Joseph Zada Shines in “We Were Liars”
Julie Plec, co-creator of “We Were Liars,” is truly impressed with her cast, particularly the newcomer Joseph Zada.
The 20-year-old Australian actor, who plays Johnny Sinclair in the new Amazon Prime series, is set to take on the iconic role of Cal Trask, originally played by James Dean, in Netflix’s “East of Eden.” He’s also been cast as Haymitch Abernathy in the upcoming “Hunger Games” prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping.”
“During various scenes, I received texts from people saying, ‘Wow, you should check out what this kid is doing right now,’” Plec shared. “The crew often pauses their work to watch him and asks, ‘Who is this kid? He’s something special.’”
Plec also noted that Mummy Gummer, who portrays Zada’s mother on the show, was very taken with his talent and actually facilitated his audition for “East of Eden.” “Gummer reached out to Zoe Kazan, a friend involved in casting the project, urging her to meet Zada. That’s how he got these roles,” Plec explained.
She continued to praise Zada, mentioning, “He has something extraordinary, and I genuinely look forward to watching his career take off.”
The casting announcement for “Sunrise on the Reaping” has created quite a buzz on social media as the star-studded lineup includes names like Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons, Kieran Culkin, and Elle Fanning.
Zada himself admitted feeling quite anxious, stating, “I’m extremely nervous about taking on this role.”
Plec, who has experience nurturing young talent from her previous work on popular teen dramas like “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals,” is clearly excited about Zada’s future.
“It’s challenging to select the right actors from an extensive list, but it’s rewarding when you get to see their growth and success,” she remarked.
“We Were Liars,” premiering on June 18th on Amazon Prime, is based on E. Lockhart’s 2014 young adult thriller and revolves around teen Cadence Sinclair as she struggles to piece together a traumatic memory from a wealthy family’s private island.
