Growing up, Jack Dylan Grazer always had an immense passion for acting. Since then, he has slowly risen to fame and, at the age of 16, is now known for his role in the movie IT.

Grazer’s father, Gavin Grazer, who is also an established actor, inspired him to pursue acting. At age five, he and his father would watch movies for hours at a time. One of the first movies they watched together was Good Fellows. Grazer’s love for the movies he watched with his father and the inspiration they gave him was why Grazer fell in love with acting and the film industry.

“After kindergarten, we’d go to Blockbusters and [my dad would] let me pick whatever movie I want,” said Grazer.

Grazer’s mom, Angela Lafever, put him in a theater program due to his lack of interest in sports and trouble in school. Grazer found comfort in the program;this acting workshop exhilarated him in a way no other hobby ever had and allowed him to truly find himself.

Grazer does not regret following in his father’s footsteps, even though he no longer lives a normal teenage life. Instead of spending the time and enjoying his childhood, acting forced Grazer to grow up at a much faster rate.

“In some ways growing up so fast is terrible, but in some ways it’s kind of where I belong, though, because I’ve always felt beyond my years,” said Grazer.

While starring in his most widely known film, IT, Grazer felt as if his character didn’t require him to channel any unfamiliar emotions. Grazer digests his roles through research and methodology in order to feel a true connection with his character. While playing Eddie Kaspbrak, Grazer’s character in IT, he did not feel any obligation to connect with his character because it came naturally.

“In IT I didn’t really have to act,” said Grazer. “I was just saying funny things, and that was like second nature for me.”

Recently, Grazer was cast for a new role in an upcoming HBO series special. The new role requires a lot of creativity and exploration into the character. The new series, We Are Who We Are, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is a coming of age film depicting the lives of two American teenagers living on an American military base in Italy. For his character in this series, he is required to really dive deep into the role.

“It asked a lot of me to play this role, but I love it, I love having to actually do work,” said Grazer.

Grazer plans to continue to pursue his acting career, hopefully starring in more movies and television shows. He aspires to produce or direct as he gets older as well. There is no doubt he will continue to be a great influence on the cinematic industry.