Actor Josh Emerson talked his experience working in Hollywood and his dream role in this edition of “A Conversation.” (Photo property of IMDB)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Jake’s Take is proud to welcome actor Josh Emerson to the site.
The Edmonton, Canada native has been active in the entertainment industry since the early 2000s. He worked on a diverse group of TV shows and movies such as Aliens in America, Hellcats, I Love You, Beth Cooper and Jennifer’s Body. He also starred alongside Dwayne Johnson, Megan Fox and Ashley Tisdale plus worked with veteran filmmakers Chris Columbus and Diablo Cody.
However, there is one role that Josh is determined to play on the Silver Screen. One of Spider-Man’s greatest adversaries, Venom, in Sony’s relaunched Amazing Spider-Man franchise.
In this latest edition of A Conversation, Josh talked about the lessons that he learned from working in Hollywood and his campaign to play the scary symbiote.
Jacob Elyachar: Josh, when did you get interested in acting?
Josh Emerson: I got interested in acting during my final year in high school. I saw a special on the Oprah Winfrey Show that spotlighted Will Smith in Miami and there was just something about Will that captivated me. It was a bad time in my life, as I was not in the popular crowd in school and out of nowhere it felt like a punch in the face. I looked at Will and something inside told me “That is what you are” as crazy as it sounded. (Laughs)
JE: What were some of the major similarities and differences in working on a film set and a TV show set?
JEM: The major difference in the two forms of entertainment is the pacing. Television has a quicker turn-around, as you need to have an episode done in roughly seven days, so you move much quicker. One of the major similarities is the positioning of the crew, the production team, and the overall process of the project. Another major difference is the fact that you can be on for multiple years, where as a feature film lasts usually lasts a month or two.
JE: You worked with several major names in Hollywood ranging from director Chris Columbus to actors Dwayne Johnson and Megan Fox. What were some of the lessons that you learned from them that helped you grow as an actor?
JEM: This is a good question. I learned how to carry you respectfully and professionally in the public eye. I remember Dwayne specifically, if you did not know who the man was you would never think he was a superstar. He always carried himself with such a sense of humility and passion for his craft; I would be honored to work with him again!
I also remember one day on set of Jennifer’s Body, I was sitting in the on set tent staying warm and Megan had come in and needed to change a shirt. The wardrobe department told me I had to leave for a second and I was like: Oh yes, of course!” It was like common sense. As I was leaving, Megan said “I am so sorry!” and I was actually caught off guard. (Laughs) but I told her: “It’s totally fine.” (Laughs) and she was super sweet about it. I learned a lot from the 1492 Pictures (Chris Columbus’ production company) crew about how films work and producer Michael Barnathan really helped me out as far as getting to LA. He was the first to speak to me about starting a career in the United States.
Josh Emerson’s goal is to portray one of Spider-Man’s deadliest adversaries: Venom! (Artwork property of Marvel Comics)
JE: Recently, you started a campaign to play Venom/Eddie Brock in the “Amazing Spider-Man” film franchise. What attracted you to the character?
JEM: I have been campaigning for this character in some form of fashion ever since the announcement of Venom in Spider-Man 3. We did a trailer on my own with a few crew members and the Canadian media picked it up. Ever since Topher Grace portrayed Brock in the third film, I have been on a campaign to bring Eddie Brock to life in his own film. The best way to answer your question is to say while all the kids in my neighborhood wanted to be Spider-Man and get the costume for Halloween…I wanted to be Venom!!! I always had a connection to him for some reason and I inevitably grew up to be the spitting image of Eddie Brock who has one of the best origin stories of any Marvel character in my humble opinion.
JE: Your campaign recently received some support from fellow actor Quinton Aaron. What was it like to receive his support?
JEM: I was blown away that he was as fired up about it as he was! He told me he wanted to get involved anyway he could because he believed: I AM VENOM! (Laughs)
Josh Emerson hopes new social media network, Fameus, can help further his campaign to play Venom (Eddie Brock) in the “Amazing Spider-Man” franchise. (Photo courtesy of fameus & Kent Speakman)
JE: What are the next steps in your Venom campaign?
JEM: A very close friend of mine, Kent Speakman, has also gotten involved and this guy is a genius when it comes to digital media and social networking related properties. He has started an amazing app called FAMEUS and he wants to make this campaign one of the faces for the launch of the company, which is truly flattering. Also the fact that the star of The Blind Side, Quinton Aaron, is so pumped about it is a huge honor. Basically now with members of the Venom team like these two, it is just bringing more awareness and getting the fans onboard and giving them a voice in the whole process.
JE: If you had the chance to meet with aspiring actors, what advice would you share?
JEM: I have actually done quite a few speaking events small to large regarding this very topic. The biggest piece of advice I ALWAYS give is build a resume BEFORE to make the trip to LA! I believe that a lot of people get caught up with the lights and red carpet ideas and forget to lay the foundation to a solid career. It is much harder to get a break or an agent when your brand new starting in the Metropolis of our business. The best thing to do is get some experience in a smaller market where you live, build a resume, and then make the move to LA and give it everything you got!
You can connect with Josh on social media by visiting his Facebook & IMDb pages.
