Even at just 11 years old, Mason Cufari already has a long list of projects to his name. His next major project is as a young Renn Wheeland in the film The Good Half, out in theaters on July 23. Ahead of the film’s release in theaters, we got to chat with Mason to learn more about his character and what it was like to work with Nick Jonas and Elizabeth Shue on set.

The Good Half follows Renn Wheeland as he returns home to Cleveland, Ohio, for his mother’s funeral. Once there, he forges new relationships while also healing old ones before trying to face his grief. Nick Jonas stars as the adult version of Renn and the cast includes some other star-studded names including Brittany Snow, David Arquette, Elizabeth Shue, and Matt Walsh. The film was directed by Robert Schwartzman and originally premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June of 2023. 

“I got to work with Elizabeth Shue and Robert Schwartzman and [I hope people think] I look like a young Nick Jonas.”

Mason first began his acting career at just three years old when he played Alexander Hale Smith in the PBS docu-drama Joseph Smith, The American Prophet. You can also see him on Evil Lives Here, Celebrity Ghost Stories, Law and Order: OC, Goliath, and episodes of Madam Secretary. 

We asked Mason what his initial thoughts were when he found out he was casted in The Good Half, and he said he was nervous but incredibly excited to be working with Elizabeth Shue who plays his mom in the film. Elizabeth has been in the industry for decades, having starred in The Karate Kid, Leaving Las Vegas, Cobra Kai, The Boys, and more. 

“I was excited to go back to California to shoot because it is really warm there. I was very excited to be working with Elizabeth Shue.”

Mason also said that while he didn’t get to shoot with Nick on set, because he mainly filmed flashback scenes as a young Renn, they met multiple times and Mason said Nick was always gracious and kind. He asked Nick for tips on how to play Renn and Mason learned to develop similar mannerisms to the way Nick acted. 

“[Nick Jonas] was generous, humble and kind.”

“[Young Renn] is a lot like me because we both speak our mind and we have the same feelings toward our mom and we are both mature for our age.”

One fun challenge on set Mason revealed to us was when he was told to learn a Paul Simon song for the film, but Robert, the director, then told him the song was changed and he just had 20 minutes to learn lyrics to a new song. Mason said he can memorize things quickly and enjoyed being challenged while filming. 

“Thankfully I can memorize anything pretty fast so thankfully I was able to get it done by listening to it on repeat.”

Thank you, Mason, for FaceTiming with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow him on his Instagram at @masoncufari. Watch the rest of the interview, where we ask him more about how he relates to young Renn, walking the red carpet, and his favorite off-screen moments. Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.

Consider this: 

• If you are playing a young version of a character, don’t be afraid to ask the actor playing the older version for any character tips. 
• Try and find ways to connect to your character and find similarities between yourself and them.