Luca,17 (Shazam, Call me by UR Name)Jack D Grazer, Wunderkind Comes Out Gay

 At only 17 years old, Grazer has already starred in hit Hollywood films like DC’s Shazam and Stephen King’s It, appearing alongside James McAvoy and Bill Hader

He also worked with Call Me By Your Name filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, acting in HBO miniseries We Are Who We Are 

In less than five years, Jack Dylan Grazer has acted in two big-budget films and recently wowed the audience as Alberto Scorfano in this year’s whimsical Pixar animation, Luca.

This week, the 17-year-old wunderkind created quite a buzz after coming out as bisexual during an Instagram Live broadcast. One user asked, “Are you gay?”, to which Grazer replied, “I’m bi”, with a smile, before quoting his Luca character’s famous catchphrase, “Silenzio Bruno!” Grazer also reportedly updated his pronouns on Instagram to “he/they” afterwards.

So what do we know about the young rising star? 

Jack Dylan Grazer in a recent photo shoot with HeroMag. Photo: @jackdgrazer/Instagram

His films have made over US$1.5 billion

Grazer started his film career in Tales of Halloween (2015) but received major attention after starring as Eddie Kaspbrak in Stephen King’s popular horror films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019).

Dylan Grazer with fellow cast members of It Chapter 2, James McAvoy and Andy Bean, at CinemaCon 2019. Photo: @fuertecito/Twitter

He went on to star as the superhero sidekick, Freddy Freeman, in DC’s hit Shazam! (2019).

These two film franchises have raked in over US$1.5 billion at the box-office, with It grossing US$700 million and It Chapter 2, US$473 million, and Shazam! taking in US$365 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Jack Dylan Grazer and Zachary Levi in a still from Shazam! (2019). Photo: Handout

Since then, he has starred in indie film Don’t Tell a Soul (2020) and Pixar’s Luca (2021). Grazer has also voiced another animation in Ron’s Gone Wrong(to be released later this year) and will be reprising his role as Freddy Freeman in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).  

     

Dylan Grazer in HBO’s series We Are Who We Are. Photo: @jackdgrazer/Instagram

He is big on charity

The 17-year-old actor understands the importance of giving back. He set up his own scholarship programme, the Jack Dylan Grazer Scholarship, to sponsor students to study at his alma mater, The Adderley School in Austin, Texas.

A promotional photo for Jack Dylan Grazer’s scholarship programme at The Adderley School. Photo: @the_adderley_school_ca/Instagram

Speaking to The Glass Magazine, he said, “I want children who don’t have the money or the opportunities, and who want to perform and let out their inner shining star, to have that accessibility to their dreams.”

He has also served as the global ambassador for anti-bullying organisation Stomp Out Bullying since 2019. 

After starring in two It films together, Grazer and co-star Finn Wolfhard(Mike in Stranger Things) have developed a strong friendship. The two have tons of bromance pictures together, whether it’s on the red carpet or while filming. During a Fanmio meet and greet, Wolfhard said he wants to work with Grazer again. Meanwhile, Grazer attended the Stranger Things 2019 premiere party and called Wolfhard his best friend on Instagram: “So proud of my best friend @finnwolfhardofficial and the rest of the phenomenal cast of @strangerthingstv.” 

He believes in inclusivity

A photo from Jack Dylan Grazer’s Instagram. Photo: @jackdgrazer/Instagram

Long before coming out as bisexual, Grazer spoke up about his belief in inclusivity. In 2020, he talked to GQ about his character’s self-discovery in the queer drama We Are Who We Are: “I think every single person born as a boy has this guard. It’s this guard that they don’t even realise they have, where they’re initially like, ‘Being gay? I could never.’ But we’re all born as humans who are attracted to whatever we’re attracted to.” 

://A photo from Jack Dylan Grazer’s interview with Interview Germany. Photo: @jackdgrazer/Instagram

A photo from Jack Dylan Grazer’s interview with Interview Germany. Photo: @jackdgrazer/Instagram

Grazer also highlighted the importance of celebrating the LGBTQ+ community on television and in films. “It’s so important because people are now getting in touch with their intuition and their primal instincts, rather than living with the walls of conformity that we’ve been conditioned as humans to live with,” he told Digital Spy.