‘I want to become a politician’
Julian Dennison cooks up a new plan
Today Hollywood, tomorrow the Beehive. Julian Dennison’s world has changed since the Naenae 13-year-old shot to fame by starring alongside Sam Neill in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople. ‘‘I never knew it would be this big,’’ says Dennison, who now finds himself recognised in the streets of Wellington and dealing with the ‘‘fan-girl’’ thing. Not only that, but the unexpected success of the Wilderpeople has created so many opportunities and opened so many doors that he’s rethinking his career moves. ‘‘I’ve been saying that I want to become a director but I found out that I don’t really know what I want to do at the moment,’’ he says. ‘‘Maybe I don’t want to become a director, maybe I want to become a politician or a lawyer, so I’m still thinking but I have no idea what’s next for me.’’ Dennison’s star turn as wayward teen Ricky Baker has changed his life, taking him to Australia and the US on promotion tours with Neill and Waititi. ‘‘Los Angeles is very different from New Zealand, it’s not as green. It’s very different, you sort of notice how lucky New Zealanders are to have such a beautiful country.’’
But despite his new-found celebrity status, he’s not the teacher’s pet in his year 9 classes at Hutt International Boys’ School and gets no special treatment, and he’s grateful for that.
‘‘They see me as a student so they don’t go easy on me, they actually challenge me to do my work and stuff like that.’’
The other students take the mickey, he says, asking him if he comes to school in his limo.
Maybe I don’t want to become a director, maybe I want to become a politician or a lawyer . . . Julian Dennison
There are no real-life Ricky Baker antics.
‘‘I don’t tag and stuff like that, he’s definitely a bad egg.
‘‘He’s very different from my life . . . I have a big family and he’s a foster kid, he’s into gangster rap music, Tupac. I’m into Coldplay and pop.’’
Dennison’s latest acting gig involves teaming up with My Food Bag’s ‘‘Bargain Box’’, an online mealordering service created by Nadia Lim, which his family uses.
He might be a movie star, but Dennison admits he’s a ‘‘horrible’’ cook.