Original-Cin Q&A: Noah Jupe on playing a young Shia LaBeouf and stickhandling Hollywood

At age 14, Noah Jupe is already an actor you’ve seen a lot of. The busy young Briton has starred in films like Suburbicon, Wonder and A Quiet Place. (He will return in A Quiet Place: Part II). 

You can currently see him on the big screen opposite Matt Damon and Christian Bale in Ford v. Ferrari. (playing the son of Bale’s character, racer Ken Miles)  Next up is his extraordinary performance in Honey Boy opposite Shia LaBeouf, in which he plays a fictionalized childhood version of LaBeouf.. 

Noah Jupe plays a thinly-veiled young Shia LaBeouf in the autobiographical Honey Boy.

Honey Boy is from a screenplay written by LaBeouf, based on his own experiences, and directed by award-winning filmmaker Alma Har'el. 

The film brings to life a young actor’s stormy childhood and early adult years as he struggles to reconcile with his father through cinema and dreams. Fictionalizing his childhood ascent to stardom, and subsequent adult crash-landing into rehab and recovery, Honey Boy stars Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges as Otis Lort, navigating different stages in a frenetic career. LaBeouf takes on the daring and therapeutic challenge of playing a version of his own father, an ex-rodeo clown and a felon.

Our Bonnie Laufer spoke with Noah Jupe about his experiences working on Honey Boy and how the role affected him on a personal level. 

ORIGINAL-CIN: Noah, I had the opportunity to see Honey Boy at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and I have to tell you that your performance in this film really stayed with me. 

 NOAH JUPE: “Thank you so much for saying that, it really means a lot to me and Toronto was a really great screening.” 

 OC: It was a powerful and heartbreaking performance, and I am certain it was not easy one portray. What was it like playing young Otis having Shia LeBeouf by your side for the entire experience?  

 JUPE: “The main thing for me sharing this crazy emotional experience with Shia - working with him and having him there all that time - was  building a trust with him. 

“We had to build a real relationship between us. And honestly, by the end of this we were so close I am certain that we  will now be friends for life.”

 OC: He also wrote the script based on his own experiences and volatile relationship with his own father. So that had to put a bit more pressure on you playing Shia as a young child actor.

JUPE: “I guess it did. But again having Shia there really helped put me at ease. It is based on his life, so I was kind of scared about that at first. But  honestly, he was really hands off with it and gave it all to Alma as a director to take the reins. 

“Shia was there if we needed to ask any questions. But he was focusing on his character, which was a crazy challenge that I can't even imagine doing. He really let us build on what was on the page. And, you know, he wasn't there going, ‘No, I didn't do that,’ or, ‘He would  do it this way,’ or ‘I'd do it that way.’  As I said he was very hands-off with it which was which was really great for me and Lucas Hedges (who plays older Otis).”

 OC It sounds like he gave you a lot of freedom and no interference.

JUPE:  “That was exactly it, we had total freedom since  we weren't copying someone we obviously had to kind of get into his energy and get into his vibe. It never felt like we were copying certain events and we were playing a version of it.”

OC: You have been acting since you were very young and have starred opposite some pretty big stars. From George Clooney to Matt Damon, you have had no shortage of wonderful role models when it comes to acting.  

After being in Honey Boy and going through the experience, I wanted to know how you have managed to stay so grounded and not get caught up in the Hollywood pit that many child actors fall into. 

JUPE: “I guess the eye-opening thing for me on this project was exactly  how big and scary the industry is. I absolutely adore what I do and I will hopefully keep doing it for as long as possible. But you know there are  parts of it that are scary and you can easily fall into dark parts of it that aren't escapable. 

“So for me, I learned you need to have those safe people that you trust, and you need to keep them as close as possible and surround you almost like a shield. I have learned to  take in everything that comes my way, but I am very careful with the roles I choose and who is involved.  

“I've had an incredible experience with this movie and all of the projects I have worked on, but I make sure I always have those those safe people around me when I am meeting new people. It’s also so important  to never forget about the ones who really love you and have your best interests at heart.” 

 OC: You are also currently starring in, Ford v. Ferrari opposite Matt Damon and Christian Bale who plays your dad in the film. How did you enjoy working with Christian who is not only a fellow Brit but started acting at a young age as well? 

JUPE: “I loved working with him, just because he's such a generous actor and I learned so much from him on the set. I just loved watching him and his process. He's just such a cool guy, easy to like and he's really humble. You immediately feel really safe with him and he's really funny as well.”