[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”25813″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Check our exclusive interview with talented young actor Lofton Shaw who can be seen in projects like ABC’s Marvel Series “INHUMANS” where he plays the younger version of the main character Young Black Bolt. Lofton is also known for his series regular role on Dreamwork’s TV OMG! series.
Some of Lofton other credits include roles on Game Shakers, Henry Danger, Boy Band Billy, Cheerleaders and many more.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”25812″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Hi Lofton, please tell us a little about you?
Hey Naluda! Thanks for this opportunity! It’s been about 4 years now I’ve been a working actor. The entertainment industry has been a natural fit for me, as I’ve always had a passion to do just that – entertain people! LOL As long as I can remember, whether it was a school play, or even just in my own living room, performing and making my friends and family laugh was just my thing. So I feel very fortunate to have gotten a foot in the door to this biz.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Grateful, Hilarious, and Clutch!
How did you get started acting?
The professional part came along after meeting Karla Huff, my manager with Dream Talent. One of my mom’s friends knew someone who knew her. Once that introduction was made, things just started to happen, and we’ve been on the grind ever since. My parents probably could have made that connection for me at a much younger age, but they were hoping I would outgrow my passion for acting and singing.
Did you go to acting school?
If you mean an acting high school, no. Until the end of my sophomore year, I went to a regular high school. Traditional school worked for awhile, but it became pretty difficult once the auditions and bookings got in the way. Homeschooling and then online courses helped me to take the CHSPE, a California state equivalency test, to work as “legal 18” without needing a studio teacher onset for me when I worked.
But if you mean acting classes, the answer is yes yes yes. That’s probably going to be something I will always do, both private coaching and group classes.
What’s the best part of being an actor? And worst?
There are so many really great things about being in this industry, too many to list here. I’ll share one of my favorites though… it’s the first day you work on a new project. No two projects are the same so the first day on a new one is always different, and it’s always AWESOME! Meeting fellow cast members and getting to know everyone in the crew; and of course who could forget about craft services?! Wink! The fooood!! haha People are definitely the best part, and sometimes awesome friendships are formed. Those friends introduce you to their friends and it’s like little supportive squads are formed. We’re all there for each other, rooting for each others’ successes. The worst part I’d have to say would be the audition process, specifically the auditions when casting doesn’t look up from their phone or screed during your read. It’s a serious mind game I’ve learned to not let those things overrule my passion. You just gotta have iron skin to not let anything get to you, because once you book something, it’s all worth it.
Any other family member is in the business?
Nobody else in my family was in the business when I first started. Even though I’ve lived in LA since I was born, I didn’t even know a single soul who was an actor, didn’t know anyone who was into social media either. However… while I was working on a Marvel series in Hawaii I met a super cool stunt coordinator who was the mom of another co-star. She opened a door to a whole new career path for my brother. Because of her, he’s now a working stunt man on Seal Team, a CBS television series. So now me and my brother are in this business together. How cool is that!?!
What inspired you to become an actor?
When I was little, one of my favorite TV shows was Wizards of Waverly Place. I remember thinking I could envision myself fitting right in with the cast, like I could be on that show making the audience at home laugh. I always loved making people laugh and smile; it wasn’t something I consciously thought about, it was just something I naturally did. From the time I was very young people would often tell my parents they should get me into acting. When I was in 8th grade, I had an opportunity to audition to be a contestant on a Nickelodeon game show called Webheads, and I booked it! During that process my mom got to see me in my element and realized how much I loved acting and wanted to be an entertainer. The grind never stops.
How did you start on Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger and Game Shakers?
I was on both Nickelodeon’s Game Shakers and Henry Danger as a Guest Star. Shortly after signing with my agent, I had originally auditioned for the role of Hudson when Game Shakers was first being created and actually got a few callbacks for it, so the casting directors got to know me pretty well. So the next couple auditions I went on with those casting directors went very well and I booked 2 guest star roles! (Of course they were both bullies.) NO CLUE WHY!
And now tell us about Dreamworks and AwesomenessTVs OMG projects? What are they about and also what do you do?
I worked with DreamworksTV and AwesomenessTV for a couple years! We filmed over 100 sketch comedy skits for their YouTube and Amazon Prime channels, plus some promo videos for movies they had coming out. I even hosted a Canadian game show called “Because I Told You So,” where kids got to boss their parents around to do silly pranks. There was some hilarious content! The OMG skits were so random and so fun to film. I got to play characters that were out of this world. (Literally some were aliens… truth! Check out Voltron 101.) Working with DTV & Awesomeness was the absolute best time, especially to kick off a young kid’s acting career. I might be a little partial to Hopeless Bromantic. Being “Chad” was easy…. there’s a bit of goofy and romantic Chad in Lofton. To this day I am still tight with many people I worked with, and am grateful for the lifelong friendships that came from those projects.
