Victoria Justice Talks The Tutor, New Music, and Child Stardom
Led by Garrett Hedlund, Noah Schnapp, and Victoria Justice, The Tutor follows an in-demand tutor who lands a high-paying assignment for a billionaire’s son. When the student develops a borderline obsessive interest in his life, things take a dark turn. Kristen Maldonado of Pop Culture Planet spoke with Victoria Justice about the thriller and taking on more mature roles.
Between the cast, the director, and the script, there was a lot to entice Justice when it came to joining The Tutor. “The cast is a huge part of what drew me to The Tutor. I mean, Noah [Schnapp’s] incredibly talented, wonderful. Garrett [Hedlund’s] super talented. Jordan Ross, our director, is incredible. I loved working with him, but I think what obviously drew me first of the project was reading the script. One of my favorite genres is a good thriller,” she said. “When I read the script, it very much kept me guessing. I didn't know where it was going, what was going to happen next, and, I feel like a lot of the times, when I read scripts I'm kind of good at figuring out where it's going to go. With this one, I really couldn't. I didn't see things coming so I love that about it.”
The film allowed her to tap into a role she’s never played before. “I love the character of Annie. She is really just like an innocent in this film. She has pure intentions. She is Ethan’s girlfriend. I'm pregnant in the movie, that's a first for me,” Justice shared. “I've never played a pregnant character, which also just added a lot of layers and vulnerability to playing her. She really is like at her most vulnerable. Her hormones are raging, she's emotional. There's a lot going on. There's a nice little character arc there.”
Justice is ready to take on more mature roles after breaking out in starring roles on Nickelodeon. “It's probably weird for people in a way. You know, they watch me on Netflix when I was like 17, 18 on Victorious like bopping around and then I'm like, ‘Boop, now I got a baby,’” she joked about the fake bump she wears in the film. “It's been so long since that show obviously. It’s really exciting to be able to push myself and play new characters like this. I do feel like my audience has grown up with me and they're ready to see me take on different characters and new roles and more mature roles. Where I'm at in life and where these characters could go, it's all very fun.”
Her co-star Noah Schnapp also rose to prominence as a child star in the hit show Stranger Things. “I don't think Noah honestly needs any tips from me. I think he's doing he's doing just fine. He's killing it and he is very grounded and has his head on his shoulders and is a lovely person,” said Justice about advice for dealing with stardom at a young age. “For me, I feel very lucky because I have always had a very strong support system. I'm really close to my family, very close to my parents. My mom has always been very involved in my life. Having that throughout all those years was always very important to me and kept me grounded.”
The most important thing? “The people that you surround yourself with,” she shared. “It's easy when you do hit a certain level of fame and what not to have ‘yes’ people around you. People that just want to be like, ‘Yes, you're amazing,’ and ride on those coattails. It’s important to be discerning about like, ‘Okay, who is real here? Who’s really gonna be here?’ People will show you that too. Maybe I’m on the highest of highs now, but when I come down, who’s still around? Those are the people that you need to keep around.”
In addition to The Tutor, Justice is working on new music, including a newly released song called “Last Man Standing.” “I love making music. It's such a huge passion of mine. I've been in the studio working on stuff and I have a collection of songs already that I'm excited to put out. I'm excited to put a bunch more music out this year,” she revealed. “I'm still deciding on all the details of everything, but, I will say, I write most of my own music. It all comes from a very real personal place. That's my favorite music and also my favorite artists… the people that are honest and vulnerable. That's what makes us feel connected as humans and feel like we're not alone. If I can achieve that in any way, make people connect to some of those emotions, I feel like I've done my job. I'm excited for people to hear the new stuff. I'm very proud of it.”
The Tutor is playing in select theaters.
