Australian author Holden Sheppard has disclosed the remarkable manner in which he identified that the actor cast in his television series Invisible Boys possessed Hollywood potential, well before the wider world took notice.
The 38-year-old writer, whose 2019 coming-of-age novel Invisible Boys was adapted into a successful Australian miniseries last year, exclusively told Daily Mail that he recognised from their initial encounter that lead actor Joseph Zada was destined for stardom in the United States.
“It is really funny, I wasn’t meant to meet Joseph Zada that day. I was off to meet the producer for a coffee. I was in my hometown and there was this blue-haired boy in the bakery… I looked and went ‘that has to be the actor who is playing Charlie’,” he recounted.
Sheppard described the meeting as an instantaneous recognition, resembling a cinematic casting moment. “I walked up to him and said, ‘Excuse me, I think you may be one of the boys on my TV show!’ He then goes, ‘Are you Holden?’ It was really cool to see him, he brought the show to life. So proud that he has gone and cracked the US,” he said.
In April last year, Joseph, now 21, secured a major Hollywood breakthrough when he was cast in the upcoming The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, set almost 30 years before the original film. The role reportedly came after he outperformed hundreds of other actors auditioning for the part, in which he will portray the younger version of Woody Harrelson’s character.
For Sheppard, witnessing the final cast of Invisible Boys take shape was a surreal experience, particularly with established Australian names attached. The Western Australian-born writer admitted being especially starstruck by the involvement of veteran actors David Lyons and Pia Miranda.
“Pia Miranda! Oh my God, my mother is Italian and her movie Looking for Alibrandi was such a touchstone for us. Having Pia cast in this was just so cool,” he expressed.
Looking ahead, Sheppard has expanded the Invisible Boys universe by writing a newly released sequel titled Yeah the Boys, which continues the story several years later. He described it as a darker, more adult evolution of the original narrative.
“Yeah the Boys is the rebellious older brother of Invisible Boys. It is firmly adult territory now; we meet the boys several years later. They are all struggling in different ways,” he revealed.
He concluded by expressing his eagerness for his second novel to also be adapted for the screen, emphasizing that it would stand as its own story rather than a direct sequel series.
In February last year, Sheppard discussed why he believes the series based on his bestselling novel is more pertinent than ever. “The show is dropping in a more hostile environment than the book did. The book came out in 2019 and there was this sense that same-sex marriage had just been legalised in Australia. People were like, maybe we don’t need stories like this anymore. But 2025 turns out to be needing this story more than we did six years ago… I am glad,” he told Daily Mail.
“It’s like a little beacon of hope right now. Let’s show four young gay men being defiant, being bold, proud and just giving the middle finger to the world.”
Sheppard’s book draws on his own experiences as a young gay teenager growing up in the regional Western Australian town of Geraldton, and he worked diligently to ensure the series authentically portrayed genuine gay relationships.
