Young actor Jacob Laval has been making a name for himself in Hollywood by starring in Lionsgate’s new biographical drama, The Unbreakable Boy. In the film, released in theaters on February 21, 2025, Laval portrays Austin LeRette, a young boy with a rare brittle bone disease and autism, whose inspiring worldview transforms everyone around him. Alongside industry heavyweights such as Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy, and Emmy winner Patricia Heaton, Jacob has received rave reviews for his performance. With a rising career, the actor has already showcased his talent in notable projects, including Netflix’s special John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch, HBO Max’s 8-Bit Christmas, and HBO’s historical miniseries The Plot Against America.
With great praise for your work, you are currently part of the cast of Lionsgate’s biographical film The Unbreakable Boy. How did the opportunity to join the project come about, and how has the audience reception been so far?
The opportunity came about back in the fall of 2020 when I received a self-tape audition from my agency. We did the audition within a couple of days, and a few days later, we heard that I received a callback. During the zoom callback, I met with director Jon Gunn and Zachary Levi, who played Scott, my Dad.
The audience reception has been great! The popcorn meter on Rotten Tomatoes has us at 96 percent last I saw, and I am proud to say that I received some great reviews, as well.
The film is based on the book The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Fear, a Son’s Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love by authors Scott M. LeRette and Susy Flory. Portraying a real-life character, especially with Austin LeRette’s conditions, requires significant responsibility in building the role, doesn’t it?
Absolutely! Whenever someone has to play a real person, they are taking on the responsibility that that person is represented accurately and positively! This is what I was able to do with Austin. I met him on set, and we became friends, and I was able to learn what he liked and his energy in being able to portray him.
The movie tells the story of a young boy with a rare brittle bone disease, who is also on the autism spectrum. In your opinion, could this film help the audience better understand and raise awareness about individuals who, like Austin, are also on the spectrum?
Yes, I’d say so. Because it shows the struggles that people with autism have to deal with when interacting with others in society who might not have ever experienced someone who is on the spectrum before, it helps them to realize that they are real people with real feelings like everybody else.
The film industry, whether American or global, has a long history of successes and a wide range of characters created by studios. In your case, was it challenging to interpret and convey the emotions brought about by Austin’s life, especially considering it involves a rare disease that still lacks extensive information?
I didn’t really find it that difficult because Austin is a very resilient person, and also because the movie is told from Austin’s perspective, we get to hear what he is actually thinking and feeling and I never questioned that he was feeling or thinking otherwise.
In addition to your performance, the film features big names in the film industry, such as Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy, and Emmy winner Patricia Heaton. What was it like to share the screen with such prominent actors?
Honestly, at the time I shot the film, I was 12 years old, and I saw them more as co-workers. Looking back on it now though, it was a real honor to share the screen with such incredible and talented actors.
Before joining The Unbreakable Boy, you had already stood out in other major projects, including on Netflix, and acted alongside Neil Patrick Harris and Steven Zahn in 8-Bit Christmas on Max. Could you tell us a bit more about that previous project and what were the main differences between the two experiences?
I really loved working on 8-Bit Christmas! It was so much fun! We got to shoot in Toronto, and I was able to hang out with the other kids on set. Considering we had recently experienced a lockdown due to Covid and I was going to school virtually, being able to hang with Gavin and Pilot on The Unbreakable Boy and the other kid actors in 8-Bit was great!
The biggest difference was probably that 8-Bit was more of a comedy and the part that I played of Conor Stump was more of a caricature while Unbreakable was a true story that allowed my character of Austin to have many different, but still very real, emotions.
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