Kale Culley Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Insights as August in 'Walker' Season 4

[00:00:00] .

[00:00:05] Kale, thank you for joining me today in Pop Culture Unplugged.

[00:00:12] Of course. Thank you so much for having me.

[00:00:14] Exciting times with my friend. We're on season four of Walker.

[00:00:17] It's been a long journey for you.

[00:00:19] And we're going to jump into the show in a little bit too.

[00:00:22] I like the first start off, you know, getting to know my guests, getting to find out, you know,

[00:00:26] your journey to the acting world.

[00:00:28] Yeah.

[00:00:29] What inspired you to pursue this?

[00:00:31] You know, whenever I was a kid,

[00:00:33] I just, I was a very like outgoing and still am very outgoing person.

[00:00:37] Very, you know, jittery, you know, energized.

[00:00:40] And so in public, I would do like, I think when I was like five years old,

[00:00:43] I had like characters that I created.

[00:00:45] And, you know, people like Jim Carrey helped like inspire me to create like little characters and whatnot.

[00:00:51] And so I'd be in public and I would just do those characters and make people laugh and, you know,

[00:00:55] sometimes make them, you know, scream or, you know,

[00:00:58] whatever kind of emotion I could provoke out of somebody I just love to do.

[00:01:02] And then I joined an improv class one time and the lady was like,

[00:01:07] Hey, you should get an agent.

[00:01:09] You're pretty good at this.

[00:01:11] And you know, as a kid, I was like, I can do this professionally for the rest of my life.

[00:01:14] Sign me up.

[00:01:16] That's kind of, I think my personality just kind of like lined up with my career.

[00:01:21] You know what I mean?

[00:01:22] When I was younger or so that's the story.

[00:01:24] When you say you create these characters now the big question is like,

[00:01:27] have you written these characters down?

[00:01:29] Maybe you could pursue them into like a shorts or video.

[00:01:33] You know, that's a good question.

[00:01:35] I haven't really like none of my crazy like goofy characters.

[00:01:39] That's not, that's not something for me personally that I would want to translate on screen,

[00:01:43] but I do have like after watching singing in the rain,

[00:01:47] I had like not a character per se, but I had like a sort of like personality.

[00:01:52] It's where like I wear like, you know, really fancy outfit and play some like jazz and start like dancing,

[00:01:57] like I'm in a musical and I was like, maybe I could like, you know,

[00:02:00] maybe this can manifest into something.

[00:02:02] And then I do have one like sort of mellow ish character that I'm trying to create to write my own story,

[00:02:11] but writing is hard.

[00:02:13] Oh my gosh, the acting for me is so much easier.

[00:02:17] I'm not a writer. I figured that out really quickly, but but I am I am learning.

[00:02:21] I have a bunch of like, you know, Steven Gilbert books and I have some cinematography books as well that I'm cracking in.

[00:02:26] And I definitely do want to tell my own stories, but to answer your question 5050.

[00:02:30] There you go.

[00:02:32] So, you know, you've been in the industry for a few years now, but you're young actor.

[00:02:35] What do you think is like the most challenging aspect for building your career?

[00:02:38] You think.

[00:02:40] Hmm.

[00:02:41] I guess just like, you know, to build a good career, you got to have,

[00:02:46] you've got to know a lot of people.

[00:02:48] And I feel like the hardest part for me was like, well it wasn't necessarily hard for me because I love just talking to everybody.

[00:02:55] But networking can be very scary.

[00:02:58] You know, you just very it's every time is brand new.

[00:03:01] You know, you go to you go to an event you're going to always meet new people new people new people.

[00:03:05] And that is a little bit nerve wrecking because it is new every time.

[00:03:11] As far as like, you know, acting ability goes I was never nervous just because I was always so driven and passionate to just be better and be better and be better and I will be for the rest of my life.

[00:03:22] Try to be better.

