With Pixar’s Elio arriving in theaters soon, we caught up with rising star Jake Getman, who lends his voice to Caleb—the school bully with more layers than first meets the eye. In our conversation, Jake opened up about joining the Pixar family, shaping Caleb’s attitude, and what it’s like to hear your voice on the big screen.
A Dream Call from Pixar
Jake was just 11 years old when he first auditioned for Elio. “It was all very secretive,” he recalled. “I didn’t know what it was at first, but once I found out it was Pixar… I was freaking out.” The audition process stretched over a year, but when he got the call in 2022, he said it felt like “everything stopped.”
Playing the School Bully with a Twist
Caleb may seem like the typical tough guy, but Jake says there’s more going on beneath the surface. “He’s definitely not just a bully,” Jake explained. “He’s got some insecurities. He’s trying to be cool, but he’s also just a kid trying to figure things out.” Jake brought a mix of sarcasm and charm to the role, creating a character that audiences might love to hate—or just love.
Voice Acting for Animation Magic
Jake described the voice recording process as both exciting and challenging. “It’s just you and a microphone, and you have to create all this emotion without anyone to bounce off of,” he said. “But Pixar makes it fun—they give you freedom to play.”
He was also blown away when he saw the finished animation. “Seeing the character on screen moving with my voice… that was insane. Caleb looks nothing like me, but somehow it still feels like me.”
From Pixar to Apple Ads and More
While Elio may be his biggest project to date, Jake is no stranger to the screen. He appeared in Cheaper by the Dozen on Disney+ and even starred in a viral Apple ad campaign, highlighting the iPhone’s new photo “clean-up” feature. “It was wild to see that everywhere—on buses, billboards. My friends kept texting me screenshots!”
What Jake Hopes Audiences Take Away
“Elio is all about embracing who you are, even when the world sees you differently,” Jake said. “It’s about being the odd one out and still finding your place. I think everyone can relate to that, even Caleb.”