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Julian Dennison

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Julian Dennison
Dennison in 2016
Born (2002-10-26) 26 October 2002 (age 22)
Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
EducationHutt International Boys' School[1]
OccupationActor
Years active2013–present

Julian Dennison (born 26 October 2002) is a New Zealand actor. He starred in the 2013 film Shopping, for which he won the English Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor.[2][3] He is known for his roles as Ricky Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), the highest-grossing New Zealand film in history, as Russell "Firefist" Collins in Deadpool 2 (2018), and as Belsnickel in The Christmas Chronicles 2. He also played Josh Valentine in Godzilla vs. Kong[4] in 2021 and had a leading role in the film Uproar (2023).[5]

Life and career

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Dennison was born and raised in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. He is the third of a family of four children, and has a twin brother named Christian. Julian is of Māori descent and is a member of the Ngāti Hauā iwi (tribe), part of the Tainui tribal confederation. He attended Naenae Primary School, where he first auditioned, and got his first part in the 2013 film Shopping,[6] He was then cast in the Australian film Paper Planes (2015). He later attended Hutt International Boys' School in Upper Hutt.

Dennison continued with acting and was given a role in an advertisement for the NZ Transport Agency to discourage driving under the influence of drugs. The public service announcement, which became an internet sensation in New Zealand and Australia,[7] was directed by Taika Waititi, who later asked Dennison to star in his film Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) without the need to audition. The film went on to become New Zealand's highest-grossing film to date, and was critically acclaimed.

Dennison played Russell Collins / Firefist in the 2018 film Deadpool 2. He was cast because of his Wilderpeople performance, and the friendship of Waititi with Deadpool's filmmakers.[8][9] In 2020, Dennison co-starred in The Christmas Chronicles 2, portraying Belsnickel and also voicing his elf form, and in 2021, he had a large supporting role in the monster sequel Godzilla vs. Kong.[10][4] In 2023, he was cast in the A24 film Y2K.[11]

Dennison played the main role of Josh Waaka in the film Uproar in 2023. His performance was praised by The Age, for its "admirable restraint".[5] In an interview for The Post, Dennison stated that his lead role in Uproar was when "I felt like I was finding my voice."[12] In January 2024, Dennison was announced to play Fishlegs Ingerman in the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.[13]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 Shopping Solomon
2015 Paper Planes Kevin
2016 Hunt for the Wilderpeople Ricky Baker
Chronesthesia Beni a.k.a. Love and Time Travel[14]
2018 Deadpool 2 Russell Collins / Firefist
2020 The Christmas Chronicles 2 Belsnickel
2021 Godzilla vs. Kong Josh Valentine
2023 Uproar Josh Waaka
2024 Y2K Danny [15]
2025 How to Train Your Dragon Fishlegs Ingerman Filming[16]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Funny Girls Himself
2019–present The Strange Chores Pierce (voice) Season One only
2024 Star Wars: The Bad Batch Deke, Stak Episode: "Paths Unknown"[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Big win for Julian Dennison at the NZ Film Festival Awards". www.hibs.school.nz.
  2. ^ Barlow, Helen (28 January 2016). "Julian Dennison talks working with Taika Waititi". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  3. ^ "NZ Film Awards: Shopping picks up seven Moas". The New Zealand Herald. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b Murphy, Charles (1 June 2018). "Exclusive: 'Deadpool 2's' Julian Dennison Joins 'Godzilla vs. Kong'". That Hashtag Show. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b Bailey, John (27 November 2023). "The child star who reached a career high, stayed grounded and kept on going". The Age. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Meet Julian Dennison, young star of 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople'". Metro US. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Blazed - Drug Driving in Aotearoa | Commercial | NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. NZ On Screen. Retrieved 18 May 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ^ "Ryan Reynolds Reveals Why He Cast Julian Dennison AKA Ricky Baker In Deadpool 2 | MTV". Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Rave reviews for Deadpool 2's 'fantastic' Julian Dennison". NZ Herald. 15 May 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Kurt Russell Made A Wild Musical Choice In Christmas Chronicles 2". www.slashfilm.com. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  11. ^ Grobar, Matt (23 March 2023). "A24 Sets Disaster Comedy Y2K, To Be Directed By SNL Alum Kyle Mooney; Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison & More To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  12. ^ Manson, Bess (30 September 2023). "'I'm not a kid anymore': Julian Dennison gets serious in leading roles". The Post. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  13. ^ "How to Train Your Dragon Is Coming to Life! See the Cast of the Live-Action Movie Side-by-Side with the Animated Characters from the Original". people.com.
  14. ^ "Credits | Chronesthesia". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  15. ^ "'Y2K' Trailer: Kyle Mooney's Disaster Comedy Stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, And Julian Dennison". punchdrunkcritics.com.
  16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (24 January 2024). "How To Train Your Dragon Live-Action Pic Expands Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Julian Dennison Joins The Bad Batch Cast". swnz.co.nz.
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