For Latino actor Jovan Armand returning to sequel ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ “was a blast”
Multi-talented actor and recording artist Jovan Armand not only shared his experience reprising his role of younger Pedro Peña in the Warner Bros. hit sequel of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ but also what he loved most about his character.
“I loved the relatability, because right off the bat from reading it and from experiencing and creating and molding this character. He is a lot like younger me,” said Armand, who was born and raised in East Los Ángeles.
His career has encompassed various appearances on television. “You know, I was very shy. I was very introverted. I had to learn how to not be for the acting world and stuff.”
That changed.
“But I was Pedro Peña when I was, like, around, you know, the ages of 13 to probably up to 16. I am 22 now, but you know we adapt, we change, we grow it and. And you got to just live life and see where it takes you. And that’s exactly what Pedro Peña is doing,” said Armand, who co-starred in the 2019 hit DC film ‘Shazam! ‘ as the shy, introverted, foster kid with superpowers.
In the sequel, which is in theaters but also available on digital where people can buy or rent in several platforms, Armand said Pedro “kind of gains a bit of confidence in his own way. With, you know, this newfound superpower and just being in this family and feeling probably a lot more loved than he did in the past. And he also picked up a pretty cool hobby, which is baseball. I love baseball and who doesn’t love baseball?”
Armand said in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ his character “takes a big transition and kind of flourishes and comes into his own a lot more and makes his own decisions.”
Having the opportunity to return to be part of the sequel of Shazam “was a blast” for Armand.
“I got to work with Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu and Rachel Ziggler this time around and, you know, obviously the OGs (originals) from Shazam One and it was just a great experience,” he said.
It was also his first time in Atlanta, where the sequel was filmed.
Even superheroes fear thunderstorms, Armand said. As an L.A. child, he didn’t really know what thunder was until he was in Atlanta and was not able to sleep the first week there.
Armand said there is “a bit more representation” of the Latino community in superhero movies.
“It’s taking a long time to get to the point where we’re at and we still got more room to grow,” Armand said. “But the fact that this is an important message about diversity, about chosen family and that how it doesn’t have to be blood at all times.
“And just really pay attention to the core elements of the story that make up Shazam family and I hope you connect with it. I hope you enjoy it,” Armand said.
At the movie premier in March, Armand wore a custom-made pendant made by Barrett Stone for the red carpet. The pendant was auctioned off with 25% of the proceeds going to Kids Safe, a nonprofit that brings awareness and resources to kids that age out of the foster care.
Armand has worked in shows such as: ‘Snowfall,’ ‘Coyote,’ ‘Hawaii Five-O,’ ‘For the People,’ ‘Parenthood,’ ‘Shameless,’ ‘Children’s Hospital,’ and had a recurring role on 13 episodes of Nickelodeon’s ‘Bella and the Bulldogs.’ He is also best known for playing Brick’s best friend, Troy, on ABC’s former hit series ‘The Middle.’
With his music, Armand strives to create a sound without negativity for this generation of listeners. His new single ‘HEAVY’ was released March 14.
