American actor Lofton Shaw previously starred in TV series Boy Band Billy along with having guest appearances in many other shows including Game Shakers and Henry Danger, and has since gone on to play the role of Young Black Bolt in Marvel’s Inhumans. Alongside his acting career, Lofton has recently become a Youth Ambassador for Rett Syndrome and is continuing his work with them on future projects. Taking time to talk to us, Lofton chats about playing Young Black Bolt, starting his acting career and becoming Youth Ambassador for Rett Syndrome.

Last year, you appeared in the drama thriller Hidden Intentions, was this like anything else you’d filmed previously?

Hidden Intentions was one of the most fun but intense projects I’ve worked on. It was my first thriller/suspense film and we could all feel how serious most of the scenes were. I would love to work on more projects like that in the future. I learned the most from filming that project, more than ones I’ve worked previously.

Can you tell us what the film is about and who your character Noah is?

Noah is my character in Hidden Intentions. It was a Lifetime thriller in which our family is stalked and hunted by a psycho distant relative. Super eerie movie with several plot twists. Don’t want to spoil it too much! 😀

You played Young Black Bolt in Marvel series Inhumans, how did you find the experience being part of the show?

Marvel’s Inhumans was the biggest project I have been a part of so far. Other than filming in Hawaii on a military base, the production crew was so big and so well organised. Totally a different level than anything I had done before. Everything was so well planned out, from our hotel pickup times being down to the exact minute like 6:13am or craft services offering more choices than most restaurants. Such an honour to be a part of the Marvel family.

Can you tell us about Young Black Bolt?

Young Black Bolt was my character in Inhumans. He is the Prince of the Kingdom of Attilan and next in line for the throne. I portrayed Young Black Bolt both before and after he received his Inhuman superpower which was the strongest and most powerful superpower in all of Inhuman history. The superpower was my voice! Once I received it, I was imprisoned and forbidden to speak because even a whisper could destroy the entire kingdom.

How long after the audition did you find out you’d booked the role and do you remember where you were when you found out you’d been cast?

At the time I auditioned for Inhumans, I didn’t even know what I was auditioning for; that’s how low-key they kept everything. My audition character was given a number, not even a name, and the sides were completely different and the NDAs were ironclad. It was about three days after my audition when they told me I had booked a superhero role for the new Marvel series Inhumans… and that I was going to Hawaii to film it in just over a week! That moment I found out is still vivid in my memory… I was outside playing football with my brother when the call came in from my manager. Definitely was one of the finest moments of my life.

Are you a Marvel fan and had you seen any of their films before being cast?

I have always LOVED everything Marvel. The Avengers has been one of my favourite movies since it came out. Everything superhero within the Marvel Universe is cleverly intertwined; that’s one of my favourite things about the Marvel Universe, how they keep all of their shows and movies relative to one another. For example, what happens in Iron Man might affect a storyline in Black Panther. So intricate and genius how they plan everything out.

What was it like starring as Billy in Boy Band Billy and can you tell us about the series?

Boy Band Billy had to be one of the most crazy fun projects. My character Billy was an ex-boyband member who was super cheesy but all the ladies loved him. At any given moment he could burst into song and get the whole school grooving. Definitely check it out on DreamworksTV if you want a good laugh.

When did you film for Game Shakers and how did you feel when turning up to set for the first time?

Game Shakers was my fifth booking, so I was already used to being on set by then. It filmed at the same location as Henry Danger, which I worked just a few months prior. It was 2016, my character in Game Shakers was Collin, this cool kid on the subway who saw Hudson (Thomas Kuc), dressed up as a pretty teenage girl. Collin put the moves on him, thinking it was a her! LOL. Never done anything like that before, it was a great experience.

Do you have any similarities to your character Collin and what was this role like to portray?

I have many similarities to the character Collin that I played in Game Shakers. Both of us clearly love to flirt! Ha! I feel I was really able to bring Collin to life because I saw that character sort of like I see myself… so I was just being me. The writing made it pretty easy because the situation was naturally very funny.

How was the experience filming an episode of Henry Danger?

Henry Danger was the first Nickelodeon project I worked on. My character was named Kyle. It was also the first time I had my own dressing room with my name on the door! Kyle was one of the cool kids at the school who liked to give Jasper trouble in between his classes. That was one fun project and it made me fall in love with this craft even more.

How did you find your time on set of Single Parents?

I had a great time and learned a lot working on ABC’s Single Parents. So interesting to meet the cast and discover the way the show works; very important because every show is quite different. The vibe on set was very friendly; when I wasn’t chatting with someone in the cast or crew, I was playing Fortnite in my trailer! LOL.

What can you tell us about your episode?

In that Single Parents episode, I was in a flashback scene as a party-going teenager with a very big mouth! That’s about all I can say right now but once it airs I will share some memorable moments on my Instagram.

When did you first get into acting?

Professional acting began for me after eighth grade when one of my parent’s friends met someone in the business who could open the door for me. I had always been an extreme extrovert and loved being on stage in school and in local theatre. People often told me and my parents they should get me into acting, but we had never taken it seriously until I was introduced to the awesome lady who soon after became my manager. My first audition was for a Nickelodeon game show called Webheads… and I booked it! Being on set for the first time was surreal to me, like I knew then this was a career I had to pursue, and though there’s been wayyyy more rejection than I’d like to talk about, I’ve never looked back.

Who would you most like to act alongside?

My favourite actor is Zac Efron. He is my inspiration in this business and I aspire to work my acting craft to the level he has. The projects he has been connected to are the type of projects I see myself being connected to as well; they have that vibe that I’m drawn to. Hopefully sometime in the future I may get the chance to work with an actor of his calibre, or even Zac himself.

You are a Youth Ambassador for Rett Syndrome, can you tell us about this charity and what your involvement includes?

I have been an Ambassador for Rett Syndrome for just a few months now. Once I learned about Rett and how it affects the lives of those afflicted with it, I had to be a part of it. I’m an actor because I love bringing a smile and evoking emotions in people through this art. Rett affects mostly girls, though young boys can be afflicted as well; without abilities to verbally communicate and most are not able to express themselves at all. They are like the rest of us inside, but trapped by such physical limitations. I’d do anything to bring a smile to them and help them however I possibly can. I hope to give their families hope too – that one day we can find a cure to end Rett Syndrome.

Do you have any roles coming up that you can say about?

You know how NDAs work 😀. At this point, there is nothing I can speak about filming-wise. I do, however, have some exciting charity event news I will be posting soon on my website and Instagram for Rett Syndrome. Stay tuned!

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