'WE CAN BE HEROES’ LYON DANIELS BELIEVES THAT EVERY RACE SHOULD BE REPRESENTED

Young actor LYON DANIELS plays Noodles, a kid hero with flexibility powers in Netflix’s ‘WE CAN BE HEROES.’ The film is Robert Rodriguez’s holiday superhero movie that centers on children working together to save their parents and the world.

Lyon, together with the other kids in the film gave the colorful, fun world of the movie it’s life. Lyon got his start at the young age of 18 months old modeling for Macy's, Target, Sears, Kohls and Vtech. As an actor, he is known for playing the recurring role of 'Efram' on the Amazon series Patriot (2015), opposite Michael Dorman, Terry O'Quinn and Michael Chernus (2015-2019).

In this exclusive interview, the young actor talks about his experiences working with Robert Rodriguez and the cast of ‘We Can Be Heroes’, his favorite superhero film, his acting experiences, goals and more.

FASHION STYLING: ENRIQUE MELENDEZ, GROMING: MATILDE CAMPOS @ SIX-K LA

How was your 2020 so far?
My 2020 was pretty horrible with this Covid pandemic. I am stuck at home and we can’t go out to movies or restaurants etc. It’s such a bummer. The pandemic has also really messed with Hollywood and new projects and auditions everything has been shut down and really slow.

How was it to work with Robert Rodriquez and the ensemble cast in this film?
Working with Robert Rodriguez and the rest of the cast was such an honor. This experience has taught me so much about filmmaking and acting. I consider myself to be so lucky, I am just so proud of the work we have done and how this film has turned out!

What is your proudest moment ever from acting in We Can Be Heroes?

My proudest moment ever from acting in We Can Be Heroes would be when we filmed a scene where we were supposed to be locked in an alien prison room. The kids were supposed to be sad and crying and I was able to make myself become emotional within the scene and I was able to cry with actual, real tears on demand!

How would you describe your character’s evolution throughout the story?
At the start of the movie my character Noodles used his powers for more goofy, fun purposes. As the story evolved Noodles becomes a lot more focused and he learns to use his powers to help the team instead. Noodles turns out to be more useful than anyone ever expected!

Why should the audience watch the film?

‘We Can Be Heroes’ gives a sense of hope, especially in the times that we are living in today. This film shines a light on diversity and not just with race, but with age and gender as well. This film shows that Gen Z can be powerful too. There are a ton of really beautiful messages in this movie and I hope our audience takes that into recognition!

Which superhero film is your favorite?

My favorite Superhero film is Black Panther because it’s inspiring to have an African American superhero to look up to and relate to. I believe that every race should be represented and have someone that they can relate to.

Who is your favorite hero and why?
I would have to say that my favorite hero is Black Panther because he uses his agility, intelligence and fighting skills to become such an inspiring hero!

What are the challenges and the highs that you experienced during filming?

The challenges that I experienced while filming would be getting used to and comfortable with getting harnessed for stunts. I had never had to do any green screen work before, and it was a really different type of feeling getting lifted off the ground and having to learn new ways to move my body around while I was strapped to wires. Some of the highs I experienced while filming was getting to work with Pedro Pascal ..the freakin…MANDALORIAN!!!! It was also such an honor to work with Robert Rodriguez, Priyanka Chopra, Christian Slater, Boyd Holbrook, Sung Kang etc.

How did you manage to rise above the challenges?

I practiced harness work with the stunt coordinators, and I got more comfortable with it. I am so excited and can’t wait for everyone to see how amazing my special stunt scenes turned out!

Everyone’s process is different, and each has a unique approach to things. Can you walk us through your creative process whenever you go and film a scene?

The night before we filmed a new scene, I would read through the scene a bunch of times, practice my lines and try to get into the mindset of what my character would be thinking and emotionally feeling.

What’s your ultimate goal?

My ultimate goal is to continue acting as well as evolve into a director/producer. I would like to go to film school and learn how to direct. I feel so inspired from working so closely with Robert Rodriguez and I look forward to incorporating his techniques into the future movies that I will make one day.

Aside from acting, what else keeps you busy?

I write and direct my own movies.I really enjoy drawing dinosaurs and hanging out with my best friend/ co-star Nathan.

Best advice you’ve ever received?

While I was filming the Amazon series Patriot, I was pretty nervous since that was my very first TV acting job. My dad in the series was Michael Chernus from the show Orange Is The New Black. Michael told me a story from when he worked on the Men in Black film with Will Smith to make me feel more comfortable, and he said that Will told him that movies were made in pieces so not to worry!

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?
If I were a book, I would be Percy Jackson because I would want to be the son of a Greek God and fight monsters.