We all know Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard is a great actor as well as a talented musician. However, many people do not know that he has a blossoming career as a Pokémon trainer. Wolfhard got into an epic battle against fellow actor Terry Crews in a promotional short film for the Pokémon x LEGO collaboration. The two used the collab’s newest lineup in the battle, fighting with Charizard and Jigglypuff LEGO figures, each equipped with LEGO’s SMART Play features.
Nerdist spoke with Wolfhard ahead of the short film’s debut about his favorite LEGOs and his music career:
Nerdist: Prior to this collaboration, were you a fan of Pokémon or LEGO on their own?
Finn Wolfhard: [I believe LEGO] should be a part of every child’s toy box or toy collection, and I was definitely a fan. And my brother and I were huge Pokémon fans and grew up playing the games. So it was sort of the best of both worlds.
I certainly agree. Did you have a favorite LEGO set growing up?
Wolfhard: We had a Star Wars set that was really awesome, and also would play LEGO Star Wars all the time. We were we were big Star Wars kids. We were obsessed with [our] Darth Maul figure, that was definitely our our big one.
LEGO Star Wars is a classic collaboration, especially growing up in the 2000s. As you know, SMART Play is a pretty new feature for LEGO. What value would you say you see in integrating those electronics into such a classic toy?
Wolfhard: I think it’s really cool. I think it definitely is more suited to the younger crowd and generation that can really make it a social toy. It’ll really allow kids to go out and be able to play together and also have an interactive piece to it.
Absolutely! And you were able to test the figure out yourself on set. How did you enjoy filming the battle scene with Terry?
Wolfhard: It was awesome. We had a great time, and obviously, I’m a huge fan of Terry’s—and of LEGO and Pokémon. So I just was excited to to to shoot it, and then actually being able to hold the LEGO Pokémon [figures] in our hands was really cool.
I saw you had Charizard, and Terry fought back with Jigglypuff. If you got a rematch, which LEGO Pokemon would you use?
Wolfhard: The Mewtwo one is incredible. I’m really glad I had Charizard, but next time I would love the Mewtwo.
Definitely fair, it looks great. Switching gears a bit, you’re focusing pretty heavily on your music career at the moment. With that in mind, what value do you feel that you get from smaller, shorter acting projects like this?
Wolfhard: To me, it’s just a way to have fun with acting. Considering I’ve like been doing it for so long, since I was little, it’s always fun to do stuff like this where it’s just fun and innocent. And I get to work with someone like Terry Crews, who I’ve been a fan of my whole life and childhood. So it [is] definitely really awesome to be able to do things like this, and also [have] some time for music.
I imagine most people probably think of you first as an actor, but you’ve released two albums and various EPs within the last two years. Do you find yourself leaning towards a specific genre with your music?
Wolfhard: I would say alternative rock and roll is probably the best way I can describe the music. And yeah, I think most people definitely know me for my acting. But music and acting came around the same time. I’ve been putting out albums [about] as long as I’ve been known as an actor, ever since I was 14, and so it’s definitely been a huge part of my life. [I’m] excited to be pursuing it now that I am a little older and maybe have a little more of a mature sound.
Do you find music taking more of a centered role in comparison to acting in your career right now? Or do they stay about the same in terms of the attention you’re giving them?
Wolfhard: You know, I think music has really been an amazing outlet for me, and I get a lot of control of it. I think both [crafts] are very important pieces of my life, and I’m lucky to be pursuing both of them. I’m very proud of the work that I’ve put into music, and hope people will like what they hear.
Do you have an end goal musically, or do you tend to just go with the flow in that regard?
Wolfhard: I would say [I’m] going with the flow. I don’t really have an end goal. I think [I’ll] just keep recording and making music and writing about the things that I want to be writing about and playing with the people that I want to play with.
Where do you draw inspiration from in terms of bands or sounds, and what is your songwriting process like?
Wolfhard: For me, the songwriting process can change between a few different modes. It could be something that is happening in my life that I’m inspired by, or could be a story that I heard from someone else. The music [tends to come] first, and then the lyrics come second. I definitely have a lot of different inspiration when it comes to bands.
I definitely get a lot of inspiration for a lot of different things. You know, movies, books, TV, comics, YouTube videos. To me, it all depends kind of on the album that I’m working on. [Each] will usually have a sonic inspiration from a different album. This last album I made was kind of inspired by early Wilco records and British rock and roll from the ’60s, like the Faces and the Rolling Stones. I’ll be back out on tour in October.
And how do you enjoy touring?
Wolfhard: Touring is really awesome. It’s definitely a muscle that you have to exercise a lot, and it’s definitely a challenge, physically and sometimes mentally. You know, having to play a show every day or every other day. But I’ve got a really good band and crew around me, so it’s really rewarding.
That can make all the difference. And now for a Nerdist classic question… What do you nerd out about and why?
Wolfhard: I’ll just get really into rabbit holes. I’m a huge comedy nerd, so I know a lot about the history of SNL. I’m obviously a huge movie fan. And music, obviously, [the] history of indie rock and alternative rock. I’m definitely super into [those].