Tell us about Tiny Fugitives and your role as Leon.
Tiny Fugitives is about five runaway children that want to stay at camp forever so they escape from their 50-year-old camp counselor named Bob (played by Johnny Knoxville). It is a very funny and chaotic movie and to be honest, I think people who have gone to Jewish summer camp before will really like this movie.
What did you enjoy most about filming this project?
I really loved the people I got to work with. They were so experienced and I learned so much from this filming experience, overall. The people on the set were absolutely amazing and working with Johnny Knoxville, the “King of Stunts” was absolutely insane. Like come on. Like, what kid gets to say that? What person gets to say that? I bonded really well with my casemates, even though I was like two years younger. I was ten at the time. So, we went to places like Canada’s Wonderland and I really felt like I could connect to everybody on set because even the director and writer would come and talk with us during lunches.
I grew up watching Johnny Knoxville and crew as they got their big break when I was in my early teens. I’ve been a fan of them ever since and it’s great to see how they have grown, how Johnny evolved into making other films, to now seeing him work with the younger generation like yourself. Is there anything in particular that you’ve learned from Johnny while on set that stood out to you?
He actually told me this in one of the trailers before. We were getting ready to shoot and I asked him what advice he would give to new actors and he said, “If you’re not booking anything, you have to create. You have to write your own stuff.”, which is what I’ve been doing. I’ve been writing a sci-fi comedy trilogy and as an actor, writing made me feel connected to my auditions and my characters. I can make a basis for them and make it seem less like a person acting as a character in a movie and more like a real person in a movie.
Got you. Now, entering the business and being as young as you are, what can you say about the process of creation? You mentioned making opportunities for yourself and a lot of the new generation is doing that online. They are streaming and are doing a bunch of different things on their own. What would you say to someone else that is currently in your shoes?
I would say that perseverance is key in this industry because if you don’t persevere, if you don’t try and try and try again for that callback for that audition, then it’s most likely that you probably won’t be able to make it far. You have to keep on putting your effort into it because that’s one of the most important parts of being an actor. Not everything will be handed to you on a silver platter.
Being that Tiny Fugitives is your second major film, with DC and James Gunn’s Superman being the first, do you have a particular genre that you’re aiming for or are you just taking roles as they come?
Basically, I will take any part that I get because in the acting industry, it’s so rare to book a part. But, I really want to be a part of horror and sci-fi projects because I’ve done mostly comedy movies with Superman dabbling a little bit in sci-fi and I thought the whole sci-fi process was like, really cool. Again, it explains why I really like to write sci-fi. I really like to read sci-fi too and would love to be a part of contrasting movies from movies like, Tiny Fugitives. Yes, the experience with comedy is great but I also want to expand my horizons.
Right. What are your top favorite horror or sci-fi type films?
So a lot of the sci-fi movies I’ve watched recently were like space movies. I really liked Interstellar. I also really liked Project Hail Mary. I know lots of people love that movie, and to me, it’s super fun. Also, I have a friend that played in the new horror movie, Buddy. I got to read the script because I got pinned for the role, the script is actually really cool, and the acting seems really fun as well. So yeah, those are just a couple of the movies that I’ve watched recently or are planning to watch that I like or that I wish I could have been a part of.
Someone mentioned Project Hail Mary to me recently. Interstellar is a nice pick too, man. That is one of my favorite movies of all time. OK, let’s go back a little bit into your background and how you got your start. Starting with Superman (2025) was a big deal. How did that come about?
I remember I was trying for multiple auditions, not really hearing back. I was around 1 to 2 years into the acting process. Then, I remember seeing the script. Usually for scripts like these, they’re going to probably use a different script or different words to not reveal too much and basically keep the movie safe from the public eye. Auditioning for Superman, I had to say a random superhero’s name that I am pretty sure does not exist. I remember that entire process because it had to be so secure, so safe, and I couldn’t tell a single soul outside of the people that knew.
What is one of the most important lessons that you’ve learned that is a misconception about acting and filming?
