Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Joshua Schubart has been working as a professional actor for over a decade.
Getting to know Joshua
Joshua has been seen in projects ranging from small indie films to walking the boards at the Metropolitan Opera. Some of his recent work includes a recurring role in the Amazon series The Tick, and appearances in Seven Seconds (Netflix) and High Maintenance (HBO). His voice can also be heard on a long list of audiobooks available on Amazon Audible, including Blue Summer, Lorelei and Blaze of Ecstasy.
Also a plus size model, Joshua hopes his work in front and behind the camera will open doors for larger people in the industry, break the stereotypes, and prove that they are more than just the funny or bad guys.
In his free time Joshua likes to build computers, read, play different sports, and spend time with his wife, who is expecting their first baby.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
I do. Right now I’m singing a lot of Aquabats. I recently reconnected with third wave Ska, and I honestly don’t know why I even stopped!
If you had to describe yourself as a flavour, what would it be?
Listen, I like vanilla. Why? Because it’s flippin delicious! If pressed to pick something more “exciting” then I would say German chocolate cake. You decide which is better.
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
Joshua Schubart: Huge nerd person, who also does other stuff.
If you were talking to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give yourself?
Life is going to be incredibly difficult for you. It won’t be your fault, and you will feel out of control all the time. The things that you come up against will make you feel like crawling into a hole, but you can do this. You are so much stronger than you can even imagine. You can do this. People love you and are rooting for you to make it, even though you can’t see that most of the time. You will fail and you will fall, but you will always pick yourself up again. Don’t stop, keep fighting, and keep walking forward. That show you watch that makes you feel normal. One day, sooner than you think, you get to be in the live action version of it. I love you, you got this!
What’s challenging about bringing this script to life?
AFTER is a deep dive into mental illness, loss, and rebuilding a life. Bringing something like this to life, is all about balance. It was something I was aware of when writing the show as well. I wanted people to see not only how devastating mental illness can be, but also how beautiful and absurdly comical. It was important to not push the comedy into farce, or the drama into melodrama. The ultimate goal was to create a messy, dirty, heartbreaking, beautiful, and hilarious ride. With the help of the whole cast and crew we did just that!
How is this character like you? Different?
I wrote Jeremy Hurns largely using many of my own life experiences. My wife is very much alive, but I have had my own struggles with mental illness and self harm. Jeremy is like me, just like he is like everyone else. We all have felt like a fish out of water, even when we are supposed to be in a comfortable place. Navigating something new, while still trying to figure out what happened to you before, is something every person on this earth deals with.
Besides yourself, what celebrity would you like to see tackle this character?
Ethan Suplee would do an incredible job with this character. I’ve been a HUGE fan of his since I first watched him try to see a sailboat in Mallrats. He has the range to pull off an emotionally complex character like Jeremy.
What sort of person is going to love this show? Tell us about it.
Everyone can connect with this show in some way or another. Young or old we have experienced loss, and what that can do to a person. I think people will love this show for the positive forward momentum. We see the mentally ill on screen, but we rarely see them try to succeed. In .AFTER we see a person try and fail over and over, but they keep trying to move forward. Folks will connect with that for sure!
- If someone was going to make your life into a movie, who would play you?
Elden Henson would be a good choice. I think we have a similar vibe. He seems like someone I could play Smash Brothers with, and honestly that’s a big deal. If you know what I’m talking about, then you know.
If you weren’t an actor, what would you have liked to have been?
Being a firefighter was always way up on my list. I have nothing but respect for the people of fire and rescue, who put it on the line to help their communities.
How do you avoid divulging exciting plot twists before they air?
That is very hard, and honestly I have to catch myself sometimes because I just get so excited. I think about how I would feel if someone ruined a show or movie I was invested in, and I don’t want that to happen to anyone. So I keep my big mouth shut until after, and then we can talk about it all we want.
Do you think Cinema impacts the moral and social values for a community?
It absolutely does. Cinema can be the only time large groups of people get exposed to a person, or story they wouldn’t normally. This type of art sparks conversations, and helps bring about positive change in every community they touch.
If you could be a superhero, what would your superpower be and your superhero name?
I have thought about this in great detail. I would be called “The Gourmand” and I would be able to produce any food, in any quantity. I ran through a bunch of the “cooler” powers like flight or being able to bend submarines, but this one seemed to do the most practical good. Also, I would love to work with Marvel and play Ben Grimm aka The Thing in Fantastic 4. He is a character that I really connect with, being a large man who is in touch with hard to express emotions. Plus you get to be made of rocks and punch Dr. Doom in his dumb metal face, is there anything better than that?!
To learn more about Joshua, check out his website http://www.joshuaschubart.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @Josh_Schubart
