Photo by Jeff Vespa/@portraits
Gabriel Bateman has starred in some great stuff, but it is truly only the beginning as he has a lot of great upcoming projects. We were able to get a bit of his time to talk about what he is working on and what is coming up in the future! Take a look before and then get used to hearing his name a lot, because he is involved in some great projects and with his talent his career is only going to get even busier.
Gabriel Bateman will be seen next starring lead in the Amazon comedy series “The Dangerous Book for Boys” created by Bryan Cranston and directed by Greg Mottola. “The Dangerous Book for Boys” will premiere in Spring 2018. Gabriel will also star in the reboot of the hit 1974 family classic, Benji, which will release on Netflix in March 2018. He will also be seen as “Alex”, opposite Michelle Monaghan, where he plays Monaghan’s son, in the Indie biopic Saint Judy. Gabriel will next be seen in Robert The Bruce, the story that continues where the Oscar-winning Braveheart left off.
BSCKids: Let’s start with The Dangerous Book for Boys before we move into your other work. Tell us a bit about your role in the series and how you got the job?
Gabriel Bateman: The Dangerous Book for Boys is a family dealing with the sudden loss of their father played by Chris Dimopoulus. After their mom, played by Erinn Hayes gives them a letter they go on a scavenger hunt and discover a book called The Dangerous Book for Boys. Their dad left for this for his three sons as an instruction manual into things they may encounter in life. I play the youngest brother named Wyatt whose imagination is sparked when he reads the book and he begins to have fantasies that are full of adventure. Wyatt is very compassionate, creative and observant and though he is the youngest he tries to help his family cope with the loss of their dad. I auditioned for the role on the Sony lot and went through a couple of call backs. When I got the offer for this show on Amazon Prime, I had another offer for another compelling project but phone calls and Skyping with Bryan Cranston helped seal the deal.
BSCKids: How was it filming the six episodes of The Dangerous Book for Boys instead of filming this as a movie? Why do you think it works better as a series?
Gabriel Bateman: There is way too much material in this How-To book to limit it to just a movie. I love that it is a series. The adventures with this book are so numerous and Bryan and James Degus and Greg Mottola have such a cool vision that is a catalyst for these adventures that trying to pack it into a movie would be waste.
BSCKids: How was the actual prop book, it looks really cool…Was there only one, did anything happen to it?
Gabriel Bateman: Our properties and art and scenic departments were all great! The lady in charge of making the book would add new pages almost every day. She wanted to keep me excited and fascinated every time I held the book and she succeeded. There is only one and it is a true work of art. A treasure.
BSCKids: If your father was going to teach you a life lesson what sort of fantasy world do you think you would end up in?
Gabriel Bateman: My dad is a retired fire chief and I have grown up listening to many lessons on fire safety. I guess I would be escaping a burning building. He also does cliff and water rescue and currently is an EMS coordinator and a retired marine, so the lessons and fantasies with him are pretty numerous too.
BSCKids: Any interesting behind the scenes stories you can tell us?
Gabriel Bateman: The three of us boys had a great idea of getting walkie-talkies to communicate with each other on set but it got vetoed because they thought it would interfere with the set radios. One of the days on set Kyan Zielinski and I co-directed a short video starring all three of us boys with cameos from our moms and some of the crew.
BSCKids: One sentence why everyone should tune into The Dangerous Book for Boys…
Gabriel Bateman: The Dangerous Book for Boys introduces a new adventure every episode that will teach you life’s lessons while warming your hearts and making you laugh with the endearing characters.
Gabriel Bateman is best known for his role in the James Wan-produced horror box office hit, Lights Out and was seen in the murder-mystery series, “American Gothic” on CBS. He also is known for his standout role on Robert Kirkman’s (creator of “The Walking Dead”) series “Outcast” on Cinemax.
BSCKids: What has been your hardest role to date and why? How do you prepare to get into character?
Gabriel Bateman: I just finished filming Robert the Bruce which was shot all outdoors or in primitive huts often in below zero F weather in Livingston Mt and Scotland. I played an active boy who was an archer and filmed every day other than weekends that I was on location. It was physically very taxing but I think the rest will be rewarding. I prepared by studying the accent and the time period. I also practiced my archery and horse back riding skills.
BSCKids: Tell us a bit about your Benji role? Were you familiar with Benji before auditioning?
Gabriel Bateman: Benji is a heartwarming film also about a struggling family struggling with the recent loss of their father. My character Carter finds a dog, who saves the day when Carter and Frankie get kidnapped. It’s a lot of fun and you can’t help but fall in love with Benji, (just like we did on set) when watching this movie. I think Brandon Camp did such wonderful homage to his dad- Joe Camp’s work. I had never heard of the film before auditioning but found out my parents were huge fans during the process and now I have watched the original.
BSCKids: Do you have any pets of your own?
Gabriel Bateman: I currently only have four bunnies, but I grew up with lots of dogs. My favorites were my beagle named Molly, and my pitfall boxer named Spartan. I also had a chocolate lab named Godiva that lived to nineteen human years!
BSCKids: You have been real busy lately, how was it working on Saint Judy and what did you come away with from that story?
Gabriel Bateman: Saint Judy is based on the true story of immigration lawyer Judy Wood and her journey to change to US law of asylum to protect a woman’s life. It’s an incredible story and I was glad to play a role in the. movie.
BSCKids: Braveheart was such a classic movie, are you excited to be in Robert The Bruce?
Gabriel Bateman: Very excited. Braveheart is one of my favorite epic movies and to be able to continue the story of what happened to Robert the Bruce and be a part of a film that is some of my family legacy was wonderful. I got to travel to Scotland and felt very near to my roots.
BSCKids: Out of all the movies and shows you have worked on, who do you feel like has taught you the most about acting?
Gabriel Bateman: There are so many people I have worked with that have impacted who I am as an actor that it would be impossible to list them all. One of best relationships I developed through acting and still maintained today is with Patrick Fugit. He is my mentor, friend and brother and he has taught me a lot about life outside of acting.
BSCKids: How do you find time for school and your other hobbies?
Gabriel Bateman: School is mandatory. When I am filming I do at least three hours on set and then catch up after work and on week-ends. Sometimes it is difficult to fit my favorite hobbies archery, rock climbing etc. in but when I can I find time to pursue the other things I love.
BSCKids: Where can we find you on social media?
Gabriel Bateman:
IG GabrielMichaelBateman
Twitter 1GabrielMichael
Special thanks to Gabriel Bateman for taking the time out of his super busy schedule to speak with us. We look forward to watching all of the upcoming and exciting projects he is a part of.
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