While previously known for taking on harder-edged, more serious work, actor Noah Lomax is changing things up and showcasing his versatility with a much lighter performance in the new Disney+ original movie Secret Society of Second-Born Royals. Lomax plays Mike, the best friend of protagonist Sam (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), a princess who discovers she's part of a secret team of superheroes made up of royal families all over the world. As Sam moves into her new responsibilities, Mike keeps her connected to the outside world through their rock band.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Lomax discussed taking on his first Disney project, talked about learning how to play drums for his rock'n'roll character and reflected on his time on the first season of The Walking Dead.
What first attracted you to this project?
Noah Lomax: I think what attracted me was my character, Mike. As soon as I saw that he's a drummer, of course, that caught my eye. And then I saw he's the only young character in this movie that was someone that was a non-royal and wasn't in the Secret Society. I thought that was kind of cool because he was in a different place than Mike's best friend; her rock who keeps her grounded in certain ways. They share a great passion for music and that's probably what really sparked it for me.
How was it working with Peyton Elizabeth Lee and developing that life outside of superheroes and regents?
Lomax: As soon as we met for a chemistry read, we immediately clicked. She's just a really cool person and we had so much fun and everything you see onscreen is what you got off. We were so close and always messing around, just getting into a little bit of trouble sometimes. But yeah, we had great chemistry. In the city of Toronto where we filmed, even when we weren't filming, we were out in the city just about everyday, so it was super fun with her.
This is a full ensemble film. How was it getting to work with the rest of the cast along with Peyton?
Lomax: I got to work with a couple of the other Secret Society kids towards the end of the film when I finally get a chance to help them out in some way. And the time that I did get to work with them, it was really fun and I wish I got a little bit more time with them as the Secret Society. Hopefully, if there ever is a second one, maybe I can get that chance. But we hung out all the time off-set when we weren't working together so we were all super close, and it wasn't hard to just jump right in there and pick it up.
You were mentioning that one of the things that drew you to the project was your character getting to be in a band with Sam. Was there any prep to get in that rock'n'roll mindset?
Lomax: Oh yeah! I've always been kind of a big rock guy because my parents; my dad's a big '90s grunge kind of guy, so I've always been into that. But prep for this... I've never had any music experience prior to this so I had to get a lot of intense drum lessons, and my drum teacher Mike taught me really well and I picked it up pretty quick. I was still a beginner at the time of filming and I still had some things to figure out, even with Peyton while she was learning guitar. It was tough but I picked it up. And I'm still drumming now and I have a whole new love for music, so I'm really happy that I did that because now I have it as a side hobby.
As someone with a bit of musical experience myself, drums are like the hardest instrument in a band!
Lomax: Yeah, they're pretty tough. I got a little garage band going with my friends and I mess around on the guitar and bass sometimes, but yeah, I feel like drums are the hardest one to pick up and get the hang of.
Was learning the drums the hardest prep you had for this?
Lomax: Pretty much. That was the toughest part just because the original songs that we had for the movie are really good and I had to learn them. It was pretty tough as the first song to learn, but once Mike taught it to me, he had me pick it up really quickly and I got it down. I wish I could go back now and redo the scenes because I feel like I'd do a lot better with them today than I did when we filmed it.
This film combines wish-fulfillment fantasy with superhero action. How do you see the genres and the continued appeal of superheroes as a performer?
Lomax: Action movies and superhero movies have always been a big part of my life ever since I was a kid just growing up off of different ones on Disney Channel, and one of my all-time favorite trilogies is The Dark Knight. I feel like it's really cool to be part of my first action-adventure movie and something with Disney. This is my first Disney thing, which is something I've never done before, and it was a really awesome experience overall, and I wouldn't want to trade it for anything. And hopefully we'll be able to do another one.
This was your first Disney thing, but you've done some pretty heavy stuff before this with 99 Homes and The Walking Dead. How was it moving into more family-friendly fare with this?
Lomax: It was definitely dynamic and a lot more lighthearted. Yeah, I've done more grounded, serious stuff so it was kind of cool doing something a little bit more upbeat and happy and easy. It's an easy, fun laugh kind of movie and I had so much fun hanging out with kids my age on-set and off; that was probably the biggest thing for me. It was just a blast because it was summer when we were doing it so we didn't have much school, so it was just super fun.
How was your experience being on the first season of The Walking Dead?
Lomax: Man, that was one of the first things I ever booked! Me and my sister were actually on it together back when she was still acting. But that was one of the coolest experiences in my life. I remember sitting at the lunch tent and there were zombies in the full-fledged makeup and even sat at a table all together. It was a super funny but cool thing to see, and I wasn't scared surprisingly, even though I was really young. I wasn't scared of the people playing the zombies because they were super nice and we're really good friends with Chandler Riggs, who played Carl. It was just a really great experience to have, especially that young. I'll always hold that close to my heart.
Taking it back to Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, what do you think it is that makes the perfect movie and escapism for this current moment in time?
Lomax: I feel like this movie has a lot of great, underlying themes that can fall into what's happening in today's society. I think one of the biggest ones is just self-empowerment, leaning into yourself and what you're born with. Everyone's born with a unique power in this movie and they kind of lean into that and find out what works best for them, and I think that falls into what's going on today if everyone could just work together instead of looking at their differences that are tearing everyone apart right now; I feel like that would really help.
What are you most proud of getting from this project either professionally or personally?
Lomax: Probably the drums. I felt I picked up a lot more than I was expecting to and I did a lot better than I was expecting to. I'm very proud of that. And I think that the city of Toronto is probably my most favorite city of all time. It's just absolutely beautiful and so fun to explore. That's something I'll remember the most from filming this.
Directed by Anna Mastro, Secret Society of Second-Born Royals stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Skylar Astin, Olivia Deeble, Niles Fitch, Faly Rakotohavana, Isabella Blake Thomas, Elodie Yung, Ashley Liao, Noah Lomax and Greg Bryk. The film is now available on Disney+.