Blake Kennedy on Her A24 Debut, Onslaught’s Wild Action, and the Dream of Becoming a Storyteller
At just 10 years old, Blake Kennedy is already stepping into a breakout chapter: she makes her A24 action-movie debut in Onslaught, directed by Adam Wingard, while also building a future in voice acting, music, writing, and filmmaking. The young performer began chasing the magic of acting after watching Spy Kids; now, she is sharing the screen with Adria Arjona and a heavyweight cast in one of the season’s most explosive releases.
In this exclusive Teens Wanna Know interview, Blake talks about playing Daisy, stunt training, the giant spider that nearly stole a scene, learning from Arjona and Wingard, her Chamorro heritage, and why the best advice for an aspiring actor may be simple: go for it.
Blake Kennedy makes her A24 action movie debut opposite Adria Arjona and other Hollywood heavyweights.
You started acting when you were only five. What first made you want to perform, and when did you realize acting was something you truly loved?
Yes, I was watching the original Spy Kids movie and I loved it! I started recording myself on my iPad acting out scenes from Spy Kids. I think that’s what started my love for it and it was just so much fun. I asked mom for months to join acting classes & after a while she brought me into one & I’ve been acting ever since.
Tell us about your character in Onslaught. What can you reveal about her without giving away any major spoilers?
My characters name is Daisy. She is the daughter of Celeste & Griffin (played by Adria Arjona and Jacob Scippio). Daisy is very proper and a little withdrawn, and Daisy has to be quick on her toes when the time comes.
Onslaught has a wild premise involving genetically engineered super soldiers. What was it like entering that world and filming such an intense story?
It was pretty cool! I love action it’s super fun to do and it was cool to have some action scenes of my own and these soldiers are so intense. They’re like super strong and wild, definitely not your average soldier!
What was your favorite or most memorable day on the Onslaught set?
There were a lot of memorable days. I think mostly it was probably filming my action scene, I got to do stunt training, rehearse the sequence, and I just felt like a ninja warrior.
What did you learn from working with director Adam Wingard and actress Adria Arjona?
Adam is a great director, super cool guy with a cool cat. I got to keep a portrait of his pet cat. He gave great direction, it was fun to work with him. This was my first big film and so working with Adam on this film taught me about action movies.
Adria was so nice, it was really easy to work with her. She would do squats before an action scene to get into character and I learned a lot. She taught me Spanish and I taught her one of my songs and we were singing it before an action sequence it was pretty funny. She’s great and so talented.
Were there any action scenes, stunts, creatures, special effects, or behind-the-scenes moments that surprised you?
Yes, there was one scene that we were filming & this huge spider like the size of my hand was crawling into camera like 2 feet away into the scene and it was funny because I think it wanted to be in Adam’s film too! I also had my own stunt training and rehearsal and that was so much fun being able to be in on the action and I actually wanted to do more action scenes after.
When you’re acting in a frightening or emotional scene, how do you get into character while still remembering that everything around you is make-believe?
I actually write my own dinosaur and superhero stories and it helps so I know a lot of frightening scenes are not in real life. Usually between takes I’m doing something fun like playing a game. Before a big scene I take a quick minute to get into character & everyone behind the scenes are so great. They’re funny and they make it all fun when filming.
You’re also a series regular in an upcoming DreamWorks Animation project for Netflix. What excites you most about voice acting and bringing an animated character to life?
I love doing voices, I make some drawings and try to make them into animations and I voice all the characters for them. I love doing different voices.
How is performing with only your voice different from acting in front of a camera, and which one feels more challenging?
Voice acting is just as challenging as on camera acting. Because when your doing voices, you have to make up for what you can’t see on camera, where if your face and body are on camera so you use more actions and movements and expressions.
You have Chamorro heritage and family in Guam. What parts of your family’s culture, traditions, food, or stories are especially meaningful to you?
My Chamorro culture overall is very meaningful, we have huge fiestas, huge family, when it’s a gathering or BBQ — everyone comes out and the whole village celebrates together for special occasions. And as a Pacific Islander, our traditional hula dance is also a meaningful tradition. Our food is so good too, my favorites are red rice, Chamorro BBQ, and finadenne (dressing).
What would you say to another young person who wants to become an actor but doesn’t know how to begin?
Go for it, try out some acting classes, plays, or school performances. It’s definitely a great place to start if you’re wanting to become an actor. I believe in you and have fun!
Outside of acting, what do you enjoy doing for fun—and what is one big dream you would love to accomplish next?
I do martial arts, softball and volleyball. I also write my own songs. Play with my dogs. I like to make my own short films and also I’m currently writing my own book.
One big dream would be to publish my book and also book another cool role.
Follow Blake: @blakerkennedy
Onslaught arrives in theaters September 4 from A24. Check out: @A24 @OnslaughtMovie
All photos: Michelle Nicole Photography / @michellenicolephotography.
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