Teen acting out for the camera
Aidan Jayce is off to a running start with his acting career. Photos submitted
By Tom Victoria
Aidan Jayce Albrethsen already is comfortable on stage and screen despite being in his mid-teens.
The performer, whose stage name is Aidan Jayce, described why acting is his passion.
“I've been a big Christopher Nolan fan my whole life,” he said. “His movies really inspired me to want to follow that. It became a dream for a while, but I never thought it was realistic. At that point, I didn't take it seriously. But then I finally did start taking it seriously about two years ago, and it's going well so far.”
Aidan’s credits include commercials and playing a background character in Forgiveness Girl.
“That was really fun,” he said. “It was my first higher-up film that I've ever worked on. It was exciting. It felt like I was getting somewhere finally. I met a lot of cool people and definitely the connection with Rob Diamond. That director has been really helpful.”
Aidan, 16, of Utah was impressed with Diamond’s work.
“He was in there talking to everyone, helping out, giving direction,” Aidan said. “He's a great director. It was a great experience altogether.”
The actor enjoyed the background work.
“Mainly just walking around,” he said. “I was sitting or talking to other people. Background work is really fun, because you get to hang out with people and then they say action. You look around or you talk to someone, pretend to talk to someone. You get to hang out with people, make new friends, make connections. It's actually more fun than it seems.”
Aidan didn’t have to memorize lines for the job of simulating speech.
“Just how was your day, what did you do or you can say something really funny,” he said. “But that messes stuff up sometimes, so not always the best idea.”
Aidan did commercial work, performing in ads for Enso Martial Arts.
“I've been in a few commercials for a martial arts company that I'm connected to that I did training with for a while,” he said. “They started to do more marketing, so they invited me to come perform in their commercials. I was the lead in two of them and supporting in one. That was a good experience, too.”
Aidan, who brings other physical skills to the table, could follow suit from such physical actors as the legendary Bruce Lee or Leo Howard, who played young versions of Snake Eyes and Conan, both of whom did their own fighting.
“I've been doing martial arts my whole life, so it's second nature to me,” he said. “If I need to do it in any way, then I'd be more than happy to.”
Aidan also performed on stage for school productions.
“I enjoy Shakespeare,” he said. “He has a variety of well-written characters, but my favorite that I performed is Macbeth.”
Aidan doesn’t find tapping into any emotion automatically easier than others.
“It really depends on how I'm feeling in the moment,” he said. “If you really connect with the character, then it's easy to understand and get into the emotions. But sometimes, it's a lot harder just because there's not as much material. You have to make it yourself. It's not really about the specific emotion for me, it's more connecting with the character and getting in and understanding how they're feeling.”
Aidan stressed the need for an actor to authentically portray grief or joy, so it doesn’t appear to be crocodile tears or a fake smile.
“It can be just as hard as crying on command or trying to look sad,” he said about smiling. “The audience can tell if it isn't natural. You definitely have to be feeling the emotion before you can do it.”
Aidan is open to a variety of roles at this stage of his career.
“I'm really open to anything at this point,” he said. “I’d love a lead role and really whatever I can get. I signed with an agency, so that's exciting. I hope to get more roles in bigger productions. There's nothing really in particular that I would love. Honestly, whatever I can get at this point.”
For Aidan, practice makes perfect in trying to remember lines.
“Lots of reading, lots of memorization over and over and over again,” he said. “It helps me to know the other actors’ lines, so it flows better and so that I can understand the situation rather than just what I'm supposed to be saying. Sometimes, you don't really connect with the character in the same way if you're not connecting with the other character also. So it helps me to memorize everything. It is definitely important to know things that don't directly pertain to you. It really helps to understand the story.”
Although Aidan has a greater love for film, he’ll seize other opportunities.
“I'm looking for more film,” he said. “The variety is very appealing to me. I think it's ideal. But I would also love to be on any show or whatever I can get.”
Aidan has to adjust his fighting style for the camera.
“You gotta curb some stuff,” he said. “Obviously, you don't want to actually hit people. You have to show it without hitting people. It definitely is hard to not go into those patterns and do what feels natural to me.”
Aidan isn’t intimidated by the lens.
“At first, it's something you have to get used to,” he said. “But once you get used to it, it's not too bad to be in front of the camera.”
Aidan savors the prospect of portraying different roles.
“That's why I got into this,” he said. “I love being able to bring life to a character and portray how they feel and what is happening in this completely fictional world or nonfictional, depending on the project. You get to bring life to a character and show it to people. That's what I really enjoy about it.”
Aidan prefers the subtle performance in film as opposed to the louder emoting necessary for the stage.
“I definitely prefer camera,” he said. “Not only is it easy for me, but I enjoy it more. I vastly prefer being able to do the subtle emotions and expressions that can show depth easier than a big emotion in the stage production.”
Aidan doesn’t foresee many issues with being asked to do something for a role, such as have snakes slither over him or change his appearance.
“There's not any specific thing,” he said. “It depends on the situation for me. If I'm really uncomfortable with the situation itself rather than the specific thing I have to do, then I'll talk to the director about it. But other than that, I'm pretty willing and I do whatever I can in a way that works.”
Once Aidan is older, the possibility of being asked to film a risque scene could arise.
“It depends on the situation and the director,” he said. “If I feel it's right for the character and for the narrative, I would probably be okay to do it. But if it feels gratuitous and unnecessary, then I definitely bring that up.”
Aidan has been doing martial arts since he was a kid.
“I've been doing martial arts pretty much my whole life,” he said. “My mom actually was very high up on the board of a martial arts company that I started with, and then I got into it. More recently, I haven't been doing it as much because I've been focusing more on my acting. But I still really enjoy it, and I love to do it whenever I can.”
