As our fearless director/writer Nick Belial continues to roll out the casting announcements for his upcoming project, To Avenge, I am honored to post my recent interview with James Robinson, who will be playing Samuel Morrison. While I knew very little about James before chatting with him, Nick gave him an excellent recommendation, and it was a joy to listen to him discuss his passion for acting and his love for the craft. I can categorically state that James did not disappoint me in any way during our chat! Quite the contrary, as he was rather enthusiastic, humble and insightful.
RH: James, it’s so nice to speak with you today. Nick has said some really good things about you.
JR: Thank you, Ruth, I’m really excited for this interview.
How did you get started in acting?
I started acting around the end of 2015. My sister brought to my attention that they were looking for extras for a couple of movies and TV shows. At first, I was like, “Oh, no, I don’t know if that’s really for me.” But then I figured I’d try it out and go on set and see what it’s about. And it really, really changed my mind. Having the opportunity to see everyone working together…it was so incredible just to watch everybody achieving their dreams. I decided I wanted to see how good I could be at pursuing this type of work. After doing extra work, I started doing short films. That’s when I got the acting bug.
Had you always had an interest in acting, or was this just something you decided to try out?
I always loved the movies; I’m not too sure why. When I was little, I always watched movies. I think I watched Sandlot on repeat like four or five times. There’s a bunch of other movies that inspired me as a kid too, but mostly when I was growing up, I played sports. I always watched sports-related movies for inspiration and drive.
So what has been your experience with the projects you have done already?
I have done some student films, some shorts, and I have never had a bad experience on set. It’s always been a great experience no matter what.
That’s so good to hear! That doesn’t always happen in this business, so I hope that streak continues for you. Now, please remind me of where you are based.
I live in southern New Jersey, about ten miles outside of Philadelphia in a town called Westville.
I understand a few big movies have made their way to that area. Do you sense that the Philadelphia area is increasing in terms of TV and movies in production?
I believe so. I’ve heard some good things about New Jersey’s tax credit. So hopefully some more projects come out this way. Anything with expression normally works well in Philadelphia. And out here in Westville and the surrounding areas–they are very supportive of the arts.
That’s good to know that the industry is expanding out that way. It’s giving regional actors like you the chance to do some bigger projects.
I agree; it’s a great opportunity.
Nick mentioned that he worked with you on Delaware Shore.
Yes, I first met Nick on that movie set. With Delaware Shore, everyone got along. We were all at this house filming for a couple of days, and it was really fun. And that’s where I like to believe that I started to get better at acting. I would check myself at the door and feel the character.
From what I read about Delaware Shore, it sounded like an intriguing story.
Yes, I’m really excited to see the trailer soon.
Up to this point, have you auditioned for most of your works?
Basically, but Delaware Shore was kind of a mix. The director, Raghav Peri, approached me about the role, and my response was, “Okay, if I do this role, I really have to get better at acting.” So he called me over, and we went through the lines and really started to round out the character and how I was going to do it. The more we work we were doing on it, the more we were getting excited to go and film it.
Do you know if this film is headed to film festivals any time soon?
Yes, it already is doing the film festival circuit, and my understanding is that it’s getting really good reviews and winning some awards here and there. I’m excited to see what the future holds for that film. I can’t wait for people to see it. In fact, it seems like they may go into distribution sometime this year. Fingers crossed everything works out and it really does happen.
That’s good news. Well, here’s hoping that everyone will get a chance to see it soon.
I hope so too.
The biggest news right now is that you have been cast in the upcoming film To Avenge.
Yes, I play Samuel Morrison, who is one of the friends of the Danvers brothers.
How did you get involved with this film project?
Luckily, Nick reached out to me a couple of months ago and asked if I wanted to be in this film. I was interested right away, especially when he was pitching the storyline. I was excited for the chance to do something I hadn’t don’t before, so that makes it a lot more intriguing. I felt like I HAD to do it. Once I read the script, I got even more excited. It’s a great script, and I really think everyone’s gonna do a great job on it.
How would you describe your character in this film?
Entitled.
Okay, I am thinking he’s not going to necessarily be a nice guy.
You’re right. He says nice words, but he’s not a nice person.
Have you ever portrayed a character who isn’t a nice guy?
