Josh Plasse on Transitioning from Military Ambitions to Hollywood Storytelling and Embracing the Creative Process

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Josh Plasse.

Josh Plasse was born on June 16, 1993 in Virginia, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for iCarly (2021), Grey’s Anatomy (2005) and The Baxters (2019).

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Thank you for having me! It’s a long story… but the short list is that I grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, playing all kinds of sports and learning about life. My dad was a U.S Navy SEAL and my mom was a Physician’s Assistant, so they were both gone quite frequently. During these times, I often lived with my grandmother or my best friend’s family down the street, which showed me a lot of different POV’s early in life, something that would serve me well later. From day one, I was extremely interested in warfare and storytelling… which blended together in some of the worst books & comics a child has ever written, but I take credit for them to this day, and still have a few of them, hah! Eventually, I fancied myself rather decent at writing and drawing, so I kept both up as a hobby all the way into college where I took things to the next level.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

When I was in my freshman year of college, I was studying homeland security and criminal justice, aiming to follow my dad’s footsteps as a US Navy SEAL. But I found myself being a bit too serious in life, running, shooting, swimming, and boxing. I wasn’t having as much “normal college fun” as I would’ve liked. I had a great friend named Adam Valentine, who was always extremely nonchalant and kind, so I asked him what his secret was, to which he responded, “the theater.”

Shortly after I enrolled, and absolutely fell in love! My coach made me get out of my comfort zone by doing all sorts of silly things, such as making a fool of myself on sorority row, etc. It was hilarious. I ended up taking the craft rather seriously, and slowly felt I might be able to make a difference in the world through storytelling, which is ultimately what I wanted to do through the military. I had a conversation with my coach, and he told me “Washington is power, but Hollywood is influence.” This stuck with me and next thing I knew I was packing my bags for LA with the intent of making a positive influence.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Oh wow… tough one. This may not be the “most” interesting, but it’s a good one. I’ll start with how I received my SAG card long before I really started my career at all. I was attending college in Richmond, Virginia at the time, twenty years old, and as noted previously, I was gearing up for a career in the military. Around this time, I had just started taking theater classes, and I saw a casting breakdown for a new pilot being filmed in Virginia titled “Company Town.” The pilot had a renown and extremely talented director attached. At the time, they were just looking for featured extras, but I fit the breakdown well, so I showed up.

Turns out, so did at least three hundred others, because nothing of great interest was ever filming in Virginia at the time. Ultimately, I got selected to be a part of the main character’s close friend group and be “featured.” Ten days later we filmed a scene in an airfield that was full of old and run down jets. It was pouring rain that day, and the director had planned on having someone on top of one of these planes drinking and shouting, but due to the rain & poor conditions, there were safety issues and script issues to follow. I overheard a lot of these issues and told one of the AD’s that if safety cleared it, I was athletic and would have no problem getting up there without falling. I don’t recall who specifically said yes, but someone did, and I ultimately got the green light! I climbed up onto the plane, (and was absolutely terrified given this was at least a seventy strong crew with all eyes on me) then proceeded to drink & shout from the top of the plane. Because I “spoke,” I was Tafted into the Union, and the rest is history. I moved to LA a few months later.

It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The very first audition I ever had in Los Angeles, (I think for the Vampire Diaries), my character was supposed to scratch a wall with his nail, and I LITERALLY started scratching the wall. Casting just looked at me like: “Dude… what are you doing?” Haha! I have become a master of using sides, or nowadays via self-tapes, utilizing my environment, ever since.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

It’s a crazy time for me right now A lot of projects are all coming out simultaneously.

I’ve got a fun part in an absolutely stellar film titled “Wildflower,” which releases theatrically on March 17th. The film stars Jean Smart, Alexandria Daddario, Kiernan Shipka, and many more.

I’ve also got a film releasing on March 16th titled “The Resurrection of Charles Manson.” It’s a crazy thriller about exactly what the title infers! Frank Grillo stars, and it’s a wild ride.

On that note, I’m also thrilled about a film that I wrote, produced, and acted in, ironically titled RIDE. The director (and one of my best friend’s), Jake Allyn, makes his debut with this one, and it’s breathtaking. Stars C. Thomas Howell, Forrie Smith, and Annabeth Gish. Releases Q3 of this year theatrically.

Lastly, I’ve got about 35 episodes of television that will be releasing this summer from two different shows, one titled “The Baxters,” based on Karen Kingsbury’s literary series (I play Luke Baxter), and one titled “All the Queen’s Men” for the insanely talented Tyler Perry, to release on BET+.

You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

1. Failure is the great teacher.

2. Persistence is key.

3. A comparative mind can be an amazing motivator, but also a horrific tool of anxiety. Use it wisely. 4. Find a way to enjoy the process, not the results.

5. Lastly, when reading things like the above, just because you’ve heard them before doesn’t mean you truly understand them or utilize them in your daily life. Listen to people and deploy their successful strategies in your own work.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I think it’s great that younger generations will get to see a more diverse cast of leading actors, and even superheroes, from all types of backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, etc.

In this, members of each can have a much easier time believing in their potential to get there, and ultimately, be inspired to go chase their dreams.

