In the new mystery horror feature film Weapons, Luke Speakman plays Matthew Graff alongside Josh Brolin as his on-screen father Archer Graff, and he performed his own stunts in the film and attended the Los Angeles premiere last month. This year, Luke played Toby in the short film It’s Not a Monster, and he worked on another short film as leading role Carlisle in Beware the Wolves. Luke played Leif Jr. in the 2023 film How the Gringo Stole Christmas, which starred George Lopez as Bennie, and he played Elliot Kintner in The Invisible Raptor alongside Sean Astin as William ‘Willie’ Walsh. Amongst Luke’s further projects, he played Corey Carpenter in horror film The Exorcists, had a guest role in Series 3 of Young Rock as Timmy – a sitcom based on Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, played regular character Sean in Lost Man Found, was in the cast of feature film Our Dream Wedding as Dylan, and he played Little Sam (Dylan O’Brien) in the anthology series Amazing Stories. Recently, Luke filmed a music video for Ella Grace Helton’s debut single Paradise, and he voiced Artie Chamberlain in the podcast series The Burned Photo. We caught up with Luke about playing Matthew Graff in the new mystery horror film Weapons, the short films It’s Not a Monster and Beware the Wolves, his regular role of Sean in Lost Man Found and voicing Artie Chamberlain in The Burned Photo – the podcast series.

You can be seen playing Matthew Graff in the new mystery horror feature film Weapons, can you tell us about the film and your character?

Yes! He’s Archer’s son and also the one who bullies Alex. He’s one of 17 kids who vanish at exactly 2:17 and never come back. But Matthew isn’t just a typical bully – he’s actually a very complex character. You have to piece together his story from small clues in the movie. He carries a lot of anger, most likely because of his relationship with his father, Archer (played by Josh Brolin). Instead of dealing with those feelings, he takes them out on Alex (played by Cary Christopher). It seems like Alex has something Matthew envies, which is why he bullies him.

How was it reading the Weapons script for the first time and how did you prepare for filming?

Honestly, I didn’t read the whole script at first. I was pretty young, so my mom read it and then told me the main story. She let me read just the parts I was in. But even then, I knew it was gonna be a hit! When I play a character, I always try to figure out why they do what they do. Then I just let things happen naturally when we film. I’ve learned that if you understand the ‘why’, the acting part is way easier. I also like to leave things open so that I am ready to respond naturally in the moment. I like to feed off of the other actors and, of course, want to be able to change things up based on what the director wants in the moment.

What was Matthew like to play and how was it working alongside Josh Brolin as your on-screen father Archer Graff, and with the rest of the cast?

I love it when I get to play a character who’s totally not like me! Matthew is basically the complete opposite of who I am. It was super fun because I kind of got to play three versions of him: 1) mean bully Matthew, 2) totally blank, zoned-out Matthew, and 3) wild, out-of-control Matthew. You almost never get to switch it up that much in one project! And working with a legend like Josh Brolin – that’s the kind of thing actors dream about for years. I still can’t believe I got to do it at my age! I learned so much just by watching everyone on set. Plus, everyone was so nice and welcoming that it honestly felt like home.

We understand you performed your own stunts for the film, how did you find the experience?

It was absolutely amazing! Doing my own stunts is one of my favourite parts of being on set. I’ve been training in American Ninja Warrior for years, so I was totally ready for it! I also had a blast getting to know the stunt doubles – they’re insanely talented. If you watched the movie, you’ve definitely seen them, you just didn’t realise it! It was awesome to see another side of acting that I might want to try someday. And seeing how it all came together on screen was just… so cool!

How was it attending the Los Angeles premiere last month and who do you think Weapons will appeal to?

The Weapons world premiere was my very first big movie premiere, and honestly, it’s going to be hard for anything else to beat it! The best part was seeing all the fans who came out to support the movie – the streets were packed with people cheering for us! Walking the red carpet was pretty epic too. I think my favourite part was doing the interviews before the movie started and then hearing the crowd’s reactions in real time while we watched. It was definitely a core memory moment!

How would you describe Toby in the 2025 short film It’s Not a Monster and how was it filming the project earlier this year?

Toby is super young – probably the youngest character I’ve played in a long time, like around seven years old! He sees everything through little kid eyes and reacts to stuff the way a kid would. I don’t want to give too much away about the story, but Toby goes through some really tough stuff that takes him on a big emotional journey. It makes him grow up a bit, but he still keeps that kid-like innocence, which is really cool to play.

What was it like playing the leading role of Carlisle in the future release of short film Beware the Wolves?

Beware of Wolves was honestly one of the best parts of this year! Not only did I get to work with super talented people, like the director Alex Bush, but I also got to work with real wolves! They were so amazing and beautiful. The project is coming out soon, so that’s really all I can say for now.

In 2023, you were in the cast of How the Gringo Stole Christmas, which starred George Lopez as Bennie; what was it like on set of the film and how was it playing Leif Jr.?

I would have to say that every set I have worked on is fun. But every set has one unique memory that I will never forget. For this one, it would be having my hair sprayed bright blonde! It was the first time I ever had to change the colour of my hair for a character. I remember how stiff it made my hair that when I moved, my hair did not! I am not sure blonde is my colour, but it definitely worked for this movie!

