Here's a greaarticle/interview with Jason about the movie...
www.accessatlanta.com/weblogs/radio-tv-talk/2013/jun/25/idol-bits-catching-w-jason-castro/By Rodney Ho
I was always a fan of Jason Castro on "Idol" when he performed season seven and came in fourth. He evoked a sweet naivety that played well to the "Idol" audience. His take on "Hallelujah" was especially memorable.
Today, he's segued into a successful contemporary Christian artist with two albums and a few minor hits under his belt.
Castro was one of the most laid-back singers ever on "Idol," a blend of Jack Johnson, Jeff Spicolo and Matthew McConaughey. Surfer dude with dreads is an apt four-word description.
But he grew up in land-locked Dallas, thousands a mile away from the waves of Santa Monica or the beaches of Oahu.
"A lot of people think I'm from California or Hawaii," Castro said in an interview I did with him today to promote an upcoming film "The Perfect Summer," set on the beach debuting July 13 and airing at 7, 9 and 11 on Atlanta-based Up network (formerly GMC.) "The surfing culture is more of a lifestyle and mindset. I carry a bit of that peaceful, simple life." Growing up, he did the next best thing: skateboarding.
Castro, in his first movie role, plays a surf shop owner who befriends the lead character, a fatherless teen named Jake. (Former Georgian Eric Roberts plays the grandfather, a surf legend.)
The whole idea of acting in a film was "terrifying," Castro said, even with an acting coach. "She helped me walk and talk through it. I had to learn lines I didn't believe when I was just by myself. But when I went on set around the other actors, all that stuff disappeared. You just fall into the moment. You're having a conversation. It was a cool creative thing I had never done before. When writing songs, you try to create a scene. Here, you are the scene."
He never had any real ambition to be an actor ("I have a hard enough time being myself," he joked), but "this character is very much like me. It wasn't a stretch. I didn't feel like I was over my head."
(His fellow season 7 finalist Brooke White is starring in her second film, a Hallmark movie this Saturday night called "Banner 4th of July.")
Castro's go-with-the-flow philosophy has worked well for him to date with the Christian contemporary audience. "Faith es essential to my life," he said. "It's really blessed me to inspire people and encourage their faith."
He has considered moving to Christian pop's home base of Nashville with his wife and young daughter but has stayed put in Dallas for now. "We've been talking about it for three years but we have family here," he said.
Castro is also bemused that a popular Houston Astros catcher shares his name. "I know he's playing well when I get Tweets meant for him," he said (@jasoncastro). He himself has zero baseball skills but said he practiced how to throw a baseball for three days prior to throwing out the first pitch at a Rangers game to ensure he wouldn't embarrass himself.
Castro made a stop on his current tour last Wednesday with Ryan Cabrera at Eddie's Attic in Decatur. "I love that venue," he said. "I like doing acoustic sets. It was one of the best nights of the tour. And we even got a CD. They taped it and handed them out after the show. That was cool!"
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