16-year-old Armen Nahapetian broke into the film industry in 2017 with a role in Seth McFarlane's Comedy-SciFi series 'The Orville'. His TV-series repertoire includes the dark dramedy series “Hear and Now”, the comedy “Daybreak,” the crime classic “NCIS,” and even a role alongside the acclaimed Ru Paul in “AJ and the Queen.” His skill is fully displayed in films such as “aTypical Wednesday” and “The Last Silence.”

Nahapetian is the middle of three boys and the son of a French-American mother and an Armenian father. His heritage plays a significant role in his life as he is passionate about raising awareness about the Armenian Genocide. He also cares deeply for animals and hopes to have a rescue farm someday.

For “Beau is Afraid”, Armen will be playing the titular role of 'Beau' in his teenage years, a role he shares. with the Illustrious Joaquin Phoenix under the directorial eye of the acclaimed Ari Aster (“Hereditary,” “Midsommar”). The film focuses on a middle-aged character whose Oedipal issues lead him down a painful and surrealist journey to the center of his psyche.

In our Interview with Armen, the first thing we noticed was how thoughtful and rich his answers were. Clearly, we're dealing with a very intelligent young man who is both passionate and knowledgeable about his craft. Check it out:

WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROLE YOU EVER PLAYED?
My first ever role was in promotions/commercials for American Horror Story season 5 "Hotel". During the audition, they asked us to do a creepy walk and look like children of the corn. Unlike every other 8-year-old in the room, I had actually watched the movie and did the look perfectly. The experience was awesome, I got to dress like a vampire, wear a wig, and the outfits were insane. I got to work with Lady Gaga which was a really great first experience. She brought out so much positive energy, one scene I got to stand in a clear moving coffin while she performed her music right in front of me. It was truly an amazing first experience. Afterward, Lady Gaga sent me a handheld piano recorder as a gift which was a kind gesture.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT “BEAU IS AFRAID.”? WHAT'S THE MOVIE REALLY ABOUT IN YOUR OPINION?
The movie is about so many different things. I think that each individual will have their own interpretation of what the film means to them. Like Ari Aster has said, every detail has a detail. Personally, I think that the movie is about Mother and Son relationships and how a messed-up childhood can affect a man later in life.

WHAT ABOUT THE TITULAR "BEAU" WHOM YOU PLAY AS? HOW DO YOU SEE THIS CHARACTER?
I'm Beau when he was a teenager, so I have the unique experience and perspective of being able to be him before he becomes seriously messed up! He's still innocent and just regurgitating all the crazy phobias and fears his Mother has imposed on him. There's something very childlike and sad about him as well. He has been controlled entirely by his Mother and although he loves her, there's a moment when he just wants to experience a different kind of love, that of a young girl his age and he just becomes obsessed with his brief interaction with her and even promises to wait for her. I also see Beau as loving and thoughtful and I really enjoyed being this complex person!

JOAQUIM PHOENIX IS -IN MY OPINION- ONE OF THE FOREMOST ACTORS OF THIS ERA. YOU GET TO PLAY A YOUNGER VERSION OF HIS CHARACTER IN THIS FILM. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS? DID YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK OUT SOME OF HIS QUIRKS WITH HIM?
I Completely agree with you! Joaquin is without a doubt one of the foremost actors of this era. Can't even begin to explain the amount of pressure and anxiety of having the opportunity and challenge to play a younger version of his character. I was fortunate as an artist because Joaquin let me bring my interpretation of Beau to the role and I had the freedom to experiment and bring to life my version of Beau. It has been such an honor and I'm grateful. I really just wanted Joaquin to be proud of my work and it was the biggest relief when he told me he was proud of me and that I did a great job. I felt like Beau was living in a dream world when he said that!

YOU'RE STILL QUITE YOUNG AND DEVELOPING YOUR CRAFT, BUT WHAT KIND OF ACTOR WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE KNOWN AS?
If I'm an old man and my grandkids are talking about the challenging, transformative, and meaningful roles I had the privilege of doing, then I would not only be a happy actor, but a happy person!! If there's a role that other actors might find difficult or weird, I'm your guy. I also think it's important to be known for your professionalism. You can be the greatest actor in the world, but if you're a jerk, then no one's going to want to work with you.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF MOVIES TO WATCH?
I watch every single genre of movie! Right now, I'm getting into the French New Wave genre. My Mom loved that genre when she was in film school so I wanted to see what it was all about. I'm enjoying watching and learning about this film movement and seeing how these young Directors from the 50s and 60s were using new ways to express themselves artistically with fast-paced editing, close-ups of faces, and on-location shooting for authenticity. Might seem normal for today's films, but back then, it was revolutionary and altered filmmaking for the better.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED WORKING IN THE BUSINESS IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY BEYOND ACTING? LET'S SAY AS A DIRECTOR OR SCREENWRITER?
Directing and writing are definitely something I'm interested in. I have a lot of unique and crazy life experiences I would love to write a story about. Some of which include, my friend fighting a Subway Sandwich worker, My brother Remy and I getting jumped by 50 people at a concert and miraculously living, and the list goes on. I'm thinking I wanna make a trippy movie just like Beau Is Afraid with all these experiences.

WHAT INTERESTS YOU OUTSIDE OF ACTING RIGHT NOW?
Skateboarding, and music. I'm listening to Tyler The Creator while answering this, you'll always find me with my AirPods in, at school, work, skating, and everywhere. I used to go to concerts with my older brother Remy all the time before we got jumped. Whenever I have free time I'm Skating with my friends, finding new skateparks, new cities, and areas to skate. I'm actually making a skating movie with my friends right now which I am super excited about. It gives me a lot of experience behind the camera and with editing. My brother has a band and he will be doing the music.

Thanks for talking with me! Can't wait for your reaction to the film!

Interview: Armen Nahapetian - An acting prodigy?

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