No, this will be my first. That’s one of the big reasons it brought me in. I really wanted to see what I could do with this role. I’m confident in my ability to do play this character. I’ve seen these types of rich kids who can’t take “no” for an answer. And that’s my mindset for going about playing the role of Samuel.
Have you been taking acting classes?
Yes, I’ve taken some commercial classes and props classes. I’ve also taken workshops here and there.
This sounds like it will be a good opportunity to test your skills and try some new things.
Absolutely. I can hardly wait.
In terms of the overall message of this film, what are your thoughts about being involved, especially in light of the “Me Too” movement?
As I look at this film, I believe the interpretation of the message is that you can only trust yourself enough to get the job done. While I can’t reveal too much about the plot, the main character, Vera, is trying to protect herself, and that’s really all she can do. I believe it’s going to be a very powerful film to see women not as pushovers. I think you could easily make a comparison to a film like Wonder Woman. That’s a perfect example of what this film will be like because the protagonist of this film is really wonderful and willing to stand up for herself. She’s a tough one.
That’s an interesting comparison. I wouldn’t have thought of that. And as a guy, it’s nice that you brought that up. Sometimes men are not looked upon as being sympathetic to women in this movement.
Yes, sometimes they are dismissive. But that is not my outlook.
Now, I know you’ve worked with Nick before. Have you worked with anyone else in the cast before?
No, I haven’t. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone.
Good to know. So we’ve got Wing Girl, To Avenge, and anything else upcoming?
We are supposed to be working on a sequel to Wing Girl, so I am looking forward to that too. I’m really grateful for the roles I have now because with acting, you never know when the next job is going to show up. I’m still relatively new to the game, so I’m not getting too greedy. There are only so many films that I can really do where there’s not going to be someone more experienced who can take my place. Regardless, if I’m perfect for the role, I don’t think anyone else can do it better. But I do understand that there’s still a lot to learn about this business and the craft. I’m excited for what’s yet to come.
At this point in your career, are you able to support yourself through your acting?
I do have some side jobs, and I’m saving up lots of money for when I decide to move to either a bigger city where there’s more jobs or wait for the opportunity for me to be invited out there. The two films I’m ready for in the fall are To Avenge and Wing Girl 2. Then I have to figure out if it’s the right time to make a move or not.
Well, you’re still young enough that making a move could be very advantageous to your situation. And if you’re going to make a move, it’s better to make it when you’re young. Speaking of the future, are you interested in writing or directing eventually?
I’ve written two screenplays. I’m working on polishing them, and that’s a whole other craft. I’m definitely interested in writing. I think I’ve experienced some things that I think are funny enough to put down in a script and play around with. I’ve been reading a lot of books on how to write screenplays, so that has taken up some of my time recently.
I think that’s great that you’re diversifying your skills, and you never know where that could lead.
That is very true.
James, thank you so much for chatting with me. You definitely lived up to Nick’s remarks about you, and I am looking forward to seeing all your upcoming works, especially To Avenge.
Thank you, Ruth, for your interest. I can hardly wait to get started on filming To Avenge this fall. It’s going to be a blast, and I hope everyone will support the entire cast.
While James is a relative newcomer and most definitely a youngster (he was born the year I graduated from high school!), I am thoroughly impressed with his outlook and work ethic. He recognizes the fact that nothing will be delivered to him on a golden platter, and he is eager to invest the requisite time and resources to make a success of his chosen career path. On the one hand, he is cognizant of his own strengths and weaknesses (and he is not afraid to champion his strengths), and he further acknowledges that those with more experience are going to typically shift him out of the running for the most highly sought after roles. Undaunted, James continues to pursue his aspirations, and he is even initiating plans for the future, i.e., saving money! (That is uncommon amongst young people as a whole, but kudos to him for planning ahead, especially in the entertainment community!)
I am earnestly anticipating the movie To Avenge, and each time I interview a recently-cast member, I become more exhilarated and wish the time to pass more swiftly. However, while we are awaiting this compelling film, be sure to follow James and To Avenge at all the links below. The fact that a responsible young man like James is going to be portraying a callous, entitled prick is enough to invigorate me all the more concerning the merits of this upcoming project. I have no doubt that James possesses the essential abilities to portray Samuel with an authentic fervency, and I can only hope this film becomes the impetus to set his career soaring past what anyone ever conceived possible, including the gifted James!
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