he’s never trying to pull one over on anybody. He’s trying to make sure that he and his best friend are good.

PC: Throughout your career, you’ve brought these dynamic and diverse characters to life on the screen. What was it about Scotty that attracted you to this project?
Reed: The honest answer was the first stage direction that I saw on the sides. It said, “Camera pulls back and you see Jordans.” You see that Scotty loves Jordans, and I love my Jordans. But as I continued to dive more into the character, I discovered he has this tenacity about him.

He is unrelenting. It’s rubbed off on me as a person now that we’ve finished filming. I feel like I’m more organized. I’m able to set goals and see an easier path to them. I feel like that’s something that everybody can relate with, especially when you feel like you have come from nothing and you’ve had a hard path in life.

PC: Did you feel any pressure heading into this project just given how successful that first season was?
Reed: There was a bit of pressure because there were a lot of people who were very hesitant about the boys coming in. But once we got to Australia, the girls, Amy Harris and Sarah Streicher, had us covered. They talked to us and let us know this is what it’s about. Honestly, I can say after watching it and being there that it does the job.

PC: You were talking earlier about getting your start in theater. What has that transition been like going from the stage to the screen?
Reed: It’s been really interesting because I was heavy into theater. There is a difference between acting on stage and acting on screen. I was fourteen years old. I was still trying to figure out what worked in the world of Disney and Nickelodeon. What were the right moves that I could make? I ended up finding that out eventually. As I got older, I grew into myself a bit, which was necessary as opposed to trying to fit myself into whatever box. It was really about me figuring out who I am, and that’s why I love playing Scotty. Because there’s not a lot of separation between me and him. But he gives me a chance to look at myself through somebody else’s eyes in a way.

PC: There’s such fantastic chemistry that comes off the screen between you and the rest of the cast. How are you all able to build that bond?
Reed: Again, I have to credit Amy and Sarah. They cast perfectly. When we got to Australia, we immediately got along. We all love to party. We all love to hang out. We’re all about our work. These are some really great actors. The opportunity to have your talent showcased in such a long-form type of show is a dream for a young actor. We all know what we were there for. We were all excited to dig into the work, and it was beautiful. Everybody had the same energy from day one.

PC: Your character has so many standout moments throughout the series. Is there a particular scene that you’re really excited for fans to see? When you’re tackling those more emotional scenes, how do you create the space for yourself to dive into those moments?
Reed: I’m really excited for people to see a lot of Episode 3. That’s when I have my interrogation scene, which is similar to the first season. There’s something eerie about it because the boys play with the agents. They don’t want to say anything. I love that scene. I love seeing the difference between the girls on the island and how they handle that scene.

For the more emotional scenes, it was really about putting myself into that mindset from the time that I wake up until they say action. The Wilds was so great because they created a really, really good atmosphere for creation and for playing around. Even in those emotional scenes, we were able to talk and work with the directors and producers.

PC: This is such an exciting time in your career. As you look ahead to the next five, ten years, is there a role that you would love to bring to life?
Reed: I would love to do a biopic. It would be cool to play LL Cool J. That would be crazy. I’m also working on music. I have more music coming out later this month. I definitely want to tour and perform. I want to take those steps. I want to get a piece of everything.

PC: What can you tease about the music that’s about to come out? If you could write a song to describe Scotty’s journey throughout the series, what would it be about?
Reed: The song is called “Drown.” It’s a bit of a sad song, but my hope is that people will feel it in their soul. We’re going to have a video coming out too.

If I had to write a song about Scotty’s journey? I have to say Outkast already did it with “So Fresh, So Clean.” I feel like that’s how Scotty’s feeling throughout the whole season. It’s like, “I still got my Jordans. Those won’t wash away. We’ll figure this out.”

To keep up with Reed, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch The Wilds on Prime Video today.

Photo Credit: Sergio Garcia