IN CONVERSATION WITH JOEY KING

interview by JANA LETONJA

Emmy-nominated actress and producer JOEY KING is best known for her starring roles in the series THE ACT, BULLET TRAIN and the smash hit franchise THE KISSING BOOTH. Most recently, Joey was seen in Hulu’s WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES. We will soon be seeing her in A FAMILY AFFAIR alongside Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, and in an adaptation of the bestselling novel UGLIES, both for Netflix.

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We were just able to watch you in Hulu’s WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES, based on a true story, which follows a Jewish family separated at the start of World War II on their quest to survive and reunite. What touched you the most about this series, its story and your character?
Getting to make a series based on a miraculous true story is so deeply touching in itself. Add on the fact that we had Georgia Hunter involved, who wrote the book WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES, and she is the real life granddaughter of Addy, the role Logan plays. It’s so special to have that kind of influence when making something like this, someone present with deep personal ties to the story. We were so lucky to have her with us. We all have a personal connection to the subject matter based on our ancestry, which made this experience so fulfilling and also really hard at times, but so worth it.

What do you consider to be the most important take away you have learned from diving into the historical journey of World War II?
Coming from a jewish family, World War ll was something that was discussed in my family from the time I was very young. There was no defining moment when I learned about the holocaust because I knew about it well before it was taught in class as a kid. The most important take away in my opinion is to continue to educate the generations to come about the war. It’s so important that the history live on, especially as we are nearing a time where there will be no survivors left. 

Fans best know you from your roles in BULLET TRAIN, THE ACT and of course, THE KISSING BOOTH. How has your role in KISSING BOOTH defined your career and opportunities arising after the trilogy has ended?
THE KISSING BOOTH changed my life forever. When it came out, I was so overwhelmed by the reaction to it. It was amazing. I think all the people who loved those movies and I have grown up together, which makes it exciting to choose new roles in this next phase of my career that are totally different from that period because me and the people who have supported me are growing and changing together. 

You began acting at the age of 4. How has your passion for acting developed from there?
At that age, you’re not totally aware of the responsibilities that come with the actual job of it, so I would say from 4 to 9 it was kind of just fun. RAMONA AND BEEZUS was the first time I remember understanding the weight of the job, but really loving that part of it. That’s the time where I really fell in love with acting, and that feeling never left me.

Is producing something you would like to focus more on in your career? What kind of projects present the biggest creative excitement for you as a producer?
Absolutely. I’m in a period where I‘m really learning what inspires me. I think I’m starting to get a good sense of what I want my style to be in terms of the projects I would like to go after in the future as a producer and I’m really eager to see where this road takes me. To me, it doesn’t matter what the genre is, I just feel the most engaged when the characters I’m reading about are well flushed out and have a unique point of view. I’m young, I’m figuring it out and I’m stoked. 

What do you find the most challenging about navigating and balancing your professional life with your personal life?
I’m not great with time management. I’m a lot better now, but still trying to improve. Finding that time to carve out for my personal life is so important because there will always be a very long list of to do’s and that’s ok, but not allowing that list to stress me out and looking at it as something that I get to do rather than have to do makes it a lot easier to enjoy the quality time I want for my personal life. Could I be a little better with answering e-mails? Sure, but do I regret intentionally putting my devices away while spending time with people I love? Never. 

One of your next projects is the romantic comedy A FAMILY AFFAIR, where you’ll star alongside Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. What can you tease about the film and is there a personal favourite scene we should be on the lookout for?
What I can tease about this film is how unbelievably hilarious Nicole and Zac are and how lucky I was to spend that time with them. Playing Zac’s assistant who gets to be in charge of his protein intake among other things was a highlight of a lifetime. Playing Nicole Kidman’s daughter and getting to convince people that I’m related to the most beautiful woman ever, does it get any better? 

Also coming up, you’ll be starring in the science fiction action-fantasy film THE UGLIES, that is an adaptation of a bestselling novel. In this film, you both star in and are the executive producer. What was the biggest challenge of having a dual role on this project?
I think one of the biggest learning experiences was how long it can take to get something made when you are building it from the ground up. I started my journey with THE UGLIES when I was nearly 18. And now to see it finally coming to the world is pretty wild. Having the ability to work with that cast was truly special, I can’t wait for them to shine.

If you had to pick only one dream for the future of your career, which one would that be?
I guess to keep surprising myself and be able to stick around for a long time. 

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TEAM CREDITS:
talent JOEY KING
photography DANIELLE LEVITT
styling JARED ENG
makeup ALLAN AVENDANO at A-Frame Agency
hair DIMITRIS GIANNETOS at Opus Beauty
nails THUY NGUYEN at A-Frame Agency
production EMILY KELLY & ISAAC FERIA
photography assistants SEPEHR ZAMANI & BONO MELENDREZ
styling assistant JORDAN BLAKEMAN
makeup assistant RUBY VO
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
editorial director & interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN