Check out our interview with talented young actor Henry Samiri who can be seen as a series regular on Freeform’s new original suspense thriller produced by ABC Signature and Ryan Seacrest Productions, “THE WATCHFUL EYE.”
Henry plays ‘Jasper Ward,’ a shy child who is still reeling from the recent death of his mother, in the new drama series that follows a group of wealthy Manhattanites harboring deadly secrets. Henry also starred in the CBS daytime soap opera “THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTFUL” as Douglas Forrester, son of Thomas Forrester and the late Caroline Spencer II, a role he has held since he was 5 years old.
Follow Henry @henrysamiri
Hi Henry, please tell us a little about you?
Hi, I’m 9 years old. I’m in fourth grade and go to a public school, unlike a lot of kid actors. I love to dance. I play the drums and the piano. I started practicing Parkour two years ago and I love doing stunts! I have an 11-year-old sister and a 14-year-old brother. I also have a Fancy Bearded Dragon as a pet. Her name is Sparkles!
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Loving, Witty, Empathetic
How did you get started in acting?
I was so young I don’t really remember except that my mom had a friend who thought I would be good at it and introduced us to my manager. The next day I was signed to our agency and the following week I had my first audition. Five months later I booked the role of Douglas Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful.
How has this changed your life?
Well, now I have to balance work with school and my other activities. Getting last-minute auditions can be hard but I love what I get to experience so I don’t mind.
What is the best and worst part of being an actor?
Hahahaha…..last minute auditions that are due the next day might be the worst. Just kidding, I actually don’t mind auditioning.
The best is definitely experiencing different cool sets and situations. I got to do a drowning scene one time and it was so much fun. I also get to meet so many great people who have some of the coolest jobs.
How do you prepare for a role?
I always try to understand as much as I can about all of the characters. Then I think about my character and how my character feels about everyone else and the situations that are happening.
Tell us about your work in ABC Signature and Ryan Seacrest Productions, “THE WATCHFUL EYE?”
I love this show! It’s mysterious and spooky and everyone has secrets they’re keeping. I play Jasper, a boy from an affluent family in Manhattan who is still overcoming the death of his mother. The show follows Jasper’s live-in nanny, Elena Santos, played by Mariel Molina. Elena quickly realizes that everyone living in the mysterious building has deadly secrets. But they don’t know that Elena has secrets of her own… mwahaha!
What other projects you have been part of?
I play Douglas Forrester on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. I booked this role when I was 5 and have filmed over 150 episodes. I have also been in Hacks with Jean Smart, Lonestar 911 with Rob Lowe, American Horror Story, and CSI Las Vegas.
What kind of roles do you like or would like to play and why?
Right now I play more serious roles. I can really think about what I might feel like in different serious situations and I like figuring out how a character might feel in a serious situation. I have such an amazing and loving family that the serious and sometimes scary stories are very interesting to me. In the future, I would love to play a superhero one day. I do Parkour training and I would love to do stunts and have special powers. That would be the best!
Which fictional character would be the most exciting to meet in real life?
I like to read and right now I’m reading the InvestiGators series by John Patrick Green. I would love to meet Mango and Brash – The Dream Team. That would be cool!
Can you name 3 actors/actresses you would love to work with?
Hmmm…there are so many, I know I would like to work with Tom Holland. He is really cool! He likes puppies, he does charity work, and he does his own stunts – which is what I want to do. He seems like an all-around great guy.
Ryan Reynolds seems nice to me and I think he is funny so I think I would like to work with him.
Also, Zendaya. We’ve watched all of the K.C. Undercover shows and she is also in Spiderman!
What’s your advice for the newer actors?
I guess I would say if you really like acting keep doing auditions and just practice your lines and really understand the scene so you can focus on listening to the other actors and work off of everyone.
How would your best friend describe you?
My friends always tell me that I’m funny. They also like that I know all of the words to so many songs. And that I can rap. I also share my snacks with my friends.
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
Henry versus The Universe! haha
What’s next for Henry Samiri in 2023?
Hopefully all good things! Looking forward to working and traveling and hanging out with my family and friends. I’m going snowboarding in two weeks so I’m excited about that.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Dr. Dre – He is so smart and talented and I would just love to meet him! He is also super cool.
Best advice ever given?
Work hard, persevere, and trust the universe!
Do you support any charity?
Yes, my family supports charities fighting Pediatric Cancer and Childhood Hunger. Just recently I spent the weekend helping to fill hundreds of boxes of food to feed hungry kids, some of who live right in our own community. It’s really sad to think about.
Where do you see yourself and your career 5 years from now?
Hmm…let me think about that. It would be fun to see what The Watchful Eye could have in store for me in five years since I’ll be so much older. Oh My Gosh!! I’ll be 14!
I would also like to be doing feature films.
Favorite song? Why?
Well, it changes every day. I love Dr. Dre and right now A Tribe Called Quest. I also like Classic Rock – my first favorite song was AC/DC Back In Black. Yesterday I was listening to Metallica. So, yeah, I guess it changes.
Where we can follow you?
My parents control my social media but you can find me on
IG @henrysamiri
Twitter @henrysamiri
Facebook Henry Samiri
Photo Credit: Ben Cope
