Hi Jayden! Tell us a bit more about yourself.

Hi! Well, I’ve been acting on stage since I was six years old and on screen since age nine. Performing has kind of consumed my whole life and I knew from day one that performing and acting was a craft I wanted to work on forever. I started off in musicals and at eight years old I was cast in my first professional show on stage. For me, it was quite a natural transition to the screen, and I felt like a whole new world opened up to me. I was completely fascinated by screen acting. I’ve had so many amazing experiences already and I feel very fortunate. Music is also a passion of mine and I love making music in my spare time.

How excited are you for the release of Lionsgate’s reimagining of “Children of the Corn?” How would you describe the film?

I’m super excited about the release of Children of the Corn. It’s been a long time coming and I’m so proud of the film and everyone involved. This is an extremely unique horror film, especially in relation to the rest of the franchise, as this one focuses solely on the children. I found interesting as it allowed the audience to understand the motivations for their actions that haven’t been fully explored before. The way we approached this classic short story is very fresh and unique, but we did still try to honour and respect the source material.

Tell us more about your character Cecil Williams. How would you describe the character and your character evolution in the film?

Cecil Williams is Bolyen’s (Elena Kampouris) younger brother, and the film shows Cecil at a point in his life where he could use some guidance. He’s turning into a young man and needs the people around him, especially his sister, for support. She means so much to him and, without giving away any spoilers, quite early on in the film he’s faced with some tough personal challenges he has to combat. There’s a clear sense of loneliness that he experiences, and in that vulnerable state, the feeling of desperation can force people to make some rash decisions.

What are the highs and the challenges that you faced while filming? How did you rise above these challenges?

The biggest challenge we all faced during production was working through the Covid-19 pandemic. We filmed from the beginning of March to the end of May 2020 in New South Wales, Australia, which was right in the middle of the worldwide lockdown. This was the only feature film that was shot and completed during Covid without a shutdown. I’m so grateful for our amazing team—Lucas Foster, Kurt Wimmer, Mathieu Bonzon, Sean Harner, Jon Heaney—who worked tirelessly to make the completion of the film possible, adjusting and adapting the screenplay and shooting process daily to comply with evolving safety protocols. We were all so passionate about this film and the crew put in so much hard work to ensure everyone was as safe as possible by living and operating in a “bubble” to limit exposure risks. This team created the first ever shooting “zones” that are now the standard for all productions around the world. This production also brought about a Covid safety “bible,” a series of protocols and procedures that other productions now follow as well. Because of that, the cast and crew spent so much time together, so it really did feel like a big family on set, and we all knew this project was a crazy and amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What’s the proudest moment of your career so far?

Honestly, the proudest moment of my career so far is playing a major role in Children of the Corn because we all were so determined to get this movie made and we showed up every day not knowing whether or not we’d get to continue the next day! It was such an honour to work with the directors and producers on this feature and be the only film in the world at the time to shoot. I’m so proud of everyone involved for completing this film despite all odds. This was a super special experience I’ll never forget.

As a young person who started early in the industry, where do you get your inspirations from?

Well, I’ve always loved being a part of and watching performances of both screen and stage. From as early as I can remember I’d put on DVDs and mimic actors, performing alongside the screen. Working as a child on the professional stage, I was always inspired by the adult performers who took me under their wings, they were so encouraging and huge inspirations to me. A screen actor I’ve always really respected and admired is Leonardo DiCaprio. It would be a dream to work with him one day.

What scares you?

I’m not actually scared of much haha. Probably naked mole-rats.

What keeps you busy aside from acting?

Aside from acting I’m always making music, and I love writing as well.

Name your top 5 favorite horror films of all time and why.

I love and talk about so many films, and then as soon as I get a ‘Top 5’ question I can’t remember ever looking at a TV in my life haha. But here we go, in no specific order. Although another work by Stephen King, The Shining has to be on the list. It has become a classic and is amazing in so many ways. I get chills every time I watch it and it never gets old. Get Out and Us are two films by Jordan Peele I thought were incredible, as his whole style is really original, and I love the way his stories unfold. The Silence of the Lambs is also easily in my top five. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter is obviously amazing as well as the writing. Lastly, The Sixth Sense is easily one of my favourites too, I love Hayley Joel Osment and Toni Collette in that.

Last song that got stuck in your head.

The last song I couldn’t get out of my head was a song called Must Be Nice by Ruel. I don’t really listen to sad music often but that one stuck with me. Truthfully one of the last songs that got stuck in my head was one of my own songs that I’ve been working on, but I thought that sounded a bit pretentious haha.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Good question. A really good piece of advice I remember receiving was to just “go for it.” Acting and performing has always been something I’ve been so passionate about, and I’ve been working on it my whole life. It’s a tough industry and not for the faint-hearted, but for me just going for it full force and putting my everything into it is how I roll.

What’s your ultimate goal?

I think my ultimate goal is to just keep doing what I love and working on projects that I’m passionate about. You can never know where this crazy career can take you and I’m super excited to just keep going and see what’s ahead.

What are your dream projects?

I’d love to play a superhero for either Marvel or DC in the future. It would be a dream to be cast in one of those roles as I’ve always been a huge fan of those movies. I know they’re going to be taking DC in a new direction and I’d be very interested in being a part of that if the opportunity presented itself. I’d also love to be in a drama, with serious content and heavy scenes. That really appeals to me because I really want to challenge myself as an actor and I haven’t really shown that side on screen yet.

Is there a skill / talent that a lot of people don’t know about you? 

Well only my friends and people close to me really know that I can play the piano! I started lessons when I was around 6 years old, so I’ve been playing for 12 years now. I’ve also been dancing and singing since I was around the same age.