Julian Dennison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julian Dennison
Dennison in 2016
Born	(2002-10-26) 26 October 2002 (age 22)
Education	Hutt International Boys' School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2013–present

Julian Dennison (born October 26, 2002) is a talented actor from New Zealand. He became well-known for his role as Ricky Baker in the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). This film made the most money of any New Zealand movie ever! Julian also played Russell "Firefist" Collins in the superhero movie Deadpool 2 (2018) and Belsnickel in The Christmas Chronicles 2. In 2021, he was in Godzilla vs. Kong, and in 2023, he had a main role in the film Uproar.

Life and Acting Career

Julian Dennison grew up in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. He is one of four children and has a twin brother named Christian. Julian is from the Māori community, which is the native people of New Zealand. He is part of the Ngāti Hauā iwi (tribe).

Julian first started acting when he was at Naenae Primary School. He got his first movie part in the 2013 film Shopping. For this role, he won an award for Best Supporting Actor. After that, he was cast in the Australian movie Paper Planes (2015). He later went to Hutt International Boys' School.

A short video Julian made for a public service announcement (a message for the public) became very popular online. This video was directed by Taika Waititi, a famous New Zealand filmmaker. Taika Waititi was so impressed that he asked Julian to star in his film Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) without even needing an audition! This movie became a huge success and was loved by many people.

Julian played Russell Collins, also known as Firefist, in the 2018 movie Deadpool 2. He got this role because of his great acting in Wilderpeople and because Taika Waititi was friends with the filmmakers of Deadpool. In 2020, Julian was in The Christmas Chronicles 2, where he played Belsnickel and also voiced his elf form. In 2021, he had a big supporting role in the monster movie Godzilla vs. Kong.

In 2023, Julian played the main character, Josh Waaka, in the film Uproar. His acting in this movie was highly praised. Julian said that playing this role helped him "find his voice" as an actor. In January 2024, it was announced that Julian will play Fishlegs Ingerman in the live-action movie remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Julian Dennison para niños