Maxwell Jenkins considers actor Anupam Kher his guardian angel. “Whenever I encounter any kind of struggle, he always gives me a call,” reveals the 19-year-old actor through a video call from Chicago. His bond with Kher began a decade ago when they worked together on the film “A Family Man,” which also featured Hollywood heavyweights like Gerard Butler, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Gretchen Mol.
Maxwell’s foray into Indian culture didn’t stop with Kher. He spent a year and a half learning bhangra, during which he was exposed to Hindi films. Reflecting on this period, Maxwell says, “They showed us some pretty great Bollywood films. I know I sound pretty mainstream for saying this, but ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (DDLJ) was phenomenal. I’ve seen it twice. I was shocked to see Anupam in the film. He seemed to be in every Bollywood film I watched!”
In “Arcadian,” Jenkins portrays Thomas, a complex character embroiled in the challenges of a post-apocalyptic world. “I remember falling in love with the character of Thomas right off the bat because it was unlike any character I had done before,” he says enthusiastically. “Thomas isn’t squeaky clean and isn’t necessarily the hero at all times. One of my favorite comments is when people tell me they hated Thomas,” Maxwell adds with a laugh.
The defining moment in Maxwell’s decision to join “Arcadian” came during a conversation with the film’s director, Benjamin Brewer. “We talked for about an hour and a half, and maybe just ten minutes of that was about the movie. The rest of our conversation was about comic books, school, and growing up. I was in the midst of applying to colleges, which is wild to think about now as I’m entering my sophomore year at university. I read the script, fell in love with the character, talked with Ben, and next thing I knew, I was in Ireland.”
In “Arcadian,” Thomas is one of two twins. Unlike his brother Joseph, played by Jaeden Martell, Thomas tends to lead with his body rather than his mind. “He is like any kid today, experiencing growing pains and trying to stretch out his arms in a world that doesn’t let him. The stakes are high; when Thomas makes mistakes, people die and loved ones get hurt,” notes Maxwell.
Maxwell believes modern societal constructs don’t necessarily account for mistakes. “Everyone’s lives are so much more public because of social media. Mistakes are costlier, out in the open, and they affect more than just one person. Thomas can be a bit hot-headed. He thinks he’s invincible until he discovers he isn’t. At the end of the day, he’s a teenager who loves his brother and is struggling to find independence in a world that doesn’t account for it.”
Joining the cast of “Arcadian,” Nicolas Cage portrays the boys’ father. “Nic was incredible. He’s a phenomenal actor and a great person.
. On set, he is collaborative and wants to hear your thoughts and ideas. If he says something that you disagree with or envision another way, he wants to hear that. We rewrote and went over so many different options that it feels like we filmed three different movies in twenty days.”
Maxwell recalls Cage’s immersive acting intensity during their first interaction on set. “Cage’s first day was about a week into filming. He had come from another project, probably ‘Dream Scenario.’ We didn’t get a chance to meet face to face before filming. I come running in late, expecting a scripted reprimand, and Nic gets in my face yelling, ‘Thomas, you’re late!’ I was running full speed and stopped dead in my tracks. There were slide marks in the grass! That’s the kind of actor Nic is—110% in every moment.”
Highlighting the dynamics between the brothers in “Arcadian,” Maxwell emphasizes the importance of building on-screen chemistry with Jaeden Martell. “Jaeden and I understood that we needed to get pretty close to make this believable. That wasn’t hard since Jaeden and I got close fast. We went golfing and hung out in the woods in Ireland, running scenes together.”
Maxwell underscores that the character work in “Arcadian” fuels the film’s horror, gore, and action. “For a science fiction-horror film, you don’t want to fall into the trap of action overload at the expense of character development. We ensured that strong character work drove the action.”
Growing up in his family’s traveling circus, Maxwell describes himself as a physical person. “Often, my way into characters is through their physicality. Characters with that dimension are always fun to play, provided they’re character-driven and have unique, layered backgrounds. I love exploring different roles. I grew up playing Will Robinson in ‘Lost in Space,’ who is squeaky clean and leads with his heart and mind. Playing Thomas allowed me to push the envelope.”
Maxwell also starred as young Jack Reacher in the first season of “Reacher” but will not be in the new season due to his growth spurt. “I probably got a bit too tall, a bit too big,” he chuckles. In the pipeline is “The Bondsman” for Amazon Blumhouse, featuring Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles as his parents and Beth Grant as his grandmother.
Maxwell’s aspirations extend into a galaxy far, far away. “I’d love to play a Jedi. I grew up as a total nerd. Before acting took over my world, I’d attend conventions to get my cape and shield signed and take photos with my childhood heroes.”
“Arcadian” is currently streaming on Lionsgate Play, and with it, Maxwell Jenkins continues to demonstrate his growing prowess in the film industry.
