Jake T. Austin Talks His Favorite Role So Far, Online Bullying, & His Go-To Emoji

Jake T. Austin gives a smoldering stare during his recent shoot for Vulkan Magazine.

Here’s what the Fosters actor had to share with the mag:

You’ve been acting for more than 14 years now, what has been your favorite role, if you had to pick one? “I probably say it’s a close tie between Max on Wizards of Waverly Place or Bruce in Hotel for Dogs. Both sets were a dream to work on and I absolutely loved each cast. We really supported each other in the work that we did both on and off which made it such a safe place and I feel the best work comes from a safe place. I really think the audience could tell could tell we enjoyed making it as much as they enjoyed watching.”

You do a lot of voice acting. Do you face any particular challenges in that realm that differs from live action acting? “Yeah, absolutely. Voice acting is really challenging because you have to rely on your voice to get the character’s message across which can be ironically physical. It was pretty cool because while recording in the booth they had cameras surrounding me to make Alex, (the character I play in The Emoji Movie) as much like me as possible. The Emoji Movie has definitely been one of my favorite voiceover roles so far and that’s in no small part because of this all-star cast. They’re all so funny.”

What advice might you give someone struggling with online acceptance? “Don’t buy into the haters. If I took to heart everything I read about myself online, I wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning and that’s no way to live. Knowing yourself and loving who that is, is so important when it comes to acceptance. People are always going to try to knock you down and hold you back, but it’s about being having the determination and resilience to not let that keep you down.”

What’s your go-to emoji? “I’m a big fan of the monkey covering its eyes, personally. My go to emojis are actually really funny. I love some of the new hands ones, I’d have to say the guy with his tongue out and looks kinda crazy and also the monkey face emoji covering his eyes!”

For more from Jake, visit VulkanMagazine.com.