I realize now that there are multiple different takes. The director asks you to do it like 15 different ways, the editor will choose the best one, or the director will make that decision and actually put it in the film. Now, you don’t actually get to see the tons of work behind it, but it’s absolutely insane how all that comes together. So basically for non-actors, that might seem like scenes are shot this one specific way. But really, when you get in depth and get into the nitty gritty of acting, you see that there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that is hidden from the public eye about the entire process.
Being that Tiny Fugitives is a comedy and you said that there are multiple takes, how does one know that a particular line or scene is going to be funny to a wide range of people vs. just a few and end up in the final version of the film?
For Tiny Fugitives, Seth Rogen (storied actor and one of the producers of the film) implements lots of improv so a lot of the funnier lines were based off of creative ideas that the cast had because we would just run the lines normally then the director would tell us to do whatever. There was a moment when an actor had a slip up and it was actually used in the final version. People felt like that was genuine and that is what made it extraordinarily funny, I feel like.
Gotcha. Now, you said that you had a good time and enjoyed filming, working with your castmates, and things of that nature. What do you think the film says about camaraderie?
It really shows multiple arcs for many different characters, especially for Jacob Udell (played by Benjamin Pajak) because Jacob has to leave summer camp after his final year in this movie. All five children work together to not only hatch an escape plan, but to stay at camp forever, and it really shows their strong friendships and how the power of camaraderie and working together will help achieve their goals.
There is a lot of competition out there with so many people wanting to become entertainers. What do you do to develop yourself and help become the best you can be?
I take acting classes and sometimes, I even film myself doing scripts that I find wherever, and I really try to tap into the characters and use my creative ability to do those fake mock auditions the best I can. That really helps me keep in touch with the acting industry and keeps me strong. Also, watching movies and TV shows help because I learn from other actors between my own auditions.
Oh, wow. Okay. So, Tiny Fugitives was released a few weeks ago. What has been it’s reception so far?
From what I have heard, people truly believe that the film is actually accurate to what they’ve experienced in their own lives at summer camp and they’ve said that the sense of camaraderie and working together felt strong between the actors. I’ve also heard people say this movie is funny, which it really is. I think many people who haven’t seen it will enjoy it if they get the chance to watch it.
Gotcha. What do you have coming up next?
I have this movie called, YOYOs that I filmed around my sixth grade year and like Tiny Fugitives, it is a comedy that revolves around summer camp. The plots are kind of similar but they have contrasting differences, especially in my character, because in that movie I’m more like a rebellious child, per se.
Tell me something about yourself that most don’t know.
I’m very observant and knowledgeable, even though I’m a 12-year-old in like a sixth graders body. I see a lot of things that many others don’t, like many scenarios and I can take away the main ideas from events.
Lastly, how can people find you on socials?
I’m on Instagram @jai.soundar, I’m repped by MC Talent, and my agency is The Osbrink Agency. Also, can I say one last thing? Sure. I actually got Tiny Fugitives off an open casting call and the entire process was like a 1 in 1,000,000 chance. I really tried my best for this and the result was getting cast as Leon. My parents were like, “Oh, let’s audition for it”. We didn’t expect to hear back but we got a call back, a director session, and then I heard that I booked the part.
But, the thing was, I was ten years old at the time, R-rated film, you know? All that sort of stuff. So of course, my parents were hesitant but here is one thing that my grandfather said that is absolutely hilarious and probably was one of the reasons my parents actually went with it. He said, “In this movie, he gets a girlfriend and he gets to curse? Guys, this is why we came to America!” and for my first couple weeks there, he took care of me. Basically, one of the reasons I’m part of this film is probably him. He took me when my parents had work. So, I think that he is a very important factor to all of this.
That’s awesome, man. How supported have your parents been, overall since you’ve begun your acting journey?
They are very supportive people. They are so brilliant. They supported me throughout the entire process, even with me being ten years old and this being the first movie I was a main character in. It was an extremely insane process, especially for a young child at the time, like me. I remember my mom came on set once to make sure I was okay with filming one specific scene where I was slow dancing with my scene partner and to be honest, I feel like she helped me through it so much. Same thing with my dad, very supportive as well as the rest of my family. They would actually come from time to time, like weekly. So, I think that’s something amazing that not many people get to have.
Q+A By Tyrone Davis
Photos submitted by The Brand Partners.
