Ok, we’re calling it now: Fred Hechinger is having a moment. Landing his first movie role in 2018, the 21-year-old Jewish actor has been in multiple acclaimed shows and movies this year alone, including HBO Max’s very buzzy “The White Lotus.” At this point it’s only a matter of time before he scoops up an award nomination of some sort.
While we patiently wait for that to happen, let’s take a look at 18 things to know about Fred Hechinger.
1. Fred Hechinger was born in New York City to Jewish parents.
2. His mother, Sarah Rozen, is an award-winning photo director, and his father, Paul Hechinger, works in broadcast and online journalism.
3. Fred’s paternal grandfather, and namesake, was New York Times journalist Fred M. Hechinger. Hechinger (the elder) was born in Nuremberg, Germany, to a Jewish family in 1920. He left the country in 1936 due to the Nazi regime.
4. This is what Fred looked like as a child:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSRu1pGrFSI/
Adorable! Tfu tfu tfu!
5. Following in his grandfather and father’s footsteps, Fred was a child reporter! Here he is interviewing author Jeff Kinney:
And reporter Brian Williams:
And actor Andrew Garfield about “The Amazing Spiderman”:
We’re not sure who let baby Fred interview these high profile people, but we’re so glad they did.
6. Fred got started acting and doing improv during his bar mitzvah, when a family friend invited him to see a show at Upright Citizen’s Brigade.
“I sat on the side of the stage, I watched and I said, ‘That’s the coolest thing ever. I want to do what they’re doing,'” Hechinger told Women’s Wear Daily.
7. His first film role was as Trevor in Bo Burnham’s acclaimed film “Eighth Grade.” Here’s a clip featuring Fred:
8. In 2019, Fred starred in a music video for the song “To Love a Boy,” by friend and former classmate (and daughter of Ethan and Uma) Maya Hawke!
Watch it here:
9. He’s also gotten a small taste of directing with the music video for the song “Triptych” by Samia:
10. His hair is pretty incredible:
https://twitter.com/comfortforfred/status/1419648410475499526
Easy, breezy, beautiful: Fred Hechinger.
11. At 5 feet and 7 inches tall, Fred is officially a short Jewish king.
12. In 2020, Fred played John Calley in “News of the World” with Tom Hanks. Even though the movie is set in post-Civil War, Hechinger didn’t think of it as a period piece.
“It will feel contemporary until our country makes progressive, radical, substantial alterations to how we govern and where money goes, and who owns land. The period piece of it to me was exciting because of how relevant it felt,” Fred said. “Ever since the promise of ’40 acres and a mule,’ we have not delivered for Black people in this country. We have completely stolen the land of Native American people. And over and over again, it’s all these things that we say we’re going to change, and don’t change.”
13. In 2021, he starred alongside Amy Adams in “The Woman in the Window.” Fred plays Amy’s slightly-off neighbor boy, Ethan Russell, and delivers the film’s most incredible off-handed line, “I like cat’s tongues.”
You can watch iconic drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya react to Fred’s acting chops here:
14. Fred is “no Instagram fella” but he made an account just for his role in the “Fear Street” trilogy.
Check out this cast and crew photo he shared:
15. Despite starring in horror films, Westerns and historical dramas, none of those are his favorite genres of film. “The movies I watch alone and turn to when I’m down are romantic comedies and musicals,” he told W Magazine. “I would love to do both of those one day.” We’d love to see it, Fred.
16. Fred also stars in the 2021 HBO miniseries “The White Lotus” alongside Jennifer Coolidge, Jake Lacy and Steve Zahn. He loves the show’s cringe factor, saying, “So many scenes are like, what happens if you just twist the cringe even further and really go there.” He adds, “That’s the loveliest feeling as an actor.”
17. Additionally, in “The White Lotus,” Fred stars alongside his first UCB teacher, the fabulous Natasha Rothwell!
18. You’ll be able to see Fred in the movie “Two Against Nature” and the show “Pam & Tommy” soon. The latter is an upcoming biographical drama series about musician Tommy Lee and actress Pamela Anderson, and the former’s plot is currently unknown.
But TBH, we don’t even need to know the plot. If Fred’s in it, we’ll be watching!
