Jingle Trails Actor Connor Dean Dishes on His Most Memorable Roles and More
18-year-old actor Connor Dean has had quite the acting career, and he is so much more than the kid because of the Cool Cat Butch the Bully memes.
The Florida-born star has been acting since he was just 4 years old in a number of high-profile roles, including 2019's Jingle Trails, in which Connor played one of the two leading characters—but he's impressive off the screen, too. Connor is also a competitive tennis player, as well as the CEO of his own production company, Penny Arcade Pictures. Wondering how Connor does it all? We got the chance to interview him and find out.
Sweety High: When did you first discover your love for acting? What is it about the job that you're most passionate about?
Connor Dean: I first discovered my love for acting when I went to auditions with my older brother. I was too little to be left alone, so I always had to tag along. I decided I would give it a try and began taking classes and found out I loved it. I am most passionate about doing the best I can for each and every job. I never want to disappoint the director, producer, cast or crew.
(Photo credit: Julian Dahl)
SH: What's been your most memorable role to date? Why?
CD: I have two memorable roles for very different reasons. My first one is the one I am probably most known for, which is Butch the Bully from the Cool Cat movies. This one has become a cult favorite and there are memes and fan pages with this character. I have also been bullied because of it, which hasn't been easy. My other memorable role is playing Seth in Jingle Trails, for which I won a Young Entertainer Award for Best Leading Actor.
SH: Tell us a little bit about your work with Penny Arcade Pictures. How did you start it, and what projects can we look forward to from you in the future?
CD: Penny Arcade Pictures is a company I started with my brother. The name is a nod to our great-grandfather, whose last name was Penny. He owned a roller rink and our favorite place in the rink was—you guessed it—the arcade, hence Penny Arcade Pictures! We wanted to have a family business that was ours to create and develop the projects we wanted to make. Currently, we are working on a script for a horror film, and also an animated film.
SH: What is the toughest thing about your line of work? What's the most rewarding?
CD: The toughest thing about my line of work is the rejection, but it has taught me resilience and the importance of working hard to achieve your dreams. The most rewarding part of my work is seeing the finished project and knowing I did my absolute best.
SH: Where are all of the places we can catch your work at the moment?
CD: My film Jingle Trails is streaming on Amazon. You can always check out my Instagram page for all the fun projects I am doing in the industry and outside of it! When I'm not working on set or writing my scripts you can find me on the tennis court training for my next tournament.
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
CD: I would just like to add that you should always believe in yourself and your dreams. What you believe you can achieve!
(Photo credit: Julian Dahl)
Love learning about our favorite up-and-coming actors? Click HERE to read our interview with Ashlie Garrett.