By his own admission, Jacob Batalon was never much of a surfer during his childhood on Oahu. But the 2014 Damien Memorial School graduate said his acting career so far does feel a little like he’s dropping in on a monster swell.
“I’ve honestly just been so busy the last few months,” said Batalon, 20, by phone from the East Coast last week. “There’s definitely this wave I’m just trying to ride out right now.”
That wave is “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” the first in a series of films starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, a character previously portrayed by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Batalon has a major role in the new reboot as Parker’s goofy high school pal Ned Leeds. In her review of the movie, Associated Press film critic Lindsey Bahr referred to the Hawaii actor as Parker’s “adorable breakout best friend.”
The high-powered cast includes Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr. and Zendaya.
Batalon had already signed with an agent and was enrolled in an accelerated acting program at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts when he auditioned for “Spider-Man.” He confirmed he’s signed up to co-star in at least one more installment, mentioning he and Holland would “be in each other’s lives for the next five, six years.”
In the meantime, Batalon recently completed the third project of his young career, co-starring alongside veteran actor Tim Blake Nelson in “The True Don Quixote,” which is expected to be released this fall. In the film, Batalon plays one of literature’s most famous sidekicks, the peasant squire Sancho Panza. (He was also in “North Woods,” a low-budget horror film released last year.)
But for now, his focus has shifted back to “Spider-Man” after the film’s red-carpet premiere in Hollywood last week and the wide release in U.S. theaters on Friday.
“Thinking about it just makes me, like, quake in my shoes,” Batalon said of the whirlwind of worldwide publicity and promotion that surrounds the release of a blockbuster movie like “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and the amount of travel he and his co-stars will undertake during the next few months as representatives of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“People refer to me as part of the MCU, as opposed to just being this actor,” he said. “Honestly, it’s an honor. It’s finally making sense to me.
“It’s so great getting to meet the fans. And getting to travel around the world is just wild to me, man. It’s pretty crazy.”
Here’s more of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s interview with Batalon.
QUESTION: What was the biggest challenge you faced while on the “Spider-Man” set?
ANSWER: There was just, like, a certain pressure that kind of came with a third Spider-Man franchise, all that noise about how it was going to be the same as always. Our challenge was to make it different, make it original, and we accomplished that.
Q: What makes “Homecoming” different from earlier efforts to tell the Spider-Man story?
A: In previous forms of Spider-Man, it’s been mostly just about Spider-Man and not Peter Parker. I think the one thing people forget is that Peter Parker is actually a teenager. He’s not on the cusp of adulthood when he got his powers. He’s literally in high school, trying to figure out life, going through puberty, and all of a sudden he has all these amazing powers. What we try to bring is that aspect of a normal life, a normal kid who happens to have powers.
Q: Tom Holland, who plays Spider-Man, described your Ned Leeds character as a “complete gamer” at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in January. Is that accurate?
A: Ned is this really sweet, innocent, genuine kid who loves video games, who loves “Star Wars,” who’s just this really big nerd, you know? That’s all he talks about.
Q: How does Ned compare to Jacob? Was it hard to get into character?
A: I think what’s so funny about that question is that it’s simple to reach back into that childhood innocence. It’s easy to remember what it’s like. I think the same excitement I had when I found out I got the film was kind of the same excitement Ned has when he finds out his best friend is Spider-Man, you know? That whole process of me not being able to tell anyone, that’s like the same thing as Ned. He can’t tell anyone his best friend is Spider-Man. So yeah, it was pretty similar.
Q: Did you get to meet and interact with any of the A-list stars?
A: Oh, yeah, I met RDJ (Robert Downey Jr.). I’ve met Michael Keaton, John Favreau, Marisa Tomei — they’re all really amazing people and really, really professional. I’ve learned so much from just watching them operate on set. John Favreau told me this one thing when he wrapped with us. He said, “Jacob, you know, I started out the same way you did, doing these sidekick roles, the best friend. It’s not a bad place to be. It’s a really good spot that opens up doors for you.” And for the most part, I believe that’s been happening. It’s been great.
Q: Was it difficult to transition into your costarring role as Sancho Panza on “The True Don Quixote”?
A: For the most part, being a sidekick, it was pretty much the same deal so it was really easy to transition. The people I worked with were great. Tim Blake Nelson, my co-star, is like a legend in the business. Everything was amazing.
Q: Do you worry about getting typecast as the sidekick who provides comic relief?
A: I think that’s just the thing you kind of have to deal with in this industry. Being able to break the mold that you’re molding right now is quite difficult, I’m not going to lie. But I’m not afraid to do so. I know what I’m capable of and I’m pretty sure people in the industry know what I’m capable of. I’m more than happy to do these roles. It satisfies me to do these roles.
Q: Were there any differences in working on the two films?
A: New Orleans (where “Don Quixote” was filmed) has been on my bucket list, so the fact I got to go and make a film there was so great. The atmosphere, the feel of the people is just like Hawaii. They’re all really welcoming and loving. It felt like I was back home.
Q: Is this acting thing turning out to be what you expected?
A: I think in any profession, in general, you always imagine yourself at the top of it. And I’m not trying to say I’m at the top of my profession, but I’ve seen what the top people do and what the top people live like. And that’s definitely something I want to be a part of. I’m just trying to do big things with my career all the time.