[00:03:24] So I guess the hardest part was like, you know, interviewing with like agents and whatnot and like getting my hell don't mess up I can't mess up.

[00:03:31] The audition process also really scary but I guess just like networking is pretty it's pretty scary.

[00:03:36] You mentioned talent ages like how many did you go through to you landed the person you wanted to be with like vice versa.

[00:03:43] Yeah.

[00:03:44] Um, well, I mean, I haven't really had like issue I'm with paradigm right now and they're absolutely I love them so much.

[00:03:52] I love that so much.

[00:03:54] That let's see I was with a couple before that.

[00:03:58] That one was pretty scary. It didn't take long but I did have to memorize two monologues for that one and perform in person.

[00:04:05] So I'm not sure like my mom knows all the time questions because she's like, you see, but I can't answer like, well, I don't know.

[00:04:13] I don't really know.

[00:04:14] I can't put a timeframe on it but it was pretty nerve wrecking to get in there.

[00:04:17] You mentioned your mom.

[00:04:18] How does it feel like family members seeing you on TV or performing in any other projects you've done?

[00:04:25] It's cool. I love it. I do love it because they come to set a lot and my sister, my sister, my brother and sister, they're also part of the industry.

[00:04:32] My brother's behind the camera screenwriter director and my sister is an actress.

[00:04:37] And so you know they're used to it.

[00:04:39] They showed up to my sets a lot and I've showed up to theirs.

[00:04:42] And, you know, it's very funny because my sister can sometimes be very brutally honest, which I love, which I love.

[00:04:49] I appreciate her for that.

[00:04:53] But not in an insecure way, but more of like a 50-50.

[00:04:58] But anyway, yeah, it's fun. It's great.

[00:05:01] I mean, it's just like how I see myself on TV screen sometimes I get a little nervous, sometimes I feel a bit hard on myself.

[00:05:07] So to have other people watch it and tell me like my family members are like, hey, that was actually like really good.

[00:05:13] You're just seeing your head about it.

[00:05:14] That part's really good.

[00:05:15] I've never been nervous to have them watch anything that I've been in.

[00:05:18] It's a cool experience though.

[00:05:20] For like, you know, throughout your career and everything. What kind of roles do you think or like genres you think are like drawn to you?

[00:05:27] Do you want to get your hands on or even like you're performing now?

[00:05:30] I don't know for a long time it used to be I was going through a phase instead of phase.

[00:05:35] But it was like a transition, I'll say I went through a transition of kind of breaking the walls from, you know, some things that like how do I explain this?

[00:05:46] I guess when I watched, started watching indie films for the first time and then I watched the Goodwill Hunting for the first time.

[00:05:54] I think I was like 12 or 13, my brother gave me a Blu-ray of it and it just like changed my life.

[00:05:59] I didn't know these type of movies could exist.

[00:06:01] Like, you know what I mean?

[00:06:02] It was like I went from like, you know, kind of kid-ish immature to like, whoa, this is like this is art. This is new.

[00:06:10] So I think for a long time I was really drawn to the only thing I really wanted to do was just like really gritty roles had a lot of, you know, substance like, you know, Timothy Shalamey and Beautiful Boy.

[00:06:20] That is, I haven't seen the movie but I've just seen his performance and it's absolutely like, like it's brilliant.

[00:06:26] It's like, it's a dream role for sure.

[00:06:28] But you know, I'll watch something like Stop Pilgrim vs. The World and I'll be like this fun goofy, doesn't take it so seriously.

[00:06:35] It's so amazing. And then I have, you know, La La Land which is just like a whole genius, the movie is genius.

[00:06:44] And then, you know, I'll watch like Whiplash and want to do this like really again, like gritty.

[00:06:49] So I don't know it just varies upon how my mood is upon the day because sometimes I wanted to do a horror movie.

[00:06:53] Sometimes I just want to scream like in me and like run and hide and sometimes I want to cry and sometimes I want to dance.

