Kalama Epstein is a talented young actor. He can be seen playing Noah, the love interest for Jude (Hayden Byerly) in this season of Freeform’s “The Fosters”.
Check out our interview with Kalama!
Photo Credit: Russell Baer
upfrontNY: How did you get involved with acting and what do you love most about it?
Kalama Epstein: I was born and raised in Hawaii. I did some extra work in Hawaii on commercials here and there, I did a short film, and then I was doing middle school musicals, and did a co-star in Hawaii 5-0. It slowly built up to bigger things and I realized my passion for acting. I always had a passion for directing and wanted to be a part of the film industry ever since 6,7,8 years old. It clicked one day that acting was a second passion and something that I loved very much.
As a teenage boy or a person you have pent-up emotion. In a scene you can guide the character and use this character and scene to take all of this pent-up emotion and turn it into something beautiful and great. There is nothing better than getting to play a character that is the opposite of me. It is so much fun to get to figure out that person and how their mind works, how their body moves.
upfrontNY: What has it been like working on the show, “The Fosters” ?
Kalama Epstein: It has been incredible. I got the audition for Noah and I read the character description and immediately fell in love with it and thought it was such a great character. I auditioned, went to a call back, and met Peter Paige. I booked the role and we went straight into the table read. The first table read is always interesting because that is when you meet the cast and when you meet the producers and the writers. It is the moment in figuring out how everyone fits together. That first table read for me was a moment of WOW this show feels like a family. Everybody was wonderful and I could not have asked for a better experience.
upfrontNY: Was there any challenges playing this role?
Kalama Epstein: One of the biggest challenges is that “The Fosters” reaches out to so many kids and young adults and youth who are going through these problems. I get messages on Instagram and Twitter about kids who are pastors sons and daughters and they are gay and they tell me how this has helped them come out to their parents, which is an amazing feeling. That is one of the challenges, I want to make sure that I do justice to this role and to those kids and teens. That is the biggest challenge of this role and what makes it so special.
upfrontNY: It must be great to have people reaching out to you and letting you know what they have gone through. Did you have any idea this would happen?
Kalama Epstein: No, not at all. I was very taken aback by the amount of love and support this character and I have gotten. I was not expecting this amount of feedback.
upfrontNY: Aside from “The Fosters” you have been in several short films. Can you tell us about “John & The Wolf”?
Kalama Epstein: “John & The Wolf” is a really fun short film and is just starting to go through the film festival circuit. It is about a 16-year-old teenager John and he falls in love with his guitar teacher. The story revolves around his relationship with his guitar teacher and she starts teaching him this song by this made up rock star Luke Wolf. The film is about how he looks up to this idol and it’s her idol.
upfrontNY: When you are not acting, what do you like to do?
Kalama Epstein: When I am not acting, I am a high school student. I am in online school so I am doing constant school work. I love video games and am a big gamer. I love music and going to concerts with friends. I hang out with my friends a lot.
upfrontNY: Is there anything you want others to know about you?
Kalama Epstein: I am writing a few scripts for short films. Writing and directing is another one of my big passions. That is what I am focusing on now, working on “The Fosters”, doing those scripts, and school.
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