BREAKING

InterviewsTV

Jacob Hopkins Talks ‘The Amazing World of Gumball’ and ‘The Goldbergs’ – Read Our Q&A! (@HopkinsJacob5)

Jacob Hopkins is quite the ambitious 13-year-old!

He is currently the lead and voice of Gumball Watterson in the BAFTA Award-winning animated series The Amazing World of Gumball on Cartoon Network. The show chronicles the adventures of an amusing twelve year-old cat with a flair for misadventure, and his extra-ordinary suburban family, who live in constant conflict with their ordinary town.

He’s also keeping busy with his recurring role on ABC’s new hit show The Goldbergs. In this hilarious comedy, Jacob plays Chad Kremp, who is the good-looking, cool and preppy kid on the surface, but a geek at heart. His character becomes instant friends with Adam Goldberg (Sean Giambrone) as they share a love for all things geeky. 

CelebSecrets4U chatted with Jacob to get the scoop on how he prepares for the role of Gumball and why everyone should watch the show.

In the interview, the young actor also talked about what it’s like working with the cast on The Goldbergs, how he balances school and work and why he began working with Breaking the Chains Foundation. He also mentioned that he recently got his SECOND black belt in Taekwondo — make sure to read the interview below!

Catch Jacob in The Amazing World of Gumball on Thursdays at 7PM on Cartoon Network and in The Goldbergs on Wednesdays at 8:30 PM on ABC.

CS4U: You are the voice of Gumball in The Amazing World of Gumball on Cartoon Network. What is it that you love most about this character?

Jacob Hopkins: “I love how sarcastic Gumball is and how fast he talks. I also love how I get to record different voices while voicing Gumball.”

CS4U: We saw on Instagram that you were preparing for a little bit of singing in one of the episodes. What is your preparation like for this role? How do you get into the character of Gumball?

Jacob Hopkins: “I have an amazing singing coach who works with me on some of the songs I sing as Gumball. I get into character by thinking how Gumball thinks and how he would say, do, and understand certain things. It really just matters on what situations Gumball finds himself in. Gumball is such a fun character to voice!”

CS4U: For those who have never seen the show, why should they watch it?

Jacob Hopkins: “First of all, the writing and animation is incredible and original. There is such a variety of animation which always makes it interesting to watch. Each one of the characters are so well drawn and performed. The show is absolutely hilarious and people always find something they can relate to in some way. There are hidden jokes and movie/song trivia in the show that you can catch if you follow along and can be very funny. One example is the Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan moment that has aired. Another reason to watch the show are the good morals and life lessons you can learn from the show.”

CS4U: You’re also on the show The Goldbergs. What is it like working with that cast?

Jacob Hopkins: “I just finished working on an episode last week and it was an absolute blast. The Goldberg cast are the funniest, kindest, and most talented group of people! I really enjoy the time that I get to spend with them and work with them.”

CS4U: You have guest starred on some pretty incredible shows. What was your favorite guest starring role?

Jacob Hopkins: I think I would have to say my favorite guest staring role would have to be as Eddie on About a Boy. It was really fun playing the “bad boy” who didn’t have to follow all the rules and could do whatever he wanted to do.

CS4U: You are currently attending school while doing all of this other work. How do you make time for it? What’s your favorite part about going back to school? 

Jacob Hopkins: “I have a normal school schedule when I’m not working. I’m really lucky to have such great teachers who prepare my school work for me so I can bring it on set. I have always had such great teachers on set as well. When I get back to school, it is always fun to see my friends. I actually like school!”

CS4U: You have a blackbelt in Taekwondo. That’s amazing! What made you decide on pursuing that sport? How did you feel when you were getting your blackbelt?

Jacob Hopkins: “I actually just tested for my second black belt and I’m really happy to say that I passed! I have always wanted to do martial arts and always asked my mom to enroll me in classes. It may sound funny, but Kung Fu Panda was my inspiration to do it! I’m very serious and focused when it comes to Taekwondo and it was an honor to receive my black belts both times.”

CS4U: You were recently working on a PSA for Breaking the Chains Foundation. Can you tell us a little bit about the foundation, why you got involved, and what it was like on set?

Jacob Hopkins: “Breaking the Chains is a non-profit foundation that uses art as a process to unmask the stigma of individuals affected by eating disorders. They use creative outlets like film, painting, music and dance that will inspire people to use art as an outlet. The focus is to change the face of eating disorders by changing the conversation all together so that there is a rediscovery of self-love, self-acceptance and respect for oneself. It was awesome to be onset for the PSA. The PSA is a new campaign called Breaking the Chains Young Hollywood. It’s all about positive messages that create good thoughts and feelings about yourself. I got involved because my mom is the founder and creator of this foundation and I wanted to do something to help.

CS4U: Since we are CelebSecrets4U, can you tell us a secret about yourself that your fans may not know?

Jacob Hopkins: “I am a huge Nintendo nerd and I love collecting amiibos!”

 

ABOUT JACOB HOPKINS

For Jacob Hopkins, he was discovered at the tender age of five after accompanying his father to a meeting with his agent. Soon after, he jumped right into the world of film with the role of Brian in The Mini’s and went on to book a national commercial for K-Mart. His first feature film was Priest, where he had a small but memorable role opposite Paul Bettany and Stephen Moyer. He gives a moving performance as an autistic child in the upcoming short film Sunchild, and can also be seen in the short Just A Little Heart Attack, opposite the accomplished Elizabeth Banks. He starred in the Lifetime movie Missing at 17 as the younger brother Andrew who played a pivotal role in helping his parents find his missing sister. He has also showcased his acting prowess in two web series, first RCVR, which was honored as Best Drama Web Series at the 2012 International Academy of Web Television Awards and Supermoms, where he co-starred opposite Joey Lauren Adams.

(Photo:Suzette Troche Stapp)

Author

Collective posts from the Celeb Secrets staff.

Related Posts