'Didnt realise it was a multi-million dollar series, says Diary of a Wimpy Kid actor Robert Capron
At the Bengaluru Comic Con, fans lined up to meet one of this years guests Robert Capron, who, as an elementary school student, played the lovably naive Rowley Jefferson in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films. Now 27, the actor-turned-screenwriter, who is in the process of developing a film and TV show, took a moment to reflect on the path that the series and success at a young age, set him on. Excerpts: You took a tour of the city on your first day here what did you like most? Its my first time in Asia so I spent a good chunk of Friday exploring. I went to the Indian Music Experience museum and adored learning the music history of India and all the people involved in these different traditions. I also went to MTR; I loved the dosae and they just kept coming out with different stuff that got better and better, so I lost track! What are your favourite memories from Diary of a Wimpy Kid days? As a kid, it felt like the best summer camp ever. It was only as an adult, I realised that it was a multi-million dollar film series and the pressure which was involved. I had so much fun with Zach (Zachary Gordon), who played Greg and Grayson Russell, who played Fregley, showed me all the Lord of the Rings movies for the first time. When youre a kid, you can kind of blur the line between the character and who you are more. Sometimes, wed be filming in this school and wed feel like we were actually just hanging out at school. I made lifelong friends there. Have you experienced any downsides to getting success at an early age? I struggled with eating disorders and self image for a while. When you are overweight and put in front of an audience, it leads to a lot of judgement. The industry has a habit of trying to fit you in a mould. If I had really leaned into it, I probably would have booked more quicker but I didnt want to do that. Rowley is all about radical self acceptance and I had to teach myself that lesson. What helped you get through that time? Support. I was caught throwing out a sandwich by my dad after months of barely eating. I had lost 70 pounds in two months. My dad put two and two together, took me to a nutritionist. I found that writing actually became a way to be able to talk about things and tell stories in a way that wasnt necessarily completely reliant on being a specific role. I could make the whole tapestry. Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson with Zachary Gordon, who played the titular character Greg Heffley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid films Youve also done voice acting, particularly on Tim Burtons Frankenweenie. What was it like to work with the legend? I like to joke with people that the blessing and curse of my acting career is that I was in a position to work with incredible people but I knew little about them. I was 12 and the first thing I said to him is, Wow, you directed Batman!, and he was like I know! (laughs). I was embarrassed. I definitely have a lot more to say now. Is there any advice that a more experienced actor has said to you that has left a lasting impact? I was in a movie with Jack Black called The Polka King. We had a conversation about how commonplace it is, even at really higher levels, to get rejected, and the importance of failure as a teacher. In a lot of different ways, that was something that really stuck out to me. Especially as Ive been really digging into writing. In recent years, youve started teaching filmmaking and VFX at a college by the charity Actors for Autism. Why is teaching important to you? The whole reason my life, as it is now, exists, is because when I was eight, I took an after-school class taught by my local theatre in Rhode Island. The teachers thought I was really good and told my parents that I should keep going with it. Time and time again, Ive been in situations where I see the direct impact it can have on somebody if things are presented the right way I value that connection and transference of curiosity.
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