[00:07:00] So I guess it's kind of an impossible question to answer. So I'll just say everything. I just want to do everything.

[00:07:05] Just so you don't have like a top like a superhero movie or villain or...

[00:07:11] For that, I really love, I have a Batman poster right here. I love Nightwing.

[00:07:16] I have a Nightwing comic book. I had a couple comic books but Robin or Nightwing would be pretty cool or like Kid Flash if they ever do Kid Flash or something like that.

[00:07:28] I think definitely Nightwing would be cool. It'd be a little rough putting on your spandex for three months.

[00:07:33] It would definitely be worth it though.

[00:07:35] It would be for sure worth it.

[00:07:37] Yeah, I don't think anybody will turn down any type of those movies. I don't think like, I don't know.

[00:07:42] I don't see anybody turning stuff like that down. It's like turning down a James Bond role.

[00:07:46] Exactly. And also I think that it helps one because it's DC but two because James Gunn is handling it.

[00:07:53] And I think it's just an amazing film. His mind is so unique. We don't have a lot of minds like his and so he's just kind of like letting everything out.

[00:08:03] Yeah, really crazy.

[00:08:05] So yeah, let's just jump into Walker now. Congrats by the way. Season 4. What's been your experience working on this show and playing the world of August?

[00:08:16] Dude, it's been an amazing experience so far.

[00:08:20] We were all a little nervous. All the cast was a little nervous to start something new.

[00:08:26] I wasn't coming off of anything like Craig. I just came off like Couple of Gastar and whatnot but other people came off of like full time series.

[00:08:33] Like Jared for example came off of 15 seasons of Supernatural. You know I can only imagine the nerves he was feeling.

[00:08:39] But it was, I mean the moment we met. I mean Jared started a group, a text message group chat for all of the cast and so we were just like even though we didn't see each other all the time we would always text each other, always call.

[00:08:54] And so I feel like we became family like within a week. It was like that. I mean it was like we all knew that we wanted this to be an incredible experience.

[00:09:05] Because the show is based on the family aspect of it all. That's a really important part of this show and so I feel like we all wanted to do that in real life as well.

[00:09:17] You know what I mean? We don't want to have a bad set of experiences but I have been really fortunate to not have any of the experiences on set but they just made sure that we would never ever even think about having one.

[00:09:27] Like it was just an insane experience. But these four years I've just been, you know we had the shooting schedule this year was a little tight.

[00:09:37] We shortened some days and we got some episodes out quicker so we definitely put on our work mode this season but we played so hard these past four years.

[00:09:47] So it's just been an incredible experience.

[00:09:50] So we have had four seasons August. He's had a quite journey throughout the series. Like how do you think your character has evolved in his personality throughout the season?

[00:09:59] Yeah he's becoming more and more like Kale is. Like I'm very like season one August and now Kale are the most polar opposite.

[00:10:12] It's insane. Like it's night and day really is. He was a very, very, I wouldn't say depressed because he didn't really have like any moments of like you know like insane sadness but he was lost as the word that used.

[00:10:28] He was very lost and very introverted, very to himself. And he was very shy and you know as the seasons sort of progressed they kind of threw the writers through like situations at August to see how he would get out of them.

[00:10:43] And you know he got into a school fight which was never in my bingo cards for August at the beginning of this series.

[00:10:50] And then you know he had like three different love interests. I was like okay August go ahead.

[00:10:56] And then you know now he's pursuing the army and wanting to enlist. I feel like he's getting his confidence back. Like he's still not quite there but from season one this little frail kind of shy always to himself and now August's chest puffed out.

[00:11:18] He's you know he's 17. We're one year apart. I'm 18 he's 17 but he's like he's a full grime he's becoming an adult so it's that's the shift he went from like shy to very confident.

[00:11:34] Any challenges playing this character do you think for you?

