THERE’S A MYTHOLOGY THAT SURROUNDS THE UPWARD PATH IN HOLLYWOOD. A NARRATIVE THAT ISOLATES THE SINGULAR STAR TO PREPARE THEM FOR THEIR SHOOTING TRAJECTORY. JOSEPH ZADA IS ON SUCH A JOURNEY. WITH THE RELEASE OF THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED WE WERE LIARS AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE’S IN BOTH THE MOST RECENT ADAPTATION OF THE AMERICAN CLASSIC EAST OF EDEN AND THE LATEST INSTALMENT IN THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES, IT’S ONLY NATURAL. AND, WHILE HE’S AWARE HE’S ON THAT ROLLERCOASTER, HE DOESN’T SWEAT IT. NOT ONLY DOES HE KNOW WHAT HE’S SIGNED UP FOR, BUT HE’S PASSIONATE ABOUT THE “WHY”. JOSEPH SEES ACTING AS MORE THAN A CRAFT; IT’S A MEANS FOR CONNECTION. AND THAT’S JUST WHAT HE’S FOUND. WHILE WORKING ON WE WERE LIARS, THE ACTOR FORMED A SPECIAL BOND WITH HIS CO-STAR ESTHER MCGREGOR—THE KIND THAT CAN ONLY BE FORGED THROUGH SHARED SUNRISES AND CLUB SANDWICHES. HERE, THE TWO TALK WITH ELECTRIFYING FAMILIARITY, GOING FROM A SIBLING-LIKE BANTER TO DEEP REFLECTIONS POSSIBLE ONLY BY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THEIR POSITION: ON THE BRINK OF SUPERSTARDOM.

Jacket, shirt, pants and shoes **Dior Men**, sunglasses photographer’s own

Esther McGregor: Tell me, where are you in the world? This is the way the interview goes — I ask questions.

Joseph Zada: I'm in Berlin right now, and it is... I'm in a little apartment. It's on the top floor, so I'm overlooking a bit of the city. I can see this train that comes by every ten minutes, it screams. You look outside, and all the buildings have spray paint all over them. I'm here with my older brother, and I just brought over my dad and my little brother. We're going to Portugal tomorrow for the weekend, which will be really fun, just a little boys' trip right before I jump into the deep end with this.

EM: Do you remember how we first met? Actually, scratch that. Who remembers that anyway? What were your first impressions of me?

JZ: Maybe jumping on that first Zoom. We were doing a table read, and I remember your fat head popping up on the screen. I was like, “Who the hell is that?” And then you started acting, and I just immediately was like, “Whoa.” My dad said something like, “Oh, we got a live one here.” That's exactly how I felt.

Jacket **Emily Dawn Long**, top stylist’s own, denim **Isabel Marant,** jewellery Joseph’s own

EM: You also thought that I was potentially very annoying?

JZ: Um, no, no, you seemed pretty chill. You had like a freaking slay going on. I was like, damn.

This chick is sick.

EM: What’s your favourite memory of the two of us?

JZ: We hung out so much off-set, literally. Shubham and Emily were a little tamer; they would go home every night and also build a kind of solidarity. But I feel both of us get lonely; we need someone around. We hung out every night. Those were the nights. You had that beautiful balcony in Halifax that looked over the city. We would just talk until the sun came up. It was the first time I enjoyed watching a sunset.

We watched a bunch of great movies together, played lots of tennis. We had this lunch place in Lunenburg, a little city outside of Halifax, we went to all the time because I couldn’t stop eating those chicken and bacon burgers… So many fun memories.

Left Top **Agolde**, pants **Magliano**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

EM: And the club sandwiches too… [Laughs] What surprised you about being on set?

JZ: I think how comfortable I started to feel after the first two weeks of filming. At the start, I was so nervous. I worked myself into a state of so much anxiety and put too much pressure on myself. But by the time I got into the flow, I found my footing. You can probably even see it, after the first episode or two, I kind of loosen up. It definitely helped my performance, being more confident in myself, and in the people around me, and being more familiar with what it’s like being on a big American-made set.

EM: What aspect of it were you most excited for, being on a really big set and around big people? Any actors you were excited to meet, like David? Or were you just excited to see how the crafty [craft services] was?

JZ: [Laughs] I was very excited to work with David [Morse], especially because my dad spoke so highly of him. I’ve been such a big fan for a long time. Dad and I sat down before I went over and watched all of David’s films together.

EM: He does have that royalty, that stature. Was there anything that made you laugh uncontrollably on set [Points to herself]?

JZ: Obviously, yeah.

Left Top **Carter Young**, denim **Agolde**, jewellery Joseph’s own
Right Jacket **Emily Dawn Long**, top stylist’s own

EM: That’s the only reason I wanted to ask that question.

JZ: Just the shenanigans we’d get up to. We made it a very fun place. It was never very serious, which kept us loose. It made those tough days, when you had to be upset or stressed out, easier, because we filled the rest of the days with lightness and enjoying being there.

