Four years after our last conversation, 19-year-old Noah Jupe and I reconnected over Zoom, this time from his London-area home, to discuss his latest project, Apple TV+’s “Franklin.” The limited series follows Benjamin Franklin, played by Oscar winner Michael Douglas, and his 1776 trip to Paris, where he hopes to persuade the king to fund America’s fight for independence. Jupe co-stars as Franklin’s 17-year-old grandson and traveling companion, Temple. “My introduction to Ben Franklin was the hundred-dollar bill,” Jupe says. “That’s all I knew about Benjamin Franklin. So for me, this was a massive learning curve and I just had so much to dive into because in the U.K. we don’t spend a lot of time on the American Revolution. It’s briefly, briefly taught.” Jupe’s experience on “Franklin” was not only educational but also sartorially inspiring. “The costumes for me were such an important and exciting part of this project,” he says. “I didn’t realize it at first. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be wearing the wigs or whatever.’ But I didn’t realize how sort of special and stunning these costumes were going to be and how much they really make you feel different. They raise your posture. They make you feel more elegant, and it is very helpful for getting into the time period.” Beyond his work on “Franklin,” Jupe also has a number of other exciting projects in the pipeline, including “Lady in the Lake” for Apple TV+ and a new film that he is developing with “Honey Boy” director Alma Har’el. “A good friend of both of ours, Zach Shields, has written a project and Alma and Chris Leggett are on to produce with my production company that I started with my parents [Katy Cavanagh and Chris Jupe],” Jupe says. “Zach will direct it. He was part of Dead Man’s Bones, which was an amazing band with Ryan Gosling back in the day.” Jupe’s passion for his craft and his commitment to telling diverse stories is evident in all of his work. He is a rising star in Hollywood, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Noah Jupe on ‘Franklin,’ His Surprising Meeting with Michael Douglas, and Developing a New Film with ‘Honey Boy’ Director