[00:11:38] Starting off the series season one and two I definitely it was it was a challenge being introverted. You know it was it was kind of unusual for me not to you know yell action not for the director to yell action and then for me to like not use my body or my face or like you know smile

[00:11:57] or try to charm anybody in the scene it was like you know like shy like I had to learn how to not use my face as much and I had to learn how to speak always with my inside voice.

[00:12:10] You know because I'm kind of a loud speaker like everybody's like hey oh you know calm down you're like I'm like I'm sorry but you know it was very cool being soft spoken and I don't think for me it was never I never woke up and

[00:12:22] I'm like this is gonna be so hard today it was I woke up and was like this is gonna be awesome like I have a challenge like this is cool.

[00:12:28] I always tell the story but whenever I was on hold for I didn't quite book it I was on hold for it. No I was just about to go into the test it was a Sunday and I tested on Monday and we had church that morning and so I was

[00:12:42] I was like mom I think I'm gonna try method acting today and she was like okay be safe I was like thanks and so I just was like introverted for I think it lasted three hours before I just gave up but I know it worked because all my mom's friend or my friends moms went up to my mom was like hey is

[00:12:59] Kail okay I was like okay cool got that and I'm done so I got a channel bat for season one season two.

[00:13:08] But I will say for this season season four nothing's been tricky except for one day which you'll see it's episode 11 is like insane like I reached a I reached an emotional depth that I haven't.

[00:13:23] I don't think I've ever quite reached on screen before and so it'll be interesting people seeing my vulnerable side.

[00:13:31] You mentioned Jared to like how is it work like what have you learned working besides people like you know like Jared or even like Lindsey Morgan.

[00:13:39] Oh dude just how to stay how to keep your head right you know what I mean there's a lot in this industry and I it's crazy to think I'm just starting out you know what I mean like I've been doing this for a while.

[00:13:52] I haven't been in for 10 years but like I'm really just like you know starting to go.

[00:13:58] It's it's insane what this industry can do to people and what working because I mean we work very hard like we obviously we have so much fun and you know it's the blooper real makes it all worth it.

[00:14:10] But we definitely work super hard and you know I feel like a lot of times that can get to people's heads and you know just staying humble and just knowing the right things because I'm I'm you know 18 I'm becoming a man and becoming an adult and they all know that I'm the youngest person on the cast and so I'm always not just from Jared but from everybody I'm just getting fed information and knowledge and how to the best version of myself to to make this industry just a little bit you know brighter.

[00:14:39] And so I feel like I've just been getting such good I mean he's just a father figure honestly he's just like pouring into me as an actor and as a man.

[00:14:48] And so I feel like I just get that I'm very I'm very I'm very lucky to have not only him but everybody to just feed in me.

[00:14:55] What's the what's the one best advice is given you so far.

[00:14:59] I always think about this question and I'm I apologize but I don't have any like one particular I definitely there there have there have been you know things said to me that I really stick on to more than others.

[00:15:15] But I couldn't tell you what they are I just kind of I just kind of live I just kind of like subconsciously that out but I don't have I don't have one piece of advice I guess I don't know I guess I just really appreciate it.

[00:15:28] I appreciate that it's a constant stream of advice rather than one big hitter one big hitter it's always just subtle jabs you know what I mean right.

[00:15:36] So behind the scenes question for seasons what do you think has been like your best like funny moment or like a memory that's happened like that still sticks to you.

[00:15:44] Well this was this was a this was an embarrassing moment but I whenever Gavin Castellanio was on the show for season one.

[00:15:58] We were out I was doing the scene where I was like tied up in the back in the kitchen no in my dining room and you know this we shouldn't be joking at all in this scene but you know since he he was like he wanted to make me like.

[00:16:15] Break my character while I was on my coverage I was like I'm gonna do that same thing for him on his coverage.

[00:16:20] And you know he's also a model gorgeous man by the way like he's one like he's absolutely gorgeous he I forgot which which which Branty model for but I thought I heard someone say.

