It takes a lot for a kid to steal the spotlight from Deadpool, but Julian Dennison has a superhuman
amount of charisma.
A native of New Zealand, the young actor plays Russell, the mysterious mutant at the center
of Deadpool 2.
It's a huge role for Dennison, a self-proclaimed Marvel movie fan, but it's far from his first.
He's been in critically acclaimed indie flicks, hugely popular viral videos, and one of the
most legitimately entertaining body spray commercials ever made.
Here's why the kid from Deadpool 2 looks so familiar.
Shopping
Dennison was just a shy student from the suburbs of New Zealand when the filmmakers for the
coming-of-age film Shopping came to his school, looking for a young actor to star in the film.
Dennison's mom told Stuff that the filmmakers narrowed down the search to Dennison or his
twin brother Christian.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013 and instantly turned Dennison into
a local celebrity.
He won Best Supporting Actor at the New Zealand Film Awards, and credits the experience with
making him want to become an actor.
Blazed
Dennison's debut in Shopping didn't just impress the critics, it also brought him one incredibly
important fan: Taika Waititi, the Oscar-nominated director of the 2004 short film Two Cars,
One Night who would eventually go on to helm Thor: Ragnarok.
Waititi thought Dennison would be perfect for his next project: an extended public service
announcement about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana.
The two-minute video for the New Zealand Transport Agency features three kids who imitate the
antics of their stoned fathers behind the wheel of a car.
"It's too fast!
It's too fast!
Take the wheel I'm freaking out!"
Dennison is hilarious throughout much of the clip, but he also shows a hint of depth in
the final moments.
The commercial became a viral sensation and generated headlines around the world.
"I love this music."
"What music?"
It also created a bond between Waititi and Dennison that would yield another successful
collaboration down the road.
Paper Planes
Dennison's next appearance on the big screen came courtesy of a supporting role in the
family drama Paper Planes, an uplifting tale about a young boy in Australia who dreams
of competing in the World Paper Plane Championships in Japan.
Dennison plays Kevin, a school bully who eventually becomes the best friend of the main character.
Acclaimed Australian director Robert Connolly co-wrote and directed the film with an impressive
cast that includes Sam Worthington.
While the movie performed well at the Australian box office, it was far less successful in
the rest of the world.
Still, critics couldn't help but notice Dennison, even in a smaller role.
The New Zealand Herald said he turned in a "scene-stealing performance" as the reformed
bully Kevin.
"It doesn't get much closer than that."
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
If you recognize Dennison from anything prior to Deadpool 2, it's most likely Hunt for the
Wilderpeople, the heartwarming comedy that served as his official breakthrough.
Writer and director Taika Waititi didn't even make the young actor audition for the role
of Ricky Baker, a juvenile delinquent taken to live on a remote farm with a loving foster
mother and her cranky husband Hector.
"You can't read?
You're like one of those people who are like raised by like wolves or something.
Hey, what's this?
This is woods.
Me stupid."
After a sudden tragedy leads Ricky to ineptly attempt to fake his own death, he and Hector
go on the run into the New Zealand bush and become the targets of a comical manhunt.
"S--- just got real.
Back up homies, and let go of my uncle."
Dennison took a month away from school to work on the movie, but it was definitely worth
it.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and became the top-grossing
New Zealand film of all time.
It also directly paved the way for Dennison's part in Deadpool 2.
Ryan Reynolds told The New Zealand Herald the casting was partly a result of his friendship
with Waititi, who co-starred with Reynolds in 2011's Green Lantern.
#YouGotSprung
After Hunt for the Wilderpeople made Dennison one of the most recognizable people in New
Zealand, he put his star power to good use in a completely unexpected way.
In 2016, he teamed with Air New Zealand for a clip to celebrate the start of spring and
Random Acts of Kindness Day.
In a sort of Kiwi version of "pay it forward," Dennison traveled around the country to surprise
unsuspecting people with thoughtful gestures.
"I'm like Santa Claus, but in spring."
In the clip, Dennison pays for people's meals at a restaurant, takes flowers and chocolates
to patients in a hospital, and gives out free ice cream.
"So another awesome idea of ours to put a spring back into someone's step is to throw
a banger ass party."
He ends the video by calling on New Zealanders to surprise others with kindness, and we'd
be shocked if he didn't inspire at least a few to do just that.
Chronesthesia
About four months after Hunt for the Wilderpeople hit theaters in New Zealand, Dennison returned
to the big screen for a small role in a very different type of movie: he played Beni in
the indie time travel romance Chronesthesia.
The film was made in Wellington, New Zealand with next to no budget and a bare bones crew.
Chronesthesia premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival in 2016, but it
largely flew under the radar in America.
Summer Wonderland
In late 2016, Dennison showed up in another video for Air New Zealand, and this time he
had a noteworthy pal.
In "Summer Wonderland," Dennison shows up in a recording studio where Irish pop star
Ronan Keating is recording a take on the holiday classic "Winter Wonderland."
But Keating doesn't make it past the second line before Dennison interrupts.
"I'm gonna stop you there, Roman."
"Ronan…"
"it doesn't really snow down here at Christmas, so…"
Keating eventually walks out, but the pair soon work out a new version of the song that's
more appropriate for the climate.
Keating said in a press release that he signed on for the project because he's a "big fan"
of New Zealand, but he also loved collaborating with Dennison.
He said:
"Working with Julian was a breeze.
He's an absolute legend, incredibly professional, and to top it off, he can definitely sing."
(singing)
LYNX Australia
If you want a video to go viral, it's become increasingly clear that Dennison should be
involved.
The people at LYNX body spray must have known this, and in early 2018, they teamed with
him for an extended commercial for their "Australia" fragrance.
In the commercial, Dennison plays Humphrey, a kid who doesn't have the best luck with
the ladies while his older brother Darius is good at everything.
"He's just so chill and confident.
He can even talk to girls.
Strange behavior for a Kiwi, you know."
Darius eventually reveals his secret is LYNX Australia.
The ad ran on TV and before movies in theaters in Australia, but it reached audiences around
the world when it hit the internet.
Less than three months after it was released, the ad had millions of views on YouTube.
"This was a bad idea."
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