‘Wonder’ actor sees value of kindness
Jacob Tremblay is calling from Boston. He’s a young man in demand for his starring role in “Wonder,” one of this year’s surprise box-office hits. He’s already traveled across the country, to Toronto and to London promoting Stephen Chbosky’s crowd-pleasing drama, but this morning he’s taken aback by some breaking news.
He’s just been informed that the new trailer for “Avengers: Infinity War” has been released, and like any other 11-year-old, he simply can’t contain his excitement.
“Really? That’s crazy. I’ll be sure to watch that today,” he says. “That’s amazing. I’m so excited for that.”
In the film adaptation of R.J. Palacio’s celebrated young-adult novel “Wonder,” Tremblay plays Auggie, a young boy born with Treacher Collins syndrome, which results in facial deformities. He’s been homeschooled by his mother (Julia Roberts) for most of his life, but with fifth grade looming, she believes the time is right for him to experience more of the real world by attending a prep school.
The movie focuses on bullying and preaches a simple and timely motto, “Be kind,” that has resonated with audiences.
Tremblay, who had a featured role in the 2015 movie “Room,” discussed the long hours it took for him to get into makeup and what he’s learned from watching his Oscar-winning co-star on set. The following is an edited transcript.
A: I don’t really know. I think it might be because it’s such a great thing to take your kids to a movie about being kind.
A: What better character to play? He’s brave. He’s true to himself, and he’s kind. That’s what really stood out to me.
A: I didn’t really read the book, but my sister read it and studied it at school, but then during filming I read it with my mom. It’s a really good book, and it’s really entertaining.
A: I had never done prosthetics before, ever. So I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if it was going to be comfy or itchy. But when we went to LA to try the prosthetics on, that was a fun process because they put slime all over my face. I’m not gonna lie, it was challenging, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
A: I saw how focused she is and how attached she is to her character, but most importantly I saw how kind she is to everyone. That taught me that no matter how famous you are, you can always choose to be kind.
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