Rising Star Connor Esterson On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Elana Cohen
Don’t get your hopes up, it will happen. Before Spy Kids: Armageddon, there were so many projects I was up for, “on hold”, “on avail”, “pinned”, whatever they call it. I thought those were the ones. But they weren’t. I never booked them. At one point, I thought I would never book anything. I was wrong. When the right role came, I booked it. Now I know to be patient, focus on what I do best, and wait for the deal to get signed.
As a part of my series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing 10-year-old Connor Esterson.
Connor Esterson is a young and talented actor who has been making waves in the entertainment business and securely anchoring himself as one to watch in Hollywood’s evolving landscape.
Sparked by his fascination with a commercial he saw on TV, Connor’s acting journey began when he was merely five-years-old. His first credit came in 2020 alongside Dixie D’Amelio in Brat TV’s Attaway General. Since, his natural talent and versatility has been showcased in several other television and film projects, including two recent episodes of the Quantum Leap reboot and the popular Netflix movie Spy Kids: Armageddon.
Beyond his budding on-screen success, Connor is also an aspiring screenwriter, who is currently working on his very first script with George Gallo and Academy Award-winning writer/producer Nick Vallelonga.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Los Angeles. Like most kids I go to school, play sports, and game. I have a little brother named Logan. We play, we fight, but after it all, he’s the best brother I could ever ask for. I have two dogs and they are both cute and fun to play with and walk. My parents encourage me to do my work, to do the right thing even when nobody’s watching, and to eat healthy. I swim; I do MMA; I rock a guitar; and I love to eat steak. I just kind of live life enjoying things as they come.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I wanted to start acting at age 5. Strangely, I got inspired by a diaper commercial. I saw a bunch of kids dancing and immediately went to my dad and said, “I wanna do dat. I’m a big kid now!”
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your entertainment career?
There’s been a lot of crazy stuff that’s happened to me — from relocating to a foreign city to designing a cologne brand — but the most interesting thing that’s happened to me by far is driving down Sunset Boulevard and seeing a billboard with my face on it. And then seeing another billboard, a few blocks away, plastered on the walls of the Netflix headquarters in Hollywood.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
On one of my first jobs, I went to set without learning my lines. As a young kid, I thought I had superpowers. I overestimated my memorizing skills, and only reviewed the script a few times. I was so nervous on set. I didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of the cast and crew.
I learned that I perform better when I know my lines and come to set totally prepared. I won’t make that mistake again. Now, my superpower is to put in the work before I walk on set.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
You can catch me in the upcoming movie Santa’s Chair about a troubled, colorblind girl who makes a Santa Chair that grants wishes for others to save her mom’s tiny mountain town café from closing before Christmas. It’s a family story with a lot of heart.
Aside from that, and while I look for my next big onscreen role, I’m working on my very first script with George Gallo and Academy Award-winning writer Nick Vallelonga. Late last year, I whipped up a six-page treatment on my own, which I showed to a family friend, who in turn took it to George, who then shared it with Nick. Called Little Wiseguy, the movie that centers around a 12-year-old boy who befriends a new neighbor and ex-mobster, while navigating the pressures of middle school and being raised by a single mother. Think, Home Alone meets The Godfather.
Away from the entertainment world, I’m an aspiring entrepreneur and founder of Brainstorm Supply Company, an online store that offers a wide variety of backpacks and other accessories for kids of all ages.
Ultimately, I hope to make films that people connect to and learn from, and develop products for kids that improve their lives and make them smell better (Young Maverick Cologne). : )
Most young people your age don’t have to balance work and school. Can you tell us how you manage to balance your schoolwork, auditions, and time on set?
I don’t. I’m always behind in school and my parents are always flaming me for it. I know school is important, but it’s hard to keep up. In the end, I pull good grades. When I’m on set, school is surprisingly easier as I have a set teacher and SAG requires three hours a day in school. Even though I want to work, it gives me time to catch up on schoolwork. Auditions are easy to squeeze in because there’s more flexibility on getting them done.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
No, I can’t think of one person. I’m grateful for my entire team. My parents, my brother, my agents (Nicole Jolley, Milton Perea, Katelyn Giroux), managers (Mara Santino, Danielle Lenninger), Henry Penzi, my publicist (Michael Misetic), Joe Isgro, my lawyer (Tanya Mallean), and Robert Rodriguez for giving me my first shot to shine. I know this sounds like on Oscar speech, but I really do appreciate everyone.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
- Kids are underrepresented in the creative process. Kids like me create viral content that is seen by millions of people every day. And it’s created without the help of studios. George Gallo and Nick Vallelonga have come to understand that as well and have been working with me to bring at least one of my visions to life in Little Wiseguy.
