Five minutes with Joel Courtney

Check out this interview with Australia's "Dolly".

Five minutes with Joel Courtney

We sat down with Super 8 star Joel Courtney to find out all about his debut film and what it's like being one of Hollywood's hottest upcoming actors.

What was it like working with the film's director JJ Abrams?
It was so much fun! JJ is so brilliant — he's a genius. I've loved his work for quite a while. I loved Lost and Alias and I'm so grateful I was able to be a part of this one.

What was the auditioning process like?
It was crazy! I had no idea what to expect in the audition room. I just went in and had to audition three different times.

How did you find out you got the role?
Well I was down in Los Angeles when JJ offered it to me in person. I was just bouncing around I had so much energy. I was so happy.

Did you ever get nervous on set because this was your first movie?
Yes, I was kind of nervous that I would mess up and get it wrong because there's so many people just waiting for you to get it right. It's really nerve-racking!

What was the hardest stunt you had to do? Did you do all your own stunts?
My hardest stunt was when we were jumping over that fence in the backyard! I had so much adrenaline. I was running too fast and I had to slow down and that was really hard for me because if I slowed down I would do the jump differently and I would mess it up and fall every time!

Did you and the rest of the cast hang out between shooting?
When I went into the audition process, half of it was acting inside the audition room and the other half was acting outside. They wanted to see who would bond together on-screen. As soon as I met Riley [Griffiths], Ryan [Lee] and Zach [Mills], I knew I had bonded with them immediately. When we finished the movie we were like brothers.

Do you ever get star struck?
The closest I've ever been to being star struck was when I met Steven Spielberg. It was awesome! When he came to the set, Riley and I were in between filming and he walked over and told us that we were doing a really good job. We were just so happy!

How did you continue with school while you were filming?
We had an on-set teacher and we were getting a good amount of school in every day and as soon as the film was done I just went back to school.

What did your classmates think of the film?
They were like really weird about it. I'm from a really small town so there are only a couple of actors. So my friends thought it was really weird.

Can you believe all of this? No, it's so surreal! I haven't been able to wrap my head around it yet.

Joel Courtney
The Best So Far

From The Daily Journal:

A group of kids shooting a film witness the event of a lifetime when a train crash kick starts a series of unusual events in their small town. Writer-director J.J. Abrams' loving homage to vintage Spielberg taps into the nostalgia that's intrinsic to a generation who grew up with "E.T.," "The Goonies," "Poltergeist" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Abrams also knows the human relationships in those films were a huge part of their success, and puts a similar emphasis on them here. Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Ron Eldard and Joel Courtney, in his debut, deliver strong performances in a film that's fantastic in more ways than one.

Joel Courtney
Favorite Quotes from Super 8

My twitter fans came up with the following list of their favorite quotes from Super 8.

  • Joel: "Bad things happen, but you can still live."
  • Joel: "I'm just doing the best I can, to save you."
  • Louis Dainard: "I've seen it..no one believes me." Joel: "I believe you."
  • Cary: "can I get some more fries because my friend here is fat."
  • Riley:At least I don't need a booster seat.
  • " I'm massively stoned right now"
  • "do you have sparklers?" " are you kidding?!"
  • Cary: "He's too stoned!" Martin: "Oh, drugs are so bad!"
  • "I rolled those M80s myself. THAT'S RIGHT"
  • I'm thirsty, I'm in a war zone!'
  • "Production Value"
  • "Ah, you dorks are still alive!"
  • Martin: Am I the only one here who doesn’t know what we’re talking about? Cary: Probably, Smartin. Martin: I don’t like it when you call me that! Cary: I’m sorry, Smartin. Let’s go cry about it.
  • "You Talked To Alice Deynard!"
  • "But his mom isn't a zombie." "But she's dead, s***head!"
  • "That was totally mint!"
  • Cary: "Stop talking about production value, the Air Force is going to kill us."
  • "Cary your obsession with fireworks, and I say this as a friend... Concerns me... and my mother"
  • "kids walking around w portable radios....that's the last think we need! It's a slippery slope my friend!"
  • "I totally do, I'm just in shock of this entire conversation."
  • "I love you. I love you too. See it flows"
  • "I wouldn't have given you this information if we hadn't served together in Vietnam." Martin: "Those were bad times." Joe: "I'd rather not talk about it." T
  • "He is in me as I am in him...." When you see him next.... I will be watching you."
  • "I haven't even done it yet!"
  • Riley: "I'm just trying to direct."
  • "You're not supposed to talk in the silent reading section! That's why it's called silent reading."
  • Alice: "He's the deputy's kid!" Joe: "You knew that?"
  • Charles: "Mint!"
  • Dad: "I got you...I got you."
  • "dude those turkey wraps are good"
  • "biology teacher" "honors biology" "oh, I don't take that class"
  • "Charles, that's not yours, what are you thinking!" "I'm thirsty, I'm in a war zone!"
  • "LUCCCYYYYYYYYYUYY"
  • Jackson Lamb: "I left you two slices in the fridge." Deputy Tally: "Oh, I ate those. Sorry, kid..."
  • "we're not clear...we couldn't be less clear"
  • "This looks like nothin more than a BEAR ATTACK!"
  • "a**hole can u stop blowing sh** up for one minute and take the camera "
  • "God mom I'm coming!"
  • "What are we doing here?" "Just follow me!" "I've been following you for five blocks!"
  • "She's kind. She's nice to me!"
  • "She'd look at me and I knew I was there. I knew I existed"
  • "How does a zombie act? Joe: Oh pretty much a lifeless ghoul with no soul who dies.Scary...Ever have Mrs. Mullen for English?"
  • "I know that's your camera, sir, but technically, that's my film."
  • "unless you have proof I say its the Russians"
  • "it's too late, he sees me in the car right now"
  • "no I'm fine thanks anyway though"
  • "want some pot?"
  • "OMG there's like 14 different grays it's crazy."
  • "Guys! Watch out!"
  • Dr. Woodward: "Do not speak of this. You don’t know what is happening here. If they find you, you and your parents will be killed."
Joel Courtney