EM: I feel like I should ask this even though you’ve answered it a million times. What first drew you into We Were Liars? And what intrigued you about Johnny?

JZ: I immediately saw where this character was coming from. He could have so easily been written off as just a douchebag or someone who comes from a lot of money and is pretentious, with no empathy. But I saw a way in. He’s upset. He’s making sense of things he’s upset about. His best friend is about to ruin the dynamic in their friendship. They’ve been friends for so long. It’s not about the money, it’s not about status, it’s about him ruining something he holds dear. They’re all supposed to be family. It compelled me to think more. I’m waffling.

EM: No, you played it all so beautifully. Humans in general are never perfect; there’s this idealism that characters can have. Johnny had the most interesting relationship with that. He’s so self-reflective. Even that little scene with your brother, where you’re questioning what you’re even saying, there’s so much depth there. It’s impossible to have an asshole just be an asshole. You brought that feeling, the tiny little nuances. Anyways, now I’m waffling.

JZ: Thank you, bro. [Laughs]

EM: You’ve been so busy lately. I heard a little birdie say you’ve been doing a lot of work. Your last big project was East of Eden, based on the Steinbeck novel. What was it like stepping into a project with that kind of legacy, especially compared to something more contemporary like We Were Liars?

JZ: Reading the book and finding that character was an amazing experience. There’s definitely a lot of pressure, but funny enough, it wasn’t so much the legacy of the story that scared me; it was the cast and the filmmakers. These are people I really admire. I was just afraid of how they would perceive me. But I got over that quickly. The character I play is deeply introspective, not quite insecure, but really trying to find himself, like Johnny, but in his own way.

EM: It’s clearly just the beginning for you. You’ve got East of Eden coming out, and you’re about to step into The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which is obviously massive. How are you feeling? Nervous? Excited?

JZ: I keep getting asked that…

EM: Damn, ok so... [Laughs]

JZ: No, no. You didn’t let me finish. I usually just say, “I’m really excited.” But honestly, now that it’s getting closer, I’m phenomenally nervous. That said, I’ve been in prep mode. I got here early to work with the stunt team, the director, check out the costumes... And like every other project I’ve done, I think once I step on set and meet everyone, I’ll be fine. I know it’s going to be one of the best shoots ever. It’s a weird thing to say, but I already can’t wait to see the finished film, and we haven’t even started. That’s when you know it’s something special: when just reading the script makes you think, “I can’t wait to watch this.”

EM: I love that. I do have to ask, life seems to be changing quickly for you. Between the We Were Liars release and Hunger Games being announced, do you feel that change happening?

JZ: Honestly? Not really. I’m just happy to be acting. That’s it. I want to carry that excitement for the work with me throughout my career. The press side of things, people make it sound stressful, but I’ve enjoyed it. Maybe because I’ve been paired with you the whole time.

EM: I get that. As someone who also loves acting, I completely relate. We’re just here for the work, the craft. Fame was never the goal. So, if you weren’t acting, what do you think you’d be doing?

JZ: Oh, great segue. You’re a pro at this now. I think I’d be travelling, trying to “find my passion,” you know? That was always the dream. I got incredibly lucky and found it early. And now acting lets me travel, which is amazing. I do want to take some trips that aren’t tied to 12-hour workdays, though... but it’s still a gift. I get to see these incredible cities and countries.

EM: Is there another creative path that you’re curious to explore?

JZ: I’m going to direct. That’s the plan. I’ve already started writing. I want to direct a film before I’m 30, that’s my goal. I’m not saying I’ll be good at it, but I want to try. I think I have a decent understanding of story and performance, and I’d love to put that to the test.

EM: You have to direct me one day.

JZ: You’d be my first choice, no question. Also, me and Hal, my older brother, we’re writing a movie together right now. We’re hoping to get it made next year. We’re co-writing it, and we’re both going to star in it. Not directing this one though.

EM: That’s so exciting. I want to be in it. I’ll be there in the background, holding a camera or something. I hold a camera really well.

JZ: No way. You’ll be in it too. And, for the record, Esther McGregor is one of the most brilliant actresses I’ve seen in my entire life, and everyone’s going to know it soon. I’ve been saying this since the day I met you.

EM: I really appreciate that, you’re sweet. You know, I feel the exact same way. I’m your number one fan. I hope I can see you soon. I miss you!

JZ: Me too! I need to text you something, so we’ll talk after this. [Laughs]

EM: Ok, I’m waiting for it! Goodbye!

…

Discover the full story in our FW25 Issue - out next Fall25

Edited by Pedro Vasconcelos

Photography by Jamie Ellington

Fashion by Sam Knoll

EIC Michael Marson

Grooming by Anna Bernabe

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Photographer’s assistants Pablo Espinoza & Jose Hernandez