EXCLUSIVE | 'Senior Year' star Zaire Adams on working with Rebel Wilson and movie's diverse cast
Netflix's 'Senior Year' marks the return of Rebel Wilson to the world of cinema after a hiatus of almost three years. The movie revolves around a girl named Stephanie Conway who gets injured right before she was going to be crowned the prom queen. She goes into a coma and wakes up 20 years later to realize that she is now 37 years of age. So, she decides to go back to high school and complete her graduation.
The movie is a throwback to the '90s rom-com movies like '13 Going On 30' and 'Mean Girls' and gives viewers a chance to relive their high-school days. Rebel Wilson and other cast members give amazing performances in the movie to keep viewers glued to their screens, but one actor who has been getting a lot of praise for his acting is none other than Zaire Adams. The actor plays the role of young Seth Novacelik in the movie and gives a knockout performance.
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Adams began his acting journey when he was really young and made his TV debut in 2012. He went on to make appearances in projects such as 'The Mindy Project', 'Bad Teacher', 'Speechless', and 'Modern Family'. He also made an appearance in Pharell William's Oscar-nominated song 'Happy'.
MEAWW caught up with Zaire and discussed various aspects of his career, including how he ended up being an actor and how working with stars like Rebel Wilson changed his life.
MEAWW: Congratulations, Zaire! On the release of 'Senior Year', but before we talk about the movie, we would love to know more about you. So, you have done quite a lot of work and you have been a part of shows like 'Modern Family' and 'Bad Teacher'. How's your journey been and how does it feel to be a part of this amazing community?
Zaire: It has been very surreal. That’s my favorite word to express my feeling. I mean, it’s my life and I’ve been doing this my entire life. It’s what I have trained for my entire life. But finally hitting that market, feels amazing.
MEAWW: Did you always want to pursue acting? When was the first time you realized that this could be a viable career option?
Zaire: Acting was never the first choice. For me, the singing started first and I actually started practicing singing first, especially in church. So, I told my dad that I wanna act too, so, he put me in acting classes and one thing led to another and it just so happened that acting kind of picked up first.
MEAWW: Coming to 'Senior Year', people are absolutely loving your character. For those who have not seen it yet, can you please something about your character?
Zaire: I play Young Seth. I like to call him Baby Seth and he is kind of nerdy, really sweet, really giving, understanding best friend to the main character Stephanie played by Rebel Wilson and Angourie Rice. At the beginning of the movie, he’s really just trying his best to fit in and tries to be edgy and cool, especially at the end of school, and he ends up dying his hair. He’s just trying his best to be that popular kid.
MEAWW: When I saw 'Senior Year', I realized that the movie was all about nostalgia. But when you heard the story for the first time, what was your reaction? Did you ever feel nervous that this could get tricky because of all the references to the classic teen comedies?
Zaire: When I read the script, I actually thought it would just hit a home run for everybody because it will give people something to relate to and something to feel memorable for. It would also take them back to the school days and make them feel how cool it would have been if they were a part of that. It’s so inclusive in so many ways.
MEAWW: What was the first thought you had in your mind when you heard about your character Seth? What kind of preparations went in? And, do you think that Seth is similar to you?
Zaire: The audition process was so fast. I literally auditioned for the role one day and one and a half-week later, I was already a member of the cast. My character, Seth, is kind of shy and I am naturally like that so it was a little easy to tap into that because he’s just so understated and that’s how I am as a person. Bleaching my hair was the craziest part as I had never done anything to my hair before. So, that felt like really helped me get into the character and get in the groove of being Seth.
MEAWW: You are working with such a talented star cast that includes Rebel Wilson, Sam Richardson, Justin Hartley, Mary Holland, and more. What kind of relationship did you share with the older members of the cast?
Zaire: We actually filmed one such different period of time that I didn’t get to hang out with them a lot. But the few times that I did, they were so cool and so nice. Sam Richardson is so relaxed and so funny in real life. Meanwhile, Rebel is hilarious. She’s so giving, we went out for so many dinners and she’s so inviting and made the entire energy around the set so much fun. The whole cast was amazing to be around.
MEAWW: Most of your scenes are with the young cast and you guys seem to have a lot of fun on the set. How was it working with young stars like Angourie Rice, Molly Brown, and Ana Yi Puig? Being of the same age, it would have helped you on set, right?
Zaire: It definitely did. We are all the same age and we were filming at the same time so we got to spend so much time with each other. There were so many fun nights where we had parties, got together, and went out to eat. We all are young and we were dealing with things that were relatable and we were able to confide in one another. It was like an experience that you only get once in a lifetime.
MEAWW: One of the best things about the movie is how diverse the cast is. The movie literally has actors from different communities. So, what was it like to know about different cultures? and how impactful it is for the movie to have such diverse cast members?
Zaire: It’s really impactful because that’s how the world is. There are so many different people, different cultures, and different castes and it’s important for everyone, especially younger kids, to see that this is normal, especially in the form of entertainment. To be around so many different people is beautiful because people come from different backgrounds, different histories, and different personalities and you get the chance to learn about them.
MEAWW: Any fun memory that you will never forget when you were shooting?
Zaire: The one thing that I will never forget happened when I was shooting and we were at the school, shooting and I was like getting my make-up done, the props were handling me, the clothes department was fixing my outfit and I am in this gigantic school that’s filled with cameras everywhere and the crew walking around. There were like a few hundred extras and I am just like ‘Wow!! I’m really filming a movie. This is so cool’. That was a moment that I will never forget.
MEAWW: The whole world fell apart during the pandemic. The entertainment industry also lost a lot during that period. How did it affect your take on life? and how is Hollywood taking care of about making things safe on set?
Zaire: They are very serious about making things safe on set. I probably get tested every day, you need to have your mask on at all times unless you are filming, and they are very, very intense. They are very intense about Covid protocols. I believe they are doing their part and keeping everyone safe. As far as the Covid’s impact is concerned, it was really hard for everyone to carry on. For me, personally, it was a stretch of 3 or 4 months where I didn’t audition for anything and that was completely abnormal for me. It was a state of instability, you just didn’t know what was gonna come and when it was gonna come. But, I am happy that things are getting better.
MEAWW: Any new projects that fans should be waiting for?
Zaire: As of now, I can’t speak about any projects and that’s a hint. (laughs).