Words by Carol Wright | Photographer: Rowan Daly
We got to chat with Sean about filming the hit Nickelodeon show Henry Danger, what drew him to the role of Jasper, and advice he has for aspiring actors.
What initially got you interested in acting?
Originally, my older sister Camryn was the one into acting first. We were going to the same school and got out at the same time, which meant that there was no time to drop me off at home when she would have auditions. Then when she and my mom were meeting with an agent to represent her, I was with them. Since I was there, the agent went ahead and picked me up as a client too. I was so young then, I just went with the flow. I really didn’t think about it when I went in for auditions but after I booked my first job and I had such a great time on set, I knew I wanted to continue acting.
What was the audition process like for Henry Danger? Were you nervous to be auditioning for a Nickelodeon show?
Well, my audition for Henry Danger was long and intense. It took over 9-weeks from the time I first auditioned to test for the role. I had to wait each week for 6 weeks while they looked at hundreds of other kids for the role before I even went into my first Producer session. I initially was picked by Nickelodeon to be put in their sketch comedy showcase at The Groundlings. It was a lot of fun. Little did I know that Dan Schneider would be picking kids from this showcase to audition for his new show at the time which was “The Mayor of Mars.” Fun fact is that Jace Norman and I were both in the Nickelodeon’s Groundlings Showcase together. We had a physical comedy scene where we played competing butlers, which is now up on YouTube. After that, they pulled 6 of us to go in front of Dan Schneider and audition for him. My manager told me that Dan wanted me, but I still had to come in and do more auditions with some of the other kids they had in a mind. I was extremely nervous at first but once I got in there with Dan, he made me laugh and told me I was doing a great job, so it made me feel better.
What drew you to the role of Jasper?
In all honesty, I didn’t pick Jasper to be my role. That’s the character that Dan and my team thought I would be best at. They really liked how I played the character, Jasper, and brought him to life, with goofiness and his crazy antics. My character has been so fun to play over the last 5 years and I’ve enjoyed developing him as we have gone on. He has really evolved since the first 2 seasons, now he is a part of the crime-fighting team with Captain Man and Kid Danger in the Mancave while he works upstairs in Junk-N-Stuff undercover.
What has acting on Henry Danger taught you about the entertainment industry?
I had been on a multi-Cam show before but it was a small part, so I never really knew the technicality behind it. I knew it was a lot of work, but a lot of people don’t realize how many different people work on the show that are not camera crew and actors. There are also editors, sound guys, set guys, grips, assistant directors, PA, and the list goes on. There are a lot of people that work to keep the show going.
What has been your favorite episode to shoot so far?
We have shot so many episodes that I can hardly remember half of them. All of our episodes have been fun to shoot but I guess I could say “Rubber Duck”. It’s one of our most recent episodes that has aired. There is a part in the episode where I had to dance on the couch, and one of the writers actually made a deal that they would give me $50 dollars if I could make Jace crack up laughing in the scene. Needless to say, I won that bet. Sadly though, they did end up cutting the majority of my dance but it’s still a fun memory.
The show is now going to be in its fifth season. What about the show, do you think, has gotten audiences hooked?
First, I think that the show is genuinely funny. The characters and storylines have all evolved and grown too. I also think that the bond and chemistry the cast members have is seen on the screen. You can see the kind of family we have become working together for the last 5 years. Plus, who doesn’t like superheroes?
Can you tell us what fans can expect from this new season?
I don’t know how much I can say but I think you can expect some big episodes coming up, new villains, and some funny new gadgets for Jasper to have fun messing with. Also, you should pay close attention to every episode in season 5 you are watching now, it may come in handy in the future (Hint: look at the symbol on the Evil Science Corp in “Danger Things” to start).
Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?
I’m currently writing some new music and getting ready to start production on a new music video once filming ends. So look for that sometime next summer!
Outside of acting, what are some of your creative outlets?
Besides music I also like to write and create stories with characters. It may be a movie or a show or even a comic book. I’m always thinking of new ideas and characters for stuff. Hopefully, someday, I can see what I’ve made hit the big screen.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
As an actor, I follow one rule. Never give up. If you are going to survive in the acting world you got to follow that rule. There are so many jobs I didn’t get called back for or was the second choice. You just have to find the right part that you fit into. You aren’t going to get every job and you can’t let it affect you. If you want it bad enough, you got to keep going, keep chasing your dreams.