Ryker Baloun is certainly a triple threat in the entertainment industry. The 15-year-old California native works as an actor, an interviewer, and a social media influencer. He has been in commercials, films, TV shows, and a tremendous amount of web series. Additionally, his talent for hosting has brought him great success— he has interviewed over 1100 celebrities!
Prior to the fame, Baloun got into the entertainment business at a young age. His acting career started when he was just 4 years old. Now at only 15, his motivations to act continue to hold great significance in his life.
“I am absolutely driven to be the person I always dreamed my future self would be. I think I am this way because I want to prove to myself that I can do anything and I won’t give up. Ever,” Baloun shares with Celeb Secrets.
Back in 2020, the actor was in a short film called Topic of Grief. The film follows the story of a woman who is dealing with drug addiction. After being part of the project, he finds it necessary to raise awareness about the opioid crisis for the youth.
Baloun said, “I wish we could all accept life for what it is – a rollercoaster of emotion and experiences, good and bad – instead of trying to numb ourselves and hide from reality. It’s hard, but no way to live.”
Baloun has many plans for the future such as evolving as an actor and diving into the world of music. He is determined to continue learning about how he can grow in his career. We cannot wait to see what the future has in store for him!
Check out the rest of our Q&A with Ryker Baloun below! He shares insightful advice on how to prepare for an acting gig, what inspired him to become an actor, and what he likes to do on a day off. You can keep up with the star by following him on Instagram.
Celeb Secrets: Hi Ryker, pleasure to meet you! Can you tell us more about what inspires you to pursue an acting career?
Ryker Baloun: “So glad to be interviewed! I am absolutely driven to be the person I always dreamed my future self would be. I think I am this way because I want to prove to myself that I can do anything and I won’t give up. Ever.”
CS: One of your latest gigs in Topic of Grief touches upon some really sensitive content. Why do you think it’s so important to raise awareness for the growing opioid epidemic?
RB: “Topic of Grief was a pleasure to work on. Anyways, to answer your question personally I believe that it is so important to raise awareness about the growing opioid pandemic because of the consequences for our youth. I see some of my friends lives, ambitions, purpose, and will to live being slowly pulled away from them and it’s hard to accept that I can’t fix everything. I wish we could all accept life for what it is – a rollercoaster of emotion and experiences, good and bad – instead of trying to numb ourselves and hide from reality. It’s hard, but no way to live.”
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CS: What other causes are you especially passionate about?
RB: “I am extremely passionate about everyone in my life especially my friends, love you guys! I’m also passionate about music, I may make music in the future but I am really passionate about just listening to music and the words. I like country music, if any of you also like country that is really awesome.”
CS: If you could co-star in