What other projects you have been part of?
There have been a few projects, from short films to cable and major network, commercials, etc. To date, the biggest and most memorable project I’ve been a part of is the ABC series “Marvel’s Inhumans.” I played the role of Young BlackBolt and we filmed in Hawaii for four months! Most everything I had filmed previous to Inhumans had been comedy, and this was very different, a complete Action Drama! It was the coolest set I’ve ever been to and was an amazing experience in every way.
Your idea of a perfect Sunday is?
A perfect Sunday would be waking up to my mom’s amazing Eggs Benedict breakfast with my family and then going to church at 11. After church we would go home and watch Sunday football all day long together and I would have some of my friends come watch with us too. During halftimes and in between games, my bro, our buddies and I would go out front and take over our street throwing the football. My little girl, Butter, loves Sundays too. (She’s our adorable Jack Russell.) Of course it couldn’t be a perfectly perfect Sunday if my football team lost though; so as long as the Cincinnati Bengals won then it would be perfectly perfect! Hey, a guy can dream right!? One day, one day.
What do you do in your free time?
I’m assuming free time means nothing related to work, meaning acting, singing, social media content, etc. Everyday there’s always some time devoted to work; it could be time spent at my piano, working vocals, preparing for auditions, ya know… staying ready for whatever is happening next on my calendar. Lately my free time has been consumed by Fortnite, just like everybody else’s! LOL It’s such a fun game and all of my friends play it with me so it’s a blast. Playing football, chilling with friends, shooting pool, ping pong, going rock climbing.. to me there’s nothing more peaceful than sitting at the top of a mountain I just scaled and looking over the city I love.
What do you like to watch on tv?
So many great TV shows these days. I love the old and the new. Most recent TV time is usually something I can binge watch on Netflix. Though my all time favorites are Stranger Things, Blue Mountain State, The Walking Dead, and Shameless.
3 things you cant leave your house without?
TBH, I cannot seem to leave my house without FORGETTING SOMETHING! Ugh! haha 3 things I can never leave my house without are: my phone, my AMAZING gold chain that I got for Christmas last year because I never take it off, and I guess legally I can’t leave the house without my driver’s license… or at least I shouldn’t leave my house without it. 😉
What music do you like?
Wow, that could be a long answer because I LOVE music of all kinds. I was raised on old school rock and country and love them both. I love gospel, R&B, rap, classical, even many show tunes. My current favorite artists are Khalid, Drake, and Calvin Harris. They all convey their emotions so well in their music and even though Calvin Harris is a DJ, I can still feel his intentions in his songs which is what music is all about. Music is a huge love in my life.
Who you would love to work with? Who is your favorite Actor/Actress and why?
I’ve thought about this a lot over the past couple years and the one person who it would be the greatest honor to work with would be Leonardo DiCaprio. In my opinion, he is simply the greatest. Whenever I watch a film, I’m observing the actors from an actor’s perspective. So sometimes it’s not so easy for me to just let go and get lost in the story. But when I watch his works, I forget I’m watching… he makes it more like I’m reading a great book and am completely pulled into the story. DiCaprio is able to make every character he plays so believable, that you forget he’s acting. I also admire how he is NEVER the same in any one of his movies which I think is the biggest trap many actors fall into. What an honor it would surely be to work with him.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
In 5 years I see myself in 2023. I’M KIDDING!! I see myself either hosting a talk show where I discuss a bunch of funny topics with special guests, mostly actors and musicians, or traveling around the world with my own series about different cultural foods. Of course this would be in addition to continuing the pursuit of acting and singing. Ultimately, it’s my goal to be in a position to have a positive impact on as many people and causes as I possibly can. Doing what I love to do and having that be a means in which I can help others… what could be more fulfilling?
How important is Social Media for you?
I do my best to keep social media separate from my normal life. It has become such an important part of being an actor now that even though I wasn’t a huge fan of it at first, I’ve learned to embrace it. I do love some of the perks of growing followers and I log on and try to post pretty regularly. It’s been interesting and even heartwarming to connect with some followers or fans, people I may never meet, but we’ve found cyber-friendships, and I’m grateful for their encouragement and support. Through this whole social media uproar I’ve met some amazing people; some of my closest friends are huge influencers. However, social media is not our true identity, so no matter your numbers, you are still you. Staying true to yourself is key.
Where we can follow you?
All my social media is @LoftonShaw I’m most active on my Instagram but I use just about all platforms.
Quote: “You can put an ocean between our love, it won’t keep us apart.”
Food: Sushi!!
Movie: Perks of Being a Wallflower
Sport Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Song: Ocean, by Khalid
Thank you again, Naluda. Your questions are always interesting and this time with you has been fun. Peace.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Photographer: Mario Barberio[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
