Josh Wiggins is one of those talented actors on the precipice. He’s starred in films such as “Hellion,” “Max” and “Walking Out,” but with the right role, he could go from under the radar indie darling to being hyped alongside peers such as Asa Butterfield, Noah Centineo and Nick Robinson. At this point, the talented 20-year-old just needs a Netflix or studio flick to get him there. His impressive skills are on display this weekend in the impressive coming of age story “Giant Little Ones” which expands to Los Angeles and San Francisco after a New York opening last Friday.
Set in suburban Canada, the Keith Behrman written and directed drama centers on Franky (Wiggins), a High School junior who is close with his best friend and fellow swim team member, Ballas (Darren Mann). After a late night party, the two drunk boys crash in Franky’s bed where one makes an unexpected sexual advance. Franky must then deal with rumors around school that he’s gay and potentially losing Ballas as a friend. Complicating matters is the fact Franky’s father (Kyle MacLachlan) recently left his mother (Maria Bello) for another man and his unresolved feelings about it.
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Wiggins says he immediately was into the script because of its universal message. He notes, “I think anyone who’s gone through a search for self-identity, whether it be your sexuality, or really, anything, which any kid has had to go through, if you’re trying to navigate high school, or you’re trying to navigate life, you’re trying to find your spot in the world.”
“I think that’s something that really anybody can empathize with,” Wiggins adds. “And that’s a big kind of connection that I had with Frankie. And just the way he approaches the situation. Yes, he wants to address it, he wants to discuss it. I just felt a lot of kindred spirit with the character.
The film features a competitive swim meet, and Wiggins was lucky he swam in high school for a few years joking it was the “only sport I was good at.”
“Swimming is probably one of the most exhausting things. It’s a full body cardio session,” Wiggins says. “So, Darren, being a hockey player, hadn’t done it before, so he had to go through some tough times when we did the swim meet scenes. I’m sure Keith was a little bit relieved [I had swum before.]”
“Giant Little Ones” debuted at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival and has earned positive reviews so far (68 on Metacritic). It’s one of many new teen dramas that have made a comeback after so many years of YA fantasy franchises. Wiggins, who is still being offered teenage roles at 20, sees it as a significant trend.
“With anything TV-oriented or movies I think things are getting much more authentic,” Wiggins says. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a vampire. I think these kinds of grounded movies that are coming out, I think, really attract teenagers because they’re like, ‘Oh. I can actually relate to this, and I’ve been through things similar to this.’ Even adults can say the same thing. Because everyone was a teenager at one point.”
Wiggins returned to the Sundance Film Festival for the third year this past January with “Light From Light,” a drama about a single mother, Sheila (Marin Ireland), who investigates paranormal activity in rural Tennessee. That might sound like the basis of a fantastical genre film, but as Wiggins points out (he plays Sheila’s son) the film goes in a much different direction.
“The movie kind of walks a fine line between what is spiritual, what is reality? And, kind of similar to [“Giant Little Ones”], I found that it was something that hadn’t really been done,” Wiggins. “It was kind of a merging of two genres and I just thought it handled everything in just a really interesting way, and I just, I really wanted to be a part of it. I think I’m definitely really, really proud of that movie.”
It’s unclear what’s next for Wiggins, but if he doesn’t end up a household name it sounds like that’s fine by him.
“I kind of fell into this,” Wiggins admits. “I wasn’t really chasing an acting career, but now that I’m a part of it, I really love it. Ever since ‘Hellion,’ which was my first role, that was kind of when I realized, ‘O.K., this is what I wanna do.’ So, if I can live comfortably doing this, that’s really all I can ask for.”
“Giant Little Ones” is now playing in limited release.