Aidan prefers martial arts to other sports.
“It's the control and the fact that you have to do it right,” he said. “At this point, it's natural for me. I haven't done a lot of other sports. I did soccer a little bit when I was younger, but I was never a sports person aside from martial arts. I definitely was able to connect with it more and enjoy it more than traditional sports.”
Aidan always aspired to be an actor even when he thought it wasn’t a reality.
“It was always a dream of mine,” he said. “I would watch movies and think, wow, that would be really cool to be a part of, but I never really thought it was possible. I never took any action to go in that direction until more recently. It's the best choice I've ever made in my life.”
Aidan recalled the movie that made the biggest impact on him.
“Probably my favorite movie is Interstellar,” he said. “Matthew McConaughey was really incredible. That was really a point for me where I was like, wow, I really want to do this.”
Aidan would prefer to become known for character-driven films than action flicks.
“I like the character-centered films where there's not a lot of extra stuff going on to distract,” he said. “Definitely that would be more ideal for me was to be known for characters rather than some big action movie.”
Aidan hopes to experience a collaborative process in film.
“The best directors are the ones who are willing to work with the actors and work through stuff and have new ideas and be open to new ideas,” he said. “I work best when I can bring something up. If it doesn't work, then I don't have to do it. But if it does work, then it's always exciting to be able to have your own idea that you can bring to the character.”
Aidan doesn’t want to take method acting to unhealthy extremes.
“Definitely there's a line, and it is acting,” he said. “You don't necessarily have to directly portray the thing. There are ways to show something that don't jeopardize you or your health. That's definitely a line for me is not going so far where I am not okay because of the character that I'm playing.”
Aidan reaps the benefits of social media as a marketing tool.
“We live in an age where anyone can do anything with social media and the Internet,” he said. “It's a really helpful tool for me to be able to get out there and get people to know my name. It's been really helpful for me so far.”
Among Aidan’s skills is horseback riding, so acting in a western holds appeal.
“That would be really fun and I'd be happy to do it,” he said. “Plus, I'm based in Utah, so there are a lot of westerns that shoot here and there's actually one shooting right now that I tried to be involved in, but it didn't work out. But that would be a really cool experience.”
Aidan appreciates the mix of writing, acting and directing that comprise a good film.
“Whatever stands out with the particular film, I will notice,” he said. “But what is great about a movie is that it's the combination of all of those things, and you can take each one thing and look at it. In a good movie, it's going to be incredible regardless of if it's the sound or the cinematography or the acting, which I think is really cool about filmmaking.”
Aidan is cognizant of the need to not make vast physical alterations while seeking auditions unless it’s sought by a production.
“I try not to do too much that drastically changes how I look because that would make my agent mad,” he said. “It definitely helps to have a look that can change, too, and be willing to cut your hair, dye your hair, have an earring or do whatever opens opportunities because some productions are looking for that.”
Aidan strives for complex performances.
“What I always try to bring to a performance is depth and complexity,” he said. “A well-written character has a lot of complexity, and to be able to show that is a really good thing. That's really the main thing I try to bring is that depth and the complexity and the actual feelings of the character and the conflict within them.”
Aidan rather play a realistic character than a cardboard one.
“Nobody's perfect and nobody's completely bad,” he said. “The complex characters really are realistic characters. That's what I like to show is that everyone has a conflict within them and it can be between a lot of things, but everyone has it, and that's definitely more realistic to me and what I like to portray.”
Aidan’s dream is to work with a favorite director.
“Christopher Nolan is my favorite director and it would be a dream to work with him,” he said. “Or someone like Denis Villeneuve. Dune is also one of my favorite movies. Those two are probably the dream directors to work with actors.”
“I bring my all and I do everything I can. I couldn't imagine myself not being passionate about it.”
Aidan, when he was 6, shows off his awards for Tae Kwan Do.
Aidan explained what he admires about Nolan’s films.
“My favorite things about Nolan’s films are the attention to detail, the thoughtful nature of them, and that each one is distinct and noticeable,” he said.
Aidan recognizes some actors lose their spark over time.
“There are some who just aren't in it anymore,” he said. “If you're not really passionate about it to a certain point, then you can fall into patterns and fall out of your good performances.”
Aidan doesn’t envision himself falling into that pattern.
“It's a passion for me,” he said. “I bring my all and I do everything I can. I couldn't imagine myself not being passionate about it. But when you have to make a job out of something, it can get harder to really feel what you used to feel for it. At this point, I don't see myself ever not being passionate about it.”
Aidan also participates in student filmmaking.
“I'm always looking around for local films,” he said. “There are a lot of film students here in Utah that are trying to create things all the time. I always try to get involved and if I can, be a part of it.”
The high school junior‘s further education may be tied to his passion.
“At this point, I think I’ll go to college,” he said. “I’m not sure what I’ll take but drama is a viable option.”
Aidan is heartened by there being more avenues for acting work, such as streaming, than were available in decades past.
“It definitely opens up a lot more opportunities,” he said. “It's encouraging that there are more ways to go and a lot of less traditional ways to go, where you don't always have to do it exactly like everyone else has done it. There are more opportunities in general, which is encouraging.”
Aidan stays motivated by not losing sight of the dream.
“I think about how badly I want this and how passionate I am about it,” he said. “Then it just comes to me.”
Aiden offered advice to aspiring actors.
“You're not always going to be the right person, the right fit,” he said. “You got to get used to being rejected, and you can't take it personally. You just have to keep putting yourself out there over and over and over again. You have to be persistent.”
Aidan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aidan.jayce.actor/
Aidan’s website: https://aidanjayce.com/