Actor, writer, and producer, Josh Plasse, talks Wildflower, Ride, and more!

HOLR is sitting down to chat with actor, writer, and producer, Josh Plasse, about everything from how he got his start in the industry to some of the exciting projects he’s promoting in 2023. Plasse can be seen starring in the film, The Resurrection of Charles Mansion, as well as the TIFF-favorite, Wildflower, in which he stars opposite Kiernan Shipka, Jean Smart, Alexandra Daddario, Charlie Plummer, and Brad Garrett.

Keep reading to learn all about Josh and what’s next for him!

Tell us how you started as an actor, writer, and producer.

The short version of this is that I was going down a totally different career path, actually. My dad was a Navy Seal so I wanted to do that. I was studying Homeland Security and Criminal Justice in college and doing a totally different left turn here when I met an acting coach. He had me take a class and get out of my shell and I absolutely fell in love with acting. He had me go out on a couple of auditions like Pizza Hut- silly things- and long story short I ended up catching the bug and moving to L.A. I started chasing dreams a few months later and now it’s been 8 years. I’ve had a little bit of luck here and there, and about 4 years into the journey I started enjoying both sides of the camera.

Obviously acting is my #1 but I had studied writing in California so from that point on I said that acting is what I love. However, I also asked myself, “How could I grow as an actor on the other side of the camera?” That ultimately led me to write. Once I started writing I took it a step further because I knew I needed to understand producing so that, as an actor, I could better myself to help production flow quicker. It all came back from that first true love of art that I had. Ultimately, I ended up being pretty decent at all of them and then one thing led to another where I made a short film in 2017. From there, I decided to make a company and make our own films so that I could continue doing this either way.

Talk to us about some of the exciting projects you’re promoting in 2023, such as The Resurrection of Charles Mansion and Wildflower.

I would start with the most recent one that came out- Wildflower. This is such a stellar film and it has an incredible cast. These are actors I’ve looked up to for a very long time and even studied their work. That film is incredible. You can categorize it as a lot of things, but at its heart, I think it’s a dramedy and it’s pretty moving. It’s a true story and the director, Matt Smukler, is just amazing, plus it was something that’s true to his life, which is how he explained it to us. There was an authenticity that you could feel on set both behind the camera and in front of it. A lot of times that lends itself to jumping off the page. That film meant a lot to me in terms of being part of that collaborative process with that cast. I made a ton of good friends and my character was the antagonist, which I never play, so that was really fun too!

We also recently did the Resurrection of Charles Manson and Frank Grillo is just an amazing talent. We had a lot of really good talent in that film, as well. That one I got to do with a lot of my close friends so that one stays special to me. I had a good buddy who directed the film and a couple of my best friends producing with me who are just incredible filmmakers themselves. It was just a really good time. It was an extremely low-budget film, and we went out to the desert and faced some production issues, but fought our way through it all. We ended up becoming closer through the process.  That film is performing really well right now.

What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on to date?

I always go back to iCarly because that was so fun! Obviously, being a part of that series was so fun. Being a part of that meant a lot to me and also the amount of love I got from being on that show was just really cool. I enjoyed it because everyone was so kind.

Then, I just did 5 episodes of a Tyler Perry show called All The Queen’s Men and that was about 3-4 months ago and should be released later this year. That was so much fun, and Tyler Perry is an absolute genius. His studio is also breathtaking. As a young entrepreneur, watching the way he does business, the way he operates and carries himself- it was really cool to see. That was a really fun experience.

You’ve recently added “Producer” to your resume after wrapping up your film, Ride. What have you learned from your recent experience in switching roles from actor to producer?

A lot! I’ve learned a lot. As a producer, you kind of have 2 categories. Although I am a far cry from a seasoned veteran- having only produced a few films to date- I would summarize it as creative and fiscal. I think about it from a creative standpoint and a fiscal standpoint, in terms of going out and raising finances, creating the decks, taking business meetings, and getting people creatively excited about your project enough to put real dollars behind it. Whoever said “business is twice as long as show” is a genius! At the end of the day, you are creating a product. Everyone looks at film as a magical, glamorous thing that is fun and great because it’s art. However, at the end of the day, there is a large group of people who are putting money into this project and hoping that they are going to see a return. In today’s independent film market that is more and more rare. You have to be able to be savvy enough as a creative to make something that will continue to push your company’s narrative forward. Simultaneously, your executive products and financiers will continue to stay on that ride. As a producer that’s what I’ve learned recently- show business is about staying creative but also putting on that other hat to raise some money.

When it comes to Ride, that’s been baby forever. We’re so excited. I actually got to watch the director’s cut recently so this is perfect timing! I was really blown away and I am pretty hard to please since I’m really hard on myself. Not necessarily other people’s work- I understand how hard it is to make a film. I was truly blown away and really excited and proud. It’s a legitimately good film. It’s a heartbreaking film, you’re going to enjoy it. We also took the rodeo scenes really seriously. We had legitimate help, we went to a live rodeo to shoot, the audience was real- 5,000 people in the stands, the bulls were real, and the stunts are real. It’s crazy! It’s a really exciting film and I’m super proud of everyone involved.   I love my character in it and it was just a really good time. I can’t wait for people to see it.

What’s next for you?

There are a lot of things that are sort of on the fence of maybe happening so you’re never really sure. I’ll say on a personal level I just finished my first dark fantasy novel and I’m really excited. I’m currently working with a publisher. I can’t reveal the name just yet but I firmly believe it will be published and you’ll be able to get it on shelves in 2024. For the last few years of my life, I’ve been slowly just writing that on the side, putting things I’ve learned into it, and loving it. I’m excited about that.

My company has two more films that are on the docket for us right now. We’re deciding what to do at the moment, but I can say that they’re both probably going to be in January and February of next year to be released. We’re moving and grooving so I’m really excited about that!

There’s another show that I haven’t mentioned yet but I’m excited about its release, called The Baxters. I actually did 33 episodes of that for MGM. That should be released this year at some point.