As I said earlier, I also think having a multitude of POV’s is always a great thing. Particularly when telling stories on different cultures that we’re not exactly used to telling here in the U.S. It’s actually really simple in my mind, if you have never experienced something, or at the very least studied it meticulously, why are you crafting such a story? It’s likely going to lack depth and heart. Having more diverse storytellers speak from a place of authenticity is only going to reveal a broader range of new and powerful entertainment.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Don’t show anyone your work/script until you are POSITIVE it is ready to be shown. You get one first impression with people, especially at the top. I have hurt myself with this one early in my career by sharing a script with a director I had hoped to work with, and the draft simply wasn’t ready for production. I knew this, but I figured he would see the potential in the story itself. It turns out that he very much did, but it didn’t matter, because at a certain point no one has time to waste on your re-writes, etc. Always send the final draft/product, or as close to final as you can. No matter what.
2. “Acting is the hardest, simple thing in the world.” I’ve been an actor for over eight years now and taken more classes and coaching than I can remember. Ultimately, everyone has a different process of getting to the same basic fundamentals/principles. It’s easy to get lost in overcomplicating things, but I wish someone had said “Hey, it’s okay to keep it simple.” I’ve booked way more doing “A few things really well” than “a hundred things just alright.” You’re usually working with about 24–48 hours on a turn around to casting, so if you’re dedicating twenty hours or more to an audition, and you aren’t getting results, you will eventually burn out.
3. “Take time off.” I’ve been burned out A LOT. And I have a weird relationship with my work ethic. It is my biggest blessing, but also my biggest curse. An extremely sharp double-edged sword. The more I’ve started going on vacations or weekend getaways, the more I’ve returned to my craft refueled and ready to go. Don’t forget that a fresh brain might get more done in three hours than a fried brain on ten.
4. “Surround yourself with like-minded individuals.” I knew this one coming into the field, but never understood how prevalent it really was until recently. You’ve got to surround yourself with people who make you BETTER. It’s just that simple. Competition fuels champions — and in Hollywood that remains true in my opinion. You won’t grow in any craft with friends who tell you how great you are, even if you get lucky with a show early on, things can catch up to you quick. Find the right crowd, keep growing. Elite fighters rarely spar people much worse than them, it’s a waste. The same goes for your audition partners, writing partners, etc. find your crowd and grow together.
5. “If you’re not spiritually fed, you will be emotionally led.” Whether you are religious, or simply in need of some time alone to contemplate a greater understanding of life, you must have a purpose for your WHY in this industry. If you are just here to get famous or make money, you will not last. Success may come your way, but it will eventually fade, and the hole will remain. You will get desperate and start leading with your emotions, which inevitably will turn against you. Pray more. Study more. Contemplate more.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I would go back to the weekend getaways and vacations as often as you can. Not only will this allow you to relax, but it’s ironic how often you’ll be on vacation, and have an idea spur that you simply could not discover stuck in your office or house. Go out and relax, it will help with your burn out, but might also help your work itself! A double win. Don’t forget that a “vacation” doesn’t have to mean a seven-thousand-dollar trip to Paris. If you live in LA for example, see Big Bear, Joshua Tree, San Diego, simple trips that can be done very cheap.

Second, I’d make sure you have your purpose in line as I eluded to earlier. If you don’t have a clear goal, and a clear reason for why you want it, the tough times will really start to make you question why you’re doing this in the first place. Take time to contemplate WHY you are here, and how this career might help you help others.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

You never know what your idea can trigger. My mind immediately goes to the big topics such as religion, food supply, economic issues, etc. But if I personally were inspiring it, I think realistically it would be something to do with bringing athletics to underprivileged communities. When I was eighteen, I won the Virginia/ Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Championship back east, and during my training, really got to see how impactful the sport was to some of the underprivileged neighborhoods in the area. While this may sound simple, I believe sports instill serious discipline at an early age, which goes so far in molding a young child, and so far in helping them believe they can be more than what they see around them every day. It’s also something our society lacks more than ever before, particularly with the emergence of the digital age and social media. Many households can’t afford to send their child to a proper gym or facility, and few trainers wish to waste their time with free sessions, but as simple as it sounds, if we had a movement of giving back and getting kids outdoors again, I think that would go a very, very long way.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

So many people, which I think is telling. I’ll shout out my mom in particular, who to this day helps me read my auditions to get “off book” while I’m driving places, eating, etc! I will also shout out my dear friends Brev Moss and Jake Allyn, who have together, given me no less than thousands of hours in shared work; be it on scripts, auditions, fundraising, producing, and so much more. Just great humans.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I think I have too many! But I’ll go with: “Integrity is what you do when nobody is watching.” My dad told me this when I was extremely young, and I have carried it heavily ever since. Be good to everyone, even behind closed doors. Work your butt off, even behind closed doors. Make the right choices, even behind closed doors. It’s so easy to be who you want to be when everyone is watching, but if you can truly become that person when no-one is around, you might slowly begin to actually embody those traits and change into the leader you’ve been pretending/wishing to be. This has been so relevant for me and walked hand in hand with “Little gains every day yield big gains one day.” What I mean is; if you’re tackling your goals a little bit each day, you’ll eventually have that novel done, that script done, that film finished and edited, we’ve heard this before, but as it pertains to the integrity behind closed doors. If you can keep your same level of public passion for something when you’re working on it alone, even if only a little bit each day, it will one day morph into that “big gain”: You waking up and realizing you’re suddenly the leader you’ve always been working to become.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

The tough questions continue!!! Too many people come to mind. I’ll go with Chris Pratt, however. He’s simply had the exact career I’d love to emulate in entertainment. Such a broad range of comedy, drama, and now with the Terminal List, meaningful shows that I love and wish to tell! Chris also had a similar start in the industry, and is giving back to a number of non-profits that I share a heart for. He also just seems like a hilarious guy to have a beer and talk life with. I think he’d surprise me with something he’s cooking up much bigger than film.

How can our readers follow you online?

Instagram! I am getting a bit more active these days and it’s the only social media I use. Follow me @joshplasse This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

We wish you continued success!

The same to you!! Thank you for having me.