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Alex Wolff, alongside his brother Nat, burst onto children’s television screens across the world in 2005 as the youth rock duo in Nickelodeon’s ‘The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie’. Fast forward over fifteen years, and the two have both established careers acting in major motion pictures. Alex, in particular, has crafted a very diverse career that has struck a chord with film fans all over the world. From appearing in big-budget mainstream franchises to small, unique independent films, Alex Wolff excels in every performance he gives.
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The Early Years
After Alex Wolff’s Nickelodeon appearances, such as the George Lopez made-for television film ‘Mr. Troop Mom’, he made his first theatrical appearance in the Jonah Hill-starring comedy ‘The Sitter’. After some roles in short films and smaller indie films, Wolff made an appearance in the 2016 sequel, ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ which also starred the talents of Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, and Rob Riggle. Later that same year, Wolff would star in his biggest role yet, which many would argue was his first breakout role as a dramatic actor, in Peter Berg’s ‘Patriots Day’. The gut-wrenching depiction of the Boston Marathon bombing pitted Wolff as one of the bombers. In a stacked cast that included the talents of Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, and J.K. Simmons, getting lost in the shuffle would have been understandable. However, Wolff’s performance stands out as truly unsettling.
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Wolff portrays the twenty-year-old bomber with a twinge of empathy that heightens how unsettling the performance is. One scene in particular that always stood out was an exchange between Wolff’s character and Jimmy O. Yang’s character. As Wolff spouts off about all the conspiracy theories and reasons he and his brother committed these atrocities, audiences get a great sense of this misguided and ill-informed young man. Wolff’s gritty and too realistic for comfort performance allows for a rounding out of this character that was unexpected, deeply disturbing, and will be long remembered.
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Continued Success
After his appearance in ‘Patriots Day’, Wolff went on to star in the adaptation of John Backderf’s graphic novel, ‘My Friend Dahmer’, which depicted the author’s first-hand experiences going to high school with notorious American serial killer Jeffery Dahmer. Wolff gives a very honest performance in this film, his character acting as a bit of a cautionary tale as the film progresses, and Wolff’s relationship with Dahmer, played by Ross Lynch, progresses. The film was a critical hit and further propelled Wolff into the public consciousness of film fans. Wolff’s next appearance would arrive in a small role in the soft-reboot of Robin Williams’ ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’.
The film starred the talents of Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillian and was an adventure that packaged fun, thrills, and heart all into one film. Wolff portrayed the real-life counterpart of Johnson’s character, and in many ways, Wolff’s performance dictated the performance of Johnson. While not given a ton of screentime, Wolff quickly endeared himself to audiences and allowed Johnson to bring the character home. The film was such a success, both critically and financially, that it spawned a sequel in 2019’s ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’.
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‘Hereditary’
In 2018, Wolff had his biggest hit yet in A24’s indie horror film ‘Hereditary’. From director Ari Aster, ‘Hereditary’ burst into theaters with a terrifying bang, leaving audiences disturbed with its haunting imagery and deep, intense family drama. The film paired Wolff with the wonderfully talented Toni Collette; the two performers share multiple intense confrontations that are brutal to watch. The script of ‘Hereditary’ allows Wolff to give his most emotional and compelling performance yet calls for moments of large emotional outburst as well as smaller moments where Wolff’s performance is limited to the look of terror in his eyes.
Wolff fully commits to this performance both emotionally and physically, even going as far as to accidentally draw blood during a scene in a classroom. ‘Hereditary’ would go on to become beloved by film fans and critics, blowing the doors off the box office for an indie horror film. The performances of Wolff and Collette were universally praised, and the film catapulted Wolff further into stardom and the limelight, becoming an indie film star.
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Post ‘Hereditary’
Since his hit performance in ‘Hereditary’, Wolff has starred in several projects, such as the HBOMax Hugh Jackman-starring comedy ‘Bad Education’. In 2019, Wolff made his feature-length directorial debut in ‘The Cat and the Moon’. Also starring in the film as the lead character, Wolff portrays a teenager who stays with a New York City jazz musician while his mother seeks rehab treatment. The film was praised by critics for departing from genre conventions in his writing. Most recently, Wolff starred opposite Nicolas Cage in Michael Sarnoski’s mystery film ‘Pig’. Wolff acts as a supporting character, trying to help Cage find his pig that has been stolen from him. Wolff’s character in the film might be the most emotionally resonant — his character has a very interesting arc that is only made more engaging by Wolff’s performance. The dynamic between Cage and Wolff’s performances is such an essential part of ‘Pig’ that, without it, the film would not be nearly as engaging. Wolff’s character Amir has many emotional layers to him, and Wolff masters each of these layers to give a complete, nuanced performance that undoubtedly elevates the film.
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A Bright Future
While it is incredibly difficult to have a successful career as an actor, Alex Wolff has built an impressive career for himself at just the age of 23 with no signs of slowing down. With several performances that have already supplanted their place in the pantheon of pop culture as well as a well-received directorial debut, one can only imagine the success that is ahead of Wolff. With Wolff’s next film, ‘Old’, by director M. Night Shyamalan just on the horizon, there should be no doubt about the talent and potential Wolff has.
By Sean Aversa
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Author
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Sean Aversa is a writer for Hollywood Insider, writing film reviews and features. Knowing from a very early age his passion for the big screen, Sean quickly gravitated towards film writing. He is excited for the opportunity to write about films and filmmakers that share his passion for cinematic storytelling. His favorite films to watch, discuss, and write about are those that are striving to find creative and innovative ways to tell stories.
Sean Aversa is a writer for Hollywood Insider, writing film reviews and features. Knowing from a very early age his passion for the big screen, Sean quickly gravitated towards film writing. He is excited for the opportunity to write about films and filmmakers that share his passion for cinematic storytelling. His favorite films to watch, discuss, and write about are those that are striving to find creative and innovative ways to tell stories.