[00:16:34] Abercrombie and fish and so I was like okay it's his coverage.

[00:16:38] I'm going to scream something that's going to be so funny and so I'm there and right before I say I said guess myself like oh is it ever come is it ever come behind no clue what the name of the actual company.

[00:16:48] And so I'm like I'm like I'm like you know tears in my eyes I'm like hey I say Amber combi and the moment I said that I immediately regretted it and the we cut cut the scene it's great and the director comes out of music hey he's like hey what did what did you what did you just say there I'm like.

[00:17:07] It was stupid he goes.

[00:17:10] Okay let's don't do that again and I was like sorry and then I hear from the corner my you're saying did he just say Amber crombie and I still get everybody calls me that till this day and they don't live it down so that was a very embarrassing moment.

[00:17:25] But um but yeah.

[00:17:27] That's awesome.

[00:17:29] So the show has a strong fan base like what's been what's been the interaction with you and the fans of the feedback from the viewers.

[00:17:36] Oh amazing like it's been incredible.

[00:17:39] I really I really do appreciate how people appreciate my character and the work that I've poured into him.

[00:17:44] And one thing that I you know you see all the time like I'm sure you can relate to certain movie characters I relate to certain movie and TV characters but to hear someone else that they relate to your character is so do every time.

[00:17:57] I'm just like whoa like that I really appreciate it means so much to me.

[00:18:00] There's a lot of August fans from Brazil like the main main I guess my main fan base is in Brazil which I really want to go to Brazil.

[00:18:09] But it's it's it's cool seeing that people from all over the world not just the USA but all over the world like they're loving it.

[00:18:19] So all my interactions have been good I haven't had like many in person just because I look pretty different from August.

[00:18:26] But I had there was one at a chewy and it was right by my house where I live in Texas and I was holding the door open for this mom and I think this was like season two or something and she was like I was like.

[00:18:39] What did I do and she was like I know you from somewhere and you know I'm not going to say oh yeah.

[00:18:46] You know but she was she was like you're from you're from Walker takes rain and she was like jumping up and down and everybody at the restaurant was like looking at her like crazy.

[00:18:54] I was like what's going on what's going on.

[00:18:57] But mainly interaction I get is is like through online social media and I love I love I love every single interaction.

[00:19:04] So we have season four how many episodes are expecting this the season 1313 and you say what was that one episode that you can't wait for people to watch.

[00:19:14] Well I can't wait for all of them.

[00:19:16] But 11 is 11 is a really special episode amazing amazing what's next for you know any other projects you're allowed to tell us about that you're working on.

[00:19:25] Yeah so my brother we're actually we're we're leaving to California tomorrow.

[00:19:31] We have a flight in the morning but my brother has been so he's right in director and he's written a couple things one of them is an 80s themed horror movie and we're actually going to shoot the proof of concept tomorrow.

[00:19:45] We're not shooting it tomorrow but we're flying to California tomorrow and it's going to be like a four day shoot I think but yeah I'm super excited about it.

[00:19:52] It's it's really it's like it's amazing seeing my older brother like his dreams are coming true like it's like it's a really it's a really important project to him but I'm working on that this week through next week and it's going to be incredible shoot.

[00:20:09] But other than that I have nothing no new projects besides that one but I'm really excited about that one.

[00:20:13] But I'm really excited about that one.

[00:20:15] How can the viewers and listeners find you on social media to keep up with you for Walker and of course your future projects.

[00:20:22] Yeah yeah my Instagram is Cal Cali official and then I don't really like do any crazy content on TikTok but if you want to follow me there it's just my name Cal Cali but Instagram is Cal Cali official.

[00:20:35] Amazing Cal I want to thank you for giving me a few minutes today and hopefully we get a season five and get you back on the show we continue to chat.

[00:20:40] Cool thank you so much I really appreciate it.