Meet Julian Feder. This rising young talent stars with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and David Strathairn in the upcoming film “Walkaway Joe.” The Tokyo-born actor is no stranger to the camera with his acclaimed role in the 2017 film “A Boy Called Poe,” and he has an action movie coming out called “Doorman” with Ruby Rose and Jean Reno. He is staying sane during the quarantine by working on his pullups and rewatching “Star Trek: Discovery” and “The Mandalorian.” Let’s get to know Julian who plays a young boy searching for his father and meets a wandering loner who is hiding from his past. Check out the trailer here.
Colleen Bement: “Walkaway Joe” looks like a must-see movie. Tell us about your experience on the set and what it was like to work with Jeffrey Dean Morgan?
Julian Feder: My experience on the set of “Walkaway Joe” was great! The movie is set in Louisiana and we got to shoot at a lot of cool locations. I was able to explore the swamps and countryside of Louisiana. Everyone on the set was amazing and great to be around. There was a lot of junk food on set, so I was super happy. The movie has a lot of pool in it, so I had to learn how to play. We filmed in a number of pool halls, so I got to play pool all the time while filming. It was really fun.
It was great to work with Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He is super nice. We had a great time together. Jeffrey is really into classic 60’s muscle cars and has a 1968 mustang. I love classic 60’s mustangs so we spent a lot of time talking about cars. A funny story about Jeffrey on set is when we were doing a scene where I had to drive a pickup truck. I was fourteen at the time, so when I got in the truck Jeffrey said, “You know how to drive this thing, right?” I said, “Yeah,” then pointed to the gas and said, “that’s the brake right?” His face dropped and his response was hysterical!
CB: From what I hear, your already amazing career is really taking off. Do you have any projects in the works that you are allowed to share about?
JF: I do have a couple of projects coming up. I just finished filming an action movie called “Doorman” with Ruby Rose and Jean Reno. We filmed it in Romania and had a great time there. I have a few other projects, including a horror movie set during World War I, that have been put on hold because of coronavirus but will hopefully be picked back up after the quarantine ends.
CB: I read that you were born in Tokyo and lived in Singapore as a child and started acting as such a young age. Two questions:
1.) Do you remember much about living in Singapore?
JF: I do remember living in Singapore. I moved there from Tokyo when I was three and lived there until I was eleven. Singapore is an amazing place. The food is great, they have great museums and it is summer all year long. The weather never changes. The other great thing is that you can easily travel all over Southeast Asia, as everywhere is so close. I really enjoyed living in Singapore.
2.) What inspired you to become an actor?
JF: In Tokyo, I modeled when I was a baby. When we moved to Singapore, I stopped modeling. But, one day when I was five, I saw my friend’s picture on a bus. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, so I asked my mother if I could start modeling again. The modeling actually turned more into commercials, and then I got a part in a short film at NYU Film School in Singapore. From there, I started doing lots of shorts for the school.
When I was seven and in the States for the summer, I got an audition for a Billy Crystal movie. I got really far in the audition process and got to read with Billy Crystal. I didn’t get the part, but the casting director called an agent and recommended me, so I got an agent in Los Angeles. That’s how it all started. I love acting as it gives me a chance to step into another person’s shoes and get a better feeling about how others feel.
CB: Do you have any hidden talents–the quirkier the better?
JF: I’m not sure that I’m that talented at it, but I like to do glass blowing and I have a set up at home. When we were filming “Walkaway Joe,” on my off days, I took glass blowing classes in New Orleans. Like I said, I’m not the best, but it’s lots of fun and I’m getting better so hopefully, it will be a talent soon.
CB: How do you spend your free time?
JF: Well, since we are all quarantined, I have lots of free time. I have been working out a lot. I am trying to be able to do thirty pull-ups. I am currently at twenty, so have a ways to go. I have been building skateboards, building Lego, and watching lots of movies. I’ve been watching new movies and classics like “Lawrence of Arabia.” I’m also rewatching “Star Trek: Discovery” and “The Mandalorian.” Of course, I have to do school too, but it hasn’t been an adjustment, because I was already homeschooled.
Written by Colleen Bement
