Better Nate Than Ever is coming to Disney+ next Friday, April 1st! The film is such a sweet story about embracing who you are and highlights those Broadway lovers out there. It is filled with a star-studded cast, including Lisa Kudrow and Joshua Bassett, who is best known for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Last week, I attended a press conference with the film’s cast and learned some behind-the-scenes details about the production. Check out what Better Nate Than Ever‘s Joshua Bassett and the rest of the cast had to say during the press junket.
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Participating Talent
- Lisa Kudrow (“Aunt Heidi”)
- Joshua Bassett (“Anthony”)
- Rueby Wood (“Nate Foster”)
- Aria Brooks (“Libby”)
- Tim Federle (Director / Screenwriter)
Better Nate Than Ever: Joshua Bassett
It was obvious to those attending the Better Nate Than Ever press junket that the entire cast and talent of the film had a blast working together. This may not be a surprise to some who know director Tim Federle has worked with some of the cast before, including Joshua Bassett, whom he has known since first directing him in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. While working on season 2 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Federle pulled Bassett aside to let him know he was working on the film Better Nate Than Ever and wanted Bassett to consider playing the role of Anthony.
Bassett discussed first reading the script, “Normally, it’s hard for me to read scripts. It takes me weeks. I literally sat down in a coffee shop, and in one go, didn’t get up, just read the whole thing, and I picked up the phone immediately. I was like, ‘Tim, how the hell can I be a part of this film? Like, I need to be a part of this.’ From then on it was an honor to work with him on figuring out who Anthony is and being the vehicle for this beautiful story. Every step of the way was a joy. It’s so wonderful to be waking up every day and going into work, knowing that you’re putting your time and your energy into something that’s gonna help a lot of people and change a lot of lives. It was really an honor and I couldn’t be prouder.“
While most fans of Bassett know and love him from watching him on HMTMTS, he did not sing in Better Nate Than Ever, but left that to his co-star Rueby Wood. He confesses that it felt strange not to have a singing role, “I was like, Wait. Tim’s here, and this is Disney, but I’m not singing. Something’s not right. But no, it was honestly nice.” And he went on to discuss his character Anthony, “Anthony has a little bit more of a bite. Anthony is a little bit less in tune with his emotions. Although, I guess Ricky isn’t either. It’s a different thing. Ricky doesn’t necessarily try to be cool, and Anthony definitely needs to be cool. Also, having a younger sibling that he’s protective of, but also embarrassed of, is an interesting nuance to play.”
Better Nate Than Ever Synopsis
In “Better Nate Than Ever,” 13-year-old Nate Foster has big Broadway dreams. There’s only one problem — he can’t even land a part in the school play. But when his parents leave town, Nate and his best friend Libby sneak off to the Big Apple for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove everyone wrong. A chance encounter with Nate’s long-lost Aunt Heidi turns his journey upside-down, and together they must learn that life’s greatest adventures are only as big as your dreams. Based on the award-winning novel.