If Ashton James is not already on your radar, he should be. With his latest turn as a hockey player aiming for the NHL in Youngblood, James is a scene stealer.
A graduate of the prestigious CFC Actors Conservatory, James is a Canadian Screen Award nominee for his work in Revenge of the Black Best Friend. James’ other credits include Beyond Black Beauty, Five Days at Memorial, and Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.
I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with James about portraying Dean in Youngblood. The actor spoke to me about preparing for the role, the intricacies of the character, working alongside Blair Underwood, and much more!
Watch the full interview with Ashton James below:
When James first learned that he would be portraying Dean in Youngblood, he was excited about many things. But he was especially excited to work with Charles Officer.
James shared, “I was really excited to work with Charles officer, first and foremost. That was like a massive goal of mine, and a really big dream. So it started there, and then it also became about learning how to do something. You know, I never explored hockey in this way. So that was fun to kind of learn about, I guess, like a deeply rooted thing in myself as a Canadian, you know? So, I got to explore that side of myself that I hadn’t gotten the chance to before. So it was all those things. And then also, just as an actor, wanting to work, you know? Like wanting to be able to be on set and wanting to be able to continue exploring my craft. So it was a myriad of things, and I’m forever grateful for it, you know?”
Of course, as to be expected in a film that deals with sports, the role is one that demands a lot from James physically, but also emotionally, as well. In tackling both these aspects of his character, James told me that at first, he led with the physical but that it informed the emotional.
“Yeah, it’s interesting, because I led with the physical, but that really informed the emotional, you know? I remember, our film got pushed about, like, seven times. And I remember there was a day I was at the gym lifting, getting ready to film, and I got the call that it was going to get pushed again. And, like, this is emotion, but I was at the gym, and I’m really upset, because I’m like, ‘I’m so ready to do this movie. Why is it getting pushed?’ And as I’m lifting these weights, I’m so upset, but I’m also crying at the same time, because it’s just so much like feelings. And so, that in turn, helped me understand on an emotional level, what it felt like for an athlete to lose their opportunity, you know?” James explained.
In many sports films, there is a nice balance between the intensity of the sport and the vulnerability of the characters. James told me about how he balanced these elements as Dean in Youngblood.
“Yeah, maybe, I think that was in the script. You know, like it was kind of there to have the different sides of it. And what was helpful was trying to carve out moments for Dean where he had moments of quiet, and we can sit with him for a little bit – so he can sit with the choices he was making, you know? And try to just have a three dimensional character. You know, I’ve been talking about it throughout the days, like Hubert and I were mindful of not creating an angry Black boy, you know? It just wasn’t that one thing, because you know, we just didn’t want to cause harm – to have a stereotype that had just kind of been out there before. And I was like, it doesn’t need to be this. It can be something more full and it can be someone in exploration of themselves and figuring out who they want to be,” James shared.
Some of the more vulnerable moments, where Dean sits in those quiet moments followed scenes between Dean and his father, Blane, who is portrayed in the film by Blair Underwood. James said that Underwood was “everything people would imagine and more.”
“I mean, he’s a force and a half. You know, a force in two. You know, he is everything that, you know, people would imagine, and more. You know, from the first day that he came to set it – because I was a little nervous, actually, before that, the dynamic with Dean and his and his dad wasn’t going to work. I was kind of like, ‘Oh man, for the amount of things that he’s doing, does it make sense for why he’s doing it?’ As soon as Blair said one word out of his mouth, I was like, ‘Oh no, this is going to work like this. This makes so much sense.’ Because as his dad, Blair’s performance, it’s so layered, because Blane is really pushing Dean to be a version of himself. But that only works because it’s deeply rooted in love. If Dean doesn’t feel his dad’s love, then that he has no reason to be believing in his values and his beliefs, you know? So Blair was able to to layer that in with love that is just misguided, you know. So his, I think his performance is really beautiful,” James shared.
Youngblood deals with many themes including, identity, resilience, and ambition.
“Maybe this idea of connecting back to a fuller version of yourself. You know, I think Dean is – when he was younger, he had his mom who allowed him to see a different side. So when his dad would meet him in a certain way, he would get a different point of view through his mom, which allowed him to see the world in a full way. You know, when he loses his mom, it’s kind of forced him to see his reality and his dad’s way, which isn’t necessarily one that is is full, you know? And I found for myself – I found that there are parts in my life where I was disconnected to a certain version of myself, you know. And I was like, ‘Oh no, man.’ Like I missed that that version of myself that was a little more loose, or I missed the the inner child in me that would like just do nonsense, you know?
And like, as I started to grow older, I was like, ‘No, I need to walk,’ you know? I’m like, ‘No, I need to find my way back to the version of me that was more full and more freeing.’ And so, that’s something that I definitely connected to in this journey of finding oneself and being who you want to be, as opposed to who people have told you you are.”
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