UPDATE: we’ve included the video of this interview!
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a movie about family—and it turns out that the actors developed bonds that are just as tight as their characters.
In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) still doesn’t feel completely at ease in his new adopted family. However, as Billy goes up against the formidable Daughters of Titan, he relies on his siblings and foster parents to save the city of Philadelphia. One of those siblings is Billy’s best friend Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), who ends up having an epic adventure of his own.
We sat down with Angel and Grazer to talk about Billy, Freddy, and their favorite parts of filming the Shazam! sequel.
How did you both feel when you found out that the sequel was green lighted, and you were going to get to come back to Billy and Freddy’s relationship?
Grazer: A sigh of relief. I’m so glad that I could revisit this character, revisit this cast, and work with my best friend Asher again. It’s been a dream since the get-go of this movie. It was a dream to even audition [for the first Shazam!] and to be involved in DC in any way. And look how far we’ve come! There’s never a point when I’m taking it for granted.
Angel: How do I feel? It’s pretty insane. I remember looking back at the first film and just being very hopeful that it was going to connect with people, and that people were going to like it. And then people ended up loving it! You’re wondering if you’re going to have a sequel, and you’re waiting, and then finally that script comes in, and you get the green light, and it’s just like, wow, I can’t believe I’m a part of something so special. And I get to work with such amazing people. I get to revisit such an iconic character. So I’m just happy to be back. It feels amazing.
Tell me more about Billy’s story. This movie is a continuation of everything that was set up in the first film. What was it like to explore that story more?
Angel: My favorite thing as an actor is getting to deep dive into a character and explore. The last time everybody saw Billy, I was so young, so I feel like I really relied on intuition. I didn’t really know how to deep dive into a character. Now, we shot the second one when I was, what, 17, 16, 18? And so the growth with Billy has been tremendous. He and Freddy have gone through so many obstacles together, and I got to deep dive into Billy’s emotional range, the vulnerability he has, and his fear of aging out [of the foster care system]. Dialing into all those different things and really honing in on it was one of the things I really loved.
Freddy strikes out on his own in a couple of different ways in the second film. What was it like to explore these aspects of his character that we haven’t necessarily seen before?
Grazer: It’s so much fun. I take a lot of inspiration from Jack Lemon and Robin Williams, in regards to how his tragedy is everybody else’s comedy, but he doesn’t sulk in it. It’s almost circumstantial how they just keep the ball rolling. They keep living, they keep enduring the thing, you know? And Freddy gets betrayed by this girl and he ends up in a prison, but it’s the audience’s dream. It’s hilarious. And I love that. I had so much fun because I think that’s when the comedy has the opportunity to come naturally, rather than being slap sticky and Vaudevillian all the time. So that was really, really fun. Also, to play that distress and that emotionality through Freddy was really refreshing. It was a new light to shine on that kind of character.
What was your favorite moment on set, or your favorite moment of filming Shazam! Fury of the Gods?
Grazer: There was a point when Asher was really insecure about his hair. And he showed up the next day—
Angel: I was bald.
Grazer: He showed up with hair plugs!
Angel: I was balding!
Grazer: He’s still got them! I was looking at him, and he still looks good! They look sore, though.
Angel: Just being with Jack every day was probably my favorite thing. All my scenes were with Jack, for the most part. He’s always making you laugh, he always just makes you have a good time. It’s nice to have a co-star where I have a real relationship with him. We’re like brothers. I think that makes it even more special, because you don’t really get that all the time.
Grazer: I feel like we’re jinxing it the more we say that.
Angel: I know, we say that a lot.
Grazer: We’re brothers, we love each other!
Angel: Hopefully we end up doing a third Shazam! movie. We love each other. We really do.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
