At just 14-years-old, Jack Dylan Grazer took the screen with his breakout role of Eddie Kaspbrak in the 2017 IT remake. Now, 17-years-old, Grazer has a plentiful portfolio, including roles in the award-winning film Beautiful Boy, DC Comic’s Shazam!, and CBS’s Me, Myself, and I. Now, Grazer takes the lead as Fraser Wilson, a misunderstood teenager living on a military base in Italy, in Luca Guadagnino’s new HBO series We Are Who We Are.
AK: First, happy belated birthday! How did you celebrate?
JDG: Thank you! I had my favorite cake, which is the carrot cake from Urth Cafe. My mom got me some really awesome gifts too. Then I had to do my online school, which was better than I anticipated. Later in the day, I went to my girlfriend’s house and we had a super great dinner.
AK: I want to congratulate you on your impressive success in recent years. With IT, Shazam!, Beautiful Boy, and many other roles, you have a lot of experience under your belt at a very young age. How has life changed for you since your role as Eddie Kaspbrak in IT?
JDG: Since my life during and after IT, almost everything has changed, except for the person I am. That movie put me on the map and made my name what it has now become. I learned a lot about being on a set and acting when I played Eddie. I am in such gratitude for that film.
AK: You are a busy actor, completing two or more big projects each year. I read that it is important to you to continue your education and attend college. Is that still the plan? How do you balance school and work?
JDG: I really love learning, so I want to attend college. School is, and always will be a priority to me. Education informs my art and it’s so crucial to commit to my education.
AK: You sponsor two students a year to attend The Adderley School for the Performing Arts with the “Jack Dylan Grazer Scholarship Fund.” What inspired you to start this scholarship fund?
JDG: I found my voice, my passion and my life at The Adderley School. For those who are as passionate about the art of performing as I am, The Adderley School teaches them to hone their skills with discipline and commitment, and to live life to their greatest potential. I was taught one of the most valuable lessons there: “The show must go on.” In theatre and in life. No matter what happens, “the show must go on.” If my scholarship(s) afford other kids the opportunity to find their voice, their creative family, their confidence and their joy, then I’ve given back to what has given me so much. It’s really about paying it forward and sharing joy.
AK: You were no stranger to blockbuster movie fans, after your role in IT. But I have to imagine that entering the DC Comic community, with your role in Shazam!, was on a whole new level. Was it intimidating entering a fandom like DC Comics with your new character, Freddy Freeman? How have you been embraced in this world?
JDG: I have always been a massive fan of the DCEU, practically my entire life. It was so surreal to become a part of the world and live my dream alongside all of the other legendary superheroes of the awesome DC universe.
AK: Freddy Freeman and Fraser Wilson are very different teenagers. In We Are Who We Are, your character shows a deep level of internal conflict and complicated relationships. Was this role challenging? How do you get in the headspace to take on such a role?
JDG: It was definitely a challenge at first to play Fraser Wilson. As I spent more time in Italy, living as the character every day, there was almost no trace of Jack anywhere in there. I remember looking into the mirror sometimes and wondering, “where is Jack?” This was a fully immersive experience. It felt like I had accomplished something so profound. It was such an intense and wild experience playing Fraser. I’ve grown so much from playing him.
AK: Can you talk me through your experience on the set of We Are Who We Are?
JDG: It was an experience unlike any other. I learned a lot about my capabilities as an actor and I made a lot of really great friends on and off the set.
AK: You got to work with Luca Guadagnino, critically acclaimed Italian filmmaker, on We Are Who We Are. What did you learn from working with him?
JDG: It was everything I could have expected it to be. Luca is a genius. I gained insight as to what his method to being such a visionary was. I learned that it’s important to be organized and it’s crucial to be in a trusting environment, where all types of creative input are embraced.
AK: We Are Who We Are follows teenagers through the spontaneous and sporadic daily events of their lives. Doing this, the show touches on a lot of hard truths that teenagers everywhere face, including internal struggles with one’s identity, complicated family dynamics, and pressure in a social setting. As a teenager yourself, how can you relate to the characters in this series?
JDG: Being a teenager is about discovering yourself and coming to terms with having to surrender your childhood — almost. I have experienced the feelings of self-inquiry and self-doubt and all of the above. This show is so important in that regard.
AK: What do you think parents of teenagers can learn from watching We Are Who We Are?
JDG: The parents will learn that if they are struggling with their teenager, they aren’t the only parents who got it tough. Teenagers can be a pain, but one thing that parents should take away from this is that now is a different time for teens than then. It’s visceral and scary and vulnerable. It has probably always been that way, but this time embraces individuality and diversity more than any other time in history. This show will teach and inform parents of their child’s motives and thoughts. This show is universally relatable, because it’s about life and becoming who we are. We all experience life and becoming who we are. Don’t we?
AK: From what I have seen, there is also a beautiful story of friendship between Fraser and Caitlin. Why do you think these two characters are drawn together so quickly?
JDG: Both of these characters feel so lost. In each other they find solace. But all in all, they find themselves within one another. It’s so beautiful.
AK: Music plays a big role in the series, allowing characters to escape in and out of their environment. Fraser, especially, always has a headphone in or within reach. Can you talk about the importance of this and how it plays into the story?
JDG: The music is almost a narrative in this story. I think it’s because Fraser is so easily impressionable, yet at the same time forthright in his ideals and ways. Music transforms him and inspires him. The music in his ears is his own soundtrack and the score to his very own story, that nobody is invited to read.
AK: What is the biggest thing that you hope people take away from We Are Who We Are? What about it makes you most proud to have played a role in the series?
JDG: Growing up isn’t easy. The disturbing or uncomfortable aspects of growth are natural and shouldn’t be ignored. Not everyone experiences life the same exact way and it’s important to have compassion, curiosity and the ability to empathize with one another. We’re all living and working together on this planet, so try to understand one another, despite any differences. Let us celebrate our differences that make us one, as a collective human family. I’m really proud to be a part of such a timely show, with a talented cast and the genius of Luca bringing these people to life.
AK: With COVID-19 restrictions still upon us, how are you going to celebrate the release of We Are Who We Are?
JDG: I may just watch the show with my parents and relive it all from my couch. I’m so excited for it to come out.
AK: What is next for you?
JDG: A magician never tells his secrets.
Quick Qs
AK: Did you get to keep any of the clothes from filming?
JDG: No, but I wish.
AK: What is on your quarantine playlist?
JDG: Check out my Spotify. It’s Jdgrazer.
AK: What is a dream role of yours?
JDG: Indiana Jones remake.
AK: A favorite subject in school?
JDG: English
AK: Hobby?
JDG: I skateboard. I’m a flautist. And I like creative writing.
AK: Next place you want to travel?
JDG: The Seychelles.
AK: What is a personal goal before you turn 18?
JDG: To get my drivers license, ASAP.
