Celebrity Spotlight Devon Bostick
Devon Bostick's Diary is No Longer That of a Wimpy Kid
Bostick 'Muscling' His Way to Hollywood Heavyweight
Bostick 'Muscling' His Way to Hollywood Heavyweight
By: Jaclyn Lattanza, Senior, Comsewogue H.S., Port Jefferson, NY
TeenNewsNet Entertainment Editor
With experiences of being
the “wimpy kid” in school, Devon Bostick, 19, explains his character in the film Diary of a Wimpy Kid as well as how he keeps it real by finding time to hang with friends.
Bostick plays Rodrick, Greg’s (the wimpy kid) older brother. Rodrick is evil and lives for making his brother’s like a living hell. He is obsessed with his punk rock band and possesses street smarts, not book. Bostick is not as cocky as Rodrick; he said, “It’s fun to play a character like that because in real life I am insecure.” Although Bostick can relate to the feuds that come with having a younger brother, he admits, “I was like the wimpy kid. When I was younger I was naïve. I got bullied and was awkward; I grew into myself in high school. From grades 9-12 I was very artsy. I had my friends but I was not a part of a big gang. I was nerdy and tried to be cooler than I was like Greg tries to do in the movie.”
the “wimpy kid” in school, Devon Bostick, 19, explains his character in the film Diary of a Wimpy Kid as well as how he keeps it real by finding time to hang with friends. Bostick plays Rodrick, Greg’s (the wimpy kid) older brother. Rodrick is evil and lives for making his brother’s like a living hell. He is obsessed with his punk rock band and possesses street smarts, not book. Bostick is not as cocky as Rodrick; he said, “It’s fun to play a character like that because in real life I am insecure.” Although Bostick can relate to the feuds that come with having a younger brother, he admits, “I was like the wimpy kid. When I was younger I was naïve. I got bullied and was awkward; I grew into myself in high school. From grades 9-12 I was very artsy. I had my friends but I was not a part of a big gang. I was nerdy and tried to be cooler than I was like Greg tries to do in the movie.”
Bostick’s love for acting started when he was in the first grade when he enrolled in theater camp. “At first it was a hobby, but then it turned into an obsession. It gave me a sense of direction,” he reflects. This obsession was supported by his parents who are also in the industry. His mother, Stephanie Gorin, is a casting director, while his father, Joe Bostick, is an actor as well as a film fight coordinator. As his acting career blossomed Bostick tried to maintain a normal relationship with his friends. “In the beginning it was weird. Since they knew me so well they would see right through my character and just see Devon. It was hard for them to believe it, but lately they have been coming around.”
With a very hectic schedule Bostick tries not to completely trade his entertainment life for past relationships. In his free time he likes to rekindle freindships. “It’s been crazy lately but it doesn’t have to be a huge activity.” he said. “My hobby is my job as well; it’s weird how it all intertwines. I like to stay inside entertainment. I’ve been working on short films, crochet, and I’ve been writing a lot lately: a pilot for a TV series and a script for a movie.”
His career is growing at a time when most his age move on to college. Will Bostick take a hiatus from acting and do the same? “It has been an on-going self conversation. I decided I’m going to do what I love to do which is acting. I’m going to do that until it slows down. If anything, I would go for another art field, not acting. I went to a theater high school so I would want to learn something new because I know I’m going to understand something and definitely disagree with others.”
Yes, currently acting is Bostick’s life and to keep his career going he knows he has to be versatile. “I try not to get stuck in one place. I love to do comedy. Wimpy Kid has made me realize that I don’t do it enough. It’s light-hearted and fun to make others laugh while you are laughing on set. I also like a dark and artsy drama film. I did Saw 6 and a zombie movie, Survival of the Dead back to back. I’m not big with rom-coms (romantic comedies).”
Being young and in demand Bostic must remain focused to remain successful. “I stay loose, I’ll look at my script and go over my lines. I keep everything fresh; I won’t practice that much until filming so it doesn’t seem rehearsed.” Memorizing lines comes naturally to him. “I have a good memory with dialogue which is weird because I am terrible at memorizing names of people and my schedule.” he said.
Today Bostick is no longer the “wimpy kid” he labeled himself as from High School. Having just finished playing a psycho in Entitled which is a ransom thriller and mystery, along with Cuba Gooding Jr. movie, Sacrifice, where he plays a drug dealer, and filming for Wimpy Kid 2 is about to start….He is becoming a Hollywood heavyweight. Furthermore, he hopes to one day bring his ‘muscles’ back home. “I would like to bring back my work to Canada because the arts are under appreciated there.”
