Lyon Daniels Talks Netflix Movie We Can Be Heroes – Exclusive Interview

We love talking about upcoming Netflix movies and we were quite happy to have the opportunity to speak to Lyon Daniels from the upcoming movie We Can Be Heroes. We get to speak to Lyon on his career as well as some fun things about the movie.

Lyon Daniels will star in Robert Rodriguez and Netflix’s upcoming “We Can Be Heroes” airing this Fall. He stars opposite Boyd Holbrook, Pedro Pascal and Priyanka Chopra. Lyon plays a kid with super powers, who is enlisted to join a group of kids to help save the world from alien invaders.

BSCKids: How did you get the role on We Can Be Heroes?

Lyon Daniels: I first auditioned for another character in the film and then maybe a week later my agent called and said that casting wanted me to read for a different character. Casting gave me only that day to memorize the lines, 3 scenes and wanted my self-tape returned the very next morning. A few days later or maybe almost a week later my manager called and asked if we could come to LA for a Director session/chemistry test with the director, Robert Rodriguez since I was living in Chicago at the time. My parents got plane tickets and we traveled to LA for the director session/chemistry test. When I arrived at casting’s office, there were some other kids there to read for other characters, but I was the only one there to read for my character, which was a really good sign. After the test, we got the call a few days later with the offer, which was the best day of my life. My mom told me the good news when she picked me up from the school bus stop!

Do you have any special way that you prepared for your filming?

Yes, I did have to do some things to prepare for filming. I had to come to Texas 2 weeks early for stunt training, we got to live there in Austin, Texas for 3 months. Stunt training was super fun because we were attached to harnesses! We also got to learn and practice fighting choreography with stuntmen to make us look awesome in the final cut. We received the latest draft of the movie script and I read through everything to start learning and memorizing all my lines. My mom would help me highlight my lines and then she would put a post-it note on each scene. Every night I would go over my scene for the next day and prepare!
Does your character have anything in common with you?

I’d say my character does have something in common with me because we both have crazy and wacky personalities. We’re both eccentric, fun, and powerful in our ways with natural leadership instincts.

If you could have any superpower which one would it be and why?

If I could have any superpower it would be the power of Voltaic manipulation or commonly proposed as electric powers. I feel like owning this ability would be amazing and fun to use since you could stop tornadoes by manipulating the storm and weather patterns, so the air doesn’t mix and cause chaos.

Tell us your favorite thing about living in Texas?

My favorite thing about living in Texas was the delicious, appetizing aroma of food that nested there. Texas has amazing ribs, brisket, and tacos. I love that about Texas because of their diverse sense of culture and their food was brilliant. There were so many fun things to do there, one day a few of my castmates and I went to hang out at Barton Springs, which was fun! Barton Springs is a recreational outdoor swimming pool that is filled with water from nearby natural springs.

What have you been doing to fill your time recently?

I have been filling my time by hanging out with my family and conversing with my friends on Facetime and through my video games. I have also been practicing my art skill of drawing realistic dinosaurs and swimming. I’m trying to read more books that I have been wanting to check out. I have also been taking care of my pet bearded dragon, Scar!

Tell us what you learned as an actor from this movie? Was there anyone that specifically helped you grow in your acting?

I have learned so much as an actor from being a part of this masterful movie. I have learned that your imagination is what makes your potential as an actor ignite, imagining things makes the story more real, and having a physical, 3D set to run around in really helps the story come alive in your mind. My director Robert Rodriguez has taught me so much about filming and motivating the cast. Robert was so chill, friendly, and patient with us and he showed me ways to bring my character to life. He showed me that it’s not just about the lines you are saying, but the physical actions your body makes as well.

There was also someone else that’s helped me grow into my acting ability and that is my mother. My mom has been there for me since I got into acting and has always practiced scripts with me, she is the person that helped get me to where I am now. Finally, she has always encouraged me to keep going when I felt down for not getting parts or to look up when I get a new audition.

Do you find that acting or modeling was harder for you?

I feel like acting and modeling are both fun, however, acting is without a doubt harder than modeling. Acting is so awesome because you can embrace a different person and get to know and become them as you read your lines. It does take a lot of work though to memorize lines and figure out methods to add your touch to it. The key is to make it yours and make your performance stand out for the 1,000’s of other auditions.

Is there anyone specific you follow on social media you want to tell us about?

I do follow someone very cool on Instagram and am happy that you asked! I have just recently been interviewed for a documentary for something that is very dear to my heart and that is dinosaurs. This documentary is called “Why Dinosaurs?” This project is so very cool because they have interviewed many top dinosaur paleontologists and enthusiasts to get their perspective on why dinosaurs and fossils are so cared for and spectacular. I recommend following their page @WhyDinosaurs to see cool dinosaur things and information about the documentary.

What was your favorite part about being on set?

My favorite part about being on set was first all the treats and snacks at craft services! I also really looked forward to talking to the other cast and seeing their point of view of their characters. Most of my scenes were filled with action and crazy stunts so I loved being on the strings and doing all the superhero stunts!

Tell us what you thought of your wardrobe for We Can Be Heroes

I thought my wardrobe for the film represents my character in a simple way. Also, it’s not what you expect for a superhero movie, which I think is so cool and different about this film as it’s not your average superhero movie. Finally, it was very comfortable and well fitted. It looked very clean and iconic, I would wear it in real life if I could.

Thanks to Lyon Daniels for taking the time out to speak with us and make sure to watch Netflix’s upcoming We Can Be Heroes which will be airing this Fall.