- It’s not just about talent. I work hard to perfect my take on each character for which I audition. I want to deliver the best audition I can. I get super close on projects to later learn that another actor got the role. Sometimes they are older, younger, or even a different ethnicity or gender. As a kid actor, you are often cast last, as part of a family. Even if your audition is great, and casting loves you, you might not fit the final family. Casting might go in an entirely different direction. Talent gets you in the door, but other factors can close them. Ultimately, having the talent and fitting the role (visually) makes the difference.
- It can take 100s of auditions to land a lead role. I was lucky. I booked a small job with my first audition. I thought it would be simple… do an audition, book, and work. Well, that’s not how it goes. I had to do so many auditions before landing my part in Spy Kids. It was frustrating working so hard without booking something big. I’m happy that I didn’t give up and continued working hard. Even now, I must do audition after audition, but at least I know it will continue to pay off.
- Drink water and electrolytes while on set. While on set for Spy Kids: Armageddon, I was in my spy suit, covered head to toe in 110-degree weather, during a hot, humid summer in Austin, Texas. We were shooting outdoors at a lake. I didn’t drink enough water the night before or the day of the shoot. My body wasn’t adjusted to the climate on our third day of shooting. Guess what happened? I passed out from dehydration. The production needed to wait for me to return to life. Medics gave me fluids and a magical handheld fan. Thirty minutes later, I was as good as new and back to work.
- Don’t get your hopes up, it will happen. Before Spy Kids: Armageddon, there were so many projects I was up for, “on hold”, “on avail”, “pinned”, whatever they call it. I thought those were the ones. But they weren’t. I never booked them. At one point, I thought I would never book anything. I was wrong. When the right role came, I booked it. Now I know to be patient, focus on what I do best, and wait for the deal to get signed.
You are a person of enormous influence. How do you think you can use social media as a platform to be a positive influence to your fans, and for society at large?
That’s a really difficult question to answer. I’m 10. I never considered myself having influence on anybody. What a wild idea… a 10 year being able to influence a few people, let alone society at large.
I don’t really use social media as a platform to influence fans. I just share my experiences and hope people connect to my message. I think if I continue to present myself honestly, sharing both the good and the bad, I can have a positive influence on others.
If you had the ability to choose to work on any TV show or film, or work alongside any co-star, or with any director, what or who would that be, and why? You never know who might see this article, especially if we tag them. :-)
The list of those with whom I’d love to share the big screen is always growing, but if I had to choose today, it would be Ryan Reynolds and Adam Sandler. And of course, John Cena, if he’s clothed. Hahaha! I have an idea for a TV show for which John would be perfect and I can’t wait to present it to him. It would also be fun to work with Tom Holland and Timothée Chalamet. People always say I remind them of a young Chalamet.
There are several new, emerging artists I’d also like to work alongside. Aliyah Camacho is a great friend and an awesome actress. I’d also like to work with Christian Convery. He’s a bit older than me, but super talented. And of course, my Spy Kids: Armageddon co-star Everly Carganilla. I’d love to work with her again. She was a great spy sister and so much fun.
I’d love to play Chopper on Season 2 of One Piece. He’s such an amazing character and makes the show magical. I’m a fan of anime and watched One Piece long before the live action production. Chopper was by far my favorite character.
As far as superheroes, I’d like to play Spiderman. He’s nostalgic to me as he visited me at my 5th birthday party. I know now it wasn’t the real Spiderman, but he left a lasting impression on me. Oh, and the movies are so well written, and the CGI is insane!
I’d like to work with Robert Rodriguez again. He’s super cool, really nice, and treated everyone on set with respect. He inspired me to be the best I can be. He also makes great pizza, and he can rock a guitar more than the guitar can be rocked. But seriously, I like that he’s involved in every aspect of making a film.
Quentin Tarantino because his films are so stylized and he’s good friends and partners with Robert Rodriguez. I like the way he develops characters and his dark POV. Everything feels real and gritty.
Also, I’d love to work with Steven Spielberg. I don’t think an explanation is needed. He makes classic movies and is such an icon. He also brings out the best in his actors.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
IG: @connoresterson
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
