Calum Worthy knew his appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival for Thursday鈥檚 world premi猫re of Bodied would be dramatically different than his last official visit.
Worthy, 26, was just a kid when he made his festival debut in 2002. It was to promote I Was a Rat, the BBC children鈥檚 series he starred in with Tom Conti and Brenda Fricker.
鈥淭hat was one of the first times I saw myself on a movie screen in a theatre, so I was blown away,鈥� said the red-haired actor.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not in the children鈥檚 section anymore,鈥� said his mother, Sandra Webster Worthy, with a laugh. Webster Worthy and her husband, David, reunited with their son for his return as star of the controversial R-rated rap satire.
The Claremont Secondary School graduate plays a grad student thrown into the battle-rap culture in the film, produced by Eminem and directed by Joseph Khan, whose credits include directing the music videos for Eminem鈥檚 Without Me and Love The Way You Lie.
While Worthy hadn鈥檛 met the rap icon before Thursday鈥檚 premi猫re, he had become fully immersed in the world of battle rap, which features competing rappers who artistically brag and insult each other.
His co-stars in the film include Alex Larsen, a.k.a. rapper Kid Twist, who co-wrote the screenplay with Khan, as well as Madness, Dizaster, Loaded Lux and Hollow Da Don. As part of a heavy promotional push for the film, which the Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Rolling Stone have described as one of the festival鈥檚 most hotly anticipated entries, veteran battle rappers Kid Twist and Madness had a showdown on King Street Thursday night.
鈥淚 had a sneaking suspicion it was going to create a little controversy and be talked about, because Joseph did such a wonderful job putting it together,鈥� Worthy said. 鈥淗e really is a genius.鈥�
His character鈥檚 proficiency at pulling off a style of rapping that originated on the streets before going mainstream sparks anger and tension in the film.
鈥淚 was aware people would have different opinions,鈥� said Worthy, the only battle rapper who isn鈥檛 an internationally known competitor in a film that tackles racism and other hot-button issues.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 say anything [about racism]. We just ask a lot of questions, and when people leave, they鈥檒l have their own discussions about topics like cultural appropriation and race and freedom of speech.鈥�
While Bodied is another example of Worthy鈥檚 decision to stretch dramatically, he鈥檚 aware his character鈥檚 profanity might raise eyebrows after his success on Austin & Ally and other Disney projects.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely not for the Disney Channel audience,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 love the fans I鈥檝e gained from being on Disney Channel, but I also want to work with great storytellers and that involves taking some risk.鈥�
Describing Eminem as 鈥渢he soundtrack of my life since I was about 14,鈥� Worthy said he has watched Eminem鈥檚 hit movie 8 Mile at least a dozen times.
He also watched several rap battles online, and worked with Larsen to discover what he鈥檇 sound like as a rapper.
鈥淚鈥檝e been a fan of rap music, but I never thought I鈥檇 ever rap myself,鈥� Worthy said.
鈥淭hese guys are such unbelievable artists and poets. When I worked with them, I realized I was in over my head. But they were amazing and got me to a place where I could pull it off.鈥�
For Worthy, a big plus was getting to work with Anthony Michael Hall, the former 1980s Brat Packer who plays his father in Bodied.
Worthy said in acting class, he had done Hall鈥檚 monologues from The Breakfast Club. 鈥淪o it was really cool to work with him,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not that many gingers out there, so we鈥檝e got to stick together.鈥�
In addition to his star turn in Bodied, Worthy will be seen as Speedball in Marvel鈥檚 New Warriors, Freeform鈥檚 new live-action comedy series premi猫ring next year.
He also stars in American Vandal, the Netflix satirical true-crime series premi猫ring Sept. 15. He plays a student at a high school rocked by an act of vandalism 鈥� phallic images painted on teachers鈥� cars.
鈥淲hen I first auditioned, I didn鈥檛 even know what the show was,鈥� Worthy said.
A combination of scripted and unscripted material, the eight-part mockumentary skewers true-crime series such as Making a Murderer and The Jinx.
Cast members were given brief descriptions of their characters鈥� back stories after filming began, then subjected to lengthy on-camera interviews, answering questions as if being filmed for a documentary, he said.
鈥淓very day, it was as if we were making a dramatic piece, but instead of saying the word 鈥榤urder,鈥� we said the word 鈥榩enis,鈥� 鈥� he said.
鈥淚 had so much fun.鈥�
