Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid centers on Beau, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man, who confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic odyssey back home, following the sudden death of his mother. Armen Nahapetian plays Teen Beau, a younger version of the character portrayed by Academy Award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix.
In an exclusive interview with Armenian Film Society, Armen Nahapetian spoke to our team about his Armenian background, breaking into the industry as an Armenian actor, and what it was like stepping into the shoes of Joaquin Phoenix. We can also, for the record, confirm that he is, in fact, not an AI.
Armen Nahapetian’s father and grandfather are Armenian from Iran. “My grandfather made sure to retain the Armenian religion, language, culture, and history and pass it down to my dad. In fact, although my dad was born and lived in Iran, he speaks Armenian, not Farsi,” says the actor.
They settled in the San Fernando Valley in California after the Iranian Revolution because of extended family in the Glendale area. The actor explains that it was important for his father to be near family because it was a priority for them to maintain the Armenian culture.
This shaped his appreciation for his background. The young actor would spend his holidays at his grandparent’s house, and says that as a result of doing so, he feels closer to the culture. “I do not speak the language, but I am very comfortable with the customs, traditions, and foods.”
This continues until today, despite the fact that his family has since moved away from family. “I don’t get to hear the language as much but [my dad] makes sure that my brothers and I have a deep respect and understanding for our history. In fact, my dad named me Armen, so that we may never forget our background. He said it’s important that when people ask me about my name, that I know why.”
This father-son connection is one that he clearly holds very dearly. “There is still a lot I am trying to learn about my own background and it seems like every day I’m learning something new from my dad.”
In the case of Beau is Afraid, the project came about after his agent’s sent him a self-tape audition request from casting. “They were looking for a young Joaquin Phoenix look-alike who could act. I remember thinking two things: This role is crazy but I love it, and second, I don’t look like Joaquin.” The young actor, however, immediately identified with the character of Beau. “I knew it was something unique that I wanted to be involved in because I was 14, it was the height of COVID, I was a germaphobe, and was dealing with a lot of personal fears and insecurities. I was Beau.” Their resemblance soon became clear to him as well. “It wasn’t until I looked at a picture of Joaquin and I side-by-side that I realized how much we looked alike!”
Ari Aster is known for mind-bending horror films that include Hereditary and Midsommar. “Ari and I had multiple online meetings before working together on set, [and] by the time I arrived on set, I already felt very comfortable with Ari.” The young actor had found himself working alongside a director who Martin Scorsese had called “one of the most extraordinary new voices in world cinema,” but the director made him feel at ease. “[Ari] has a calm energy and upbeat personality; he smiles a lot. Sometimes it’s a smile like, he’s concocting a secret plan that only he knows.”
In fact, over the course of making the film, the director gave him the space to be free. “Ari never instructed; rather, [he] let me bring my version of Beau. If Ari had any redirects, he would gently approach and whisper in my ear. And it wasn’t really redirecting, more like subtle hints that would let me in on his secret a bit. Ari set the tone for the entire production.”
The challenge of playing a younger version of Joaquin Phoenix was not lost on him either. “I'm sure many people think that I watched Joaquin’s portrayal of Beau and copied that, but in reality, we each had our own versions of Beau. I incorporated a lot of myself and my real-life personality into Beau. I was very shy at the time and really nervous about everything in general. I had to face many of my fears throughout filming, including kissing a girl and getting a chocolatey finger stuck in my mouth.”
The young actor delivered. “I was really worried about making Joaquin proud and doing him justice. Thankfully, he talked to me on my final day of shooting and let me know that my version of Beau inspired him! I'll never forget his words.”
Armen Nahapetian has now been thrust into the limelight but the road to breaking into the film industry hasn’t come easy. In the past few years, he says he has been typecast as a “Middle Eastern kid” and even “the son of a terrorist.” “I was even told that I had the “most Armenian name ever.” There was a time when we were seriously considering changing my stage name because my given name seemed to automatically disqualify me from some roles. Ultimately, I decided not to because my parents urged me to be so good at my acting that they would have no choice but to give me a chance.”
This, he hopes, will inspire others. “I want to be a role model for other Armenian kids so that they don’t feel that they have to change their name in order to do something they love.”
Armen Nahapetian concludes by saying, “That’s why the Armenian Film Society is important. Thank you for helping to shed light on the issues that Armenians still face even within the film industry. We need to support and help each other.”
Beau is Afraid is now playing in theaters everywhere.
