James Maslow has been on screens for more than a decade now since his first role as Shane in the Nickelodeon series iCarly. Following that up with a role as James Diamond in Big Time Rush, also from Nickelodeon, with subsequent music videos later, Maslow has since carved himself space as a leading man in the industry today. Some of his latest include the gamer-comedy We Need to Talk where he stars as a YouTube game-reviewing celebrity, and Wolf Hound in which he plays a soldier that must protect America from Nazi Germany. The latter of which piques some of his aspirations for the trajectory of his career.
In a previous interview with Movieweb for Wolf Hound, Maslow was asked about his love for action movies as it marks a less-seen genre for him to work in. Oftentimes, Maslow works on comedies, and of course, his early work with Nickelodeon.
What kid watches an action movie and goes, ‘That doesn’t look fun.’
James Maslow on Working on Action Movies
During our interview, Maslow expressed his interest in exploring the action genre further. “Absolutely it’s the exact type of role that I’ve always wanted to do,” he said, referring to Wolf Hound. “What kid watches an action movie and goes, ‘That doesn’t look fun.’ No, we watch him [the action star] and go, ‘I could do that’ [laughs]. ‘How sick would that be?’ And that little kid still lives inside of me today. So I really, really love this medium and absolutely want to continue it, and you know, knock on wood, this project only begets more and more of the same vein.”
Continuing in the same vein is well-suited, considering the well-tempered performance Maslow turns in and his background. “That action stuff was interesting and somewhat challenging for me because I grew up shooting. My dad was a champion shooter. So I have a lot of experience around firearms. I’ve grown up doing martial arts and to this day I do boxing and Muay Thai weekly. But Captain David Holden would have had the bare minimum of this kind of training. He was a pilot. Pilots don’t plan on getting shot down… so we try to make it look as realistic as possible… it shouldn’t be acted like a Navy SEAL in this role. That wasn’t his training… and I think we found a good balance.”
Maslow Did All of His Own Stunts in Wolf Hound
Wolf Hound is filled with fighting and explosions that would oftentimes require a stuntman to fill in. Although it’s not unheard of for actors to do their own stunts, it is certainly an impressive feat. Some of those who’ve accomplished so in the past are Tom Cruise (Maslow noted he would take that comparison), Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Keanu Reeves, Harrison Ford, plus now the entry of Maslow.
“He did all of his own stunts in this movie. And that is rare, I think for any actor, especially the leading man. But every jump, every fireball right behind him, everything in the planes, that is all real. That’s all him, so my hat’s off to him for that,” commented Michael B. Chait, director of Wolf Hound.
Wolf Hound also stars Trevor Donovan and John Turk, and is co-written by Timothy Ritchey. It’s been released in select theaters as of June 3, 2022, and will release on Blu-ray and DVD on July 12. “I hope they see how much detail, love, and dedication we gave to making this truly as authentic and respectful as possible,” said Maslow, speaking on his hopes for the reception from audiences.
Maslow’s upcoming projects include the rom-com Stars Fell Again, and the family movie Holiday Twist, which aren’t in the vein of action, however, Black Skies has been announced, a sci-fi action-horror movie also starring Colleen Camp and Selene Luna. As per Production List, the project synopsis reads: "The world's financial institutions have collapsed, and the world as we knew it no longer exists. Wars have destroyed the major cities and dangerous mutant creatures are killing everyone in their path. A small band of humans holed up at a motel/rest stop in the desert fight for survival.” Maslow will play the character Bolton in the movie.