Can you tell us about your time working on The Invisible Raptor as Elliot Kintner alongside Sean Astin as William ‘Willie’ Walsh?

The Invisible Raptor was the first movie I ever filmed in Hollywood, and it was such a blast! The cast, the crew, the director – everyone was so awesome. I really appreciated that they included me in the filming process. Usually, us kids get sent somewhere else between scenes, but on this set, the director actually let me stay and stand right next to him to watch other scenes being filmed. I learned so much! I think that’s when I first got interested in making my own movies. I was so fascinated by how everything worked from the other side of the camera!

What are some of your favourite memories from filming as Corey Carpenter in the horror film The Exorcists?

Hands down the makeup! I was in the chair for literally three hours! It was also the first time I had to wear contacts. Luckily, they had a specialist there who helped me and made it easy. I was so surprised when I saw myself. We filmed in a mausoleum so during our breaks I would hide in the dark corners and jump out and scare the crew! It was the best!

How was it having a guest role in Series 3 of Young Rock as Timmy and being part of the sitcom based on the life of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson?

I’ve been a HUGE fan of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson for years, so when I found out I was going to be part of his show… I can’t even explain how excited I was! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet him in person (but I really hope I do one day). I did get to work with Uli Latukefu, who plays the younger version of The Rock, and he was so nice and fun to be around on set. I was seriously blown away by how good he was at playing the younger version – he was amazing!

What was it like filming on location in Tokyo for your regular role of Sean in Lost Man Found and what did you enjoy most about this character?

I love travelling to new places and I love acting, so getting to do both at the same time was like a dream come true! Tokyo was beautiful, and the people there were so nice. Plus, the sushi was amazing – I seriously couldn’t get enough of it! I also really liked the challenge of working on a set where English wasn’t the main language. It made me learn how to be flexible and use little clues around me to figure things out. Playing Sean was different too – it was probably the first time I had to go beyond just being the ‘cute kid’ or the ‘sweet boy’. I had to dig deep to really show his emotions, and I was excited to take on that challenge!

What do you remember from your early roles as Dylan in the feature film Our Dream Wedding and Little Sam (Dylan O’Brien) in the anthology series Amazing Stories?

Back then, I was so young that I don’t really remember a lot of details. But I do remember being in a bed for Amazing Stories, and once I got in, I couldn’t get out! I also thought the equipment they used to make the fake rain and thunder was the coolest thing ever. I’m kind of a weather fanatic, so I was hooked right away! I didn’t realise until years later how big of a deal it was to be on a set with such huge names. Funny thing – I didn’t even know who Steven Spielberg was (I was only 5) until I watched Jurassic Park a few years later! I definitely know who he is now, and I absolutely love his work. I really hope I get to be part of one of his projects again someday!

You have recently filmed for Ella Grace Helton’s debut music video for her single Paradise, how was it filming with Ella for her upcoming release?

Ella is one of my best friends and so multi-talented! She had created this song about all the exciting things we could explore together and had this awesome idea for a music video. The problem was that I live in Atlanta and she is in Florida! Unexpectedly, I booked a film that actually filmed in the exact same city where she lives! So on my days off, I was filming with Ella! She even taught me a little Salsa dancing! Working on a project with a friend is priceless and I hope we can do another one someday!

As a voice actor, you voiced Artie Chamberlain in the podcast series The Burned Photo, how different did you find this to your other projects?

This project was my first-ever voiceover job, so that was already totally different from anything I’d done before. But what made it really unique was that we recorded it right in the middle of COVID. We couldn’t go into a real recording studio, so production sent us a microphone and all the equipment, and we set up a little makeshift studio… in a closet! We hung blankets everywhere, covered everything in pillows, hooked it all up to a laptop, and Zoomed with the director and production team while I recorded my lines. It actually worked really well! The only problem was, a couple of weeks later we had to redo a few lines because the recording somehow picked up radio traffic from something in Atlanta!

How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

I actually started acting when I was really little – like, five years old! My parents say I was super emotional as a kid, so much that it kind of worried them. My pediatrician suggested theatre to help me put all those big feelings into something positive… but that wasn’t really my thing. Then we tried on-camera acting, and I loved it! From that point on, I was hooked – and the rest is history!

Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?

Honestly, I do not have much free time to watch TV or movies, but when I do… it is usually a weather documentary or something to do with tornadoes!

What do you enjoy doing away from acting?

Well, when I’m not acting, you can usually find me behind home plate playing catcher for my local Little League team! I also love training for Ninja Warrior, so I’m either swinging from bars or climbing up ropes. On top of that, I play piano, and I’m always up for a good game of chess!

What are you hoping the rest of this year brings for you and do you have any further acting work coming up that you can tell us about?

I have a few projects in post-production right now that will be released soon! I can’t share any details yet, but definitely keep an eye out – they will be really good ones! Pretty soon I’ll be flying to Brazil to film a very interesting project that will be a big challenge for me. After that, I’ll return to the States to film my very first ACTION MOVIE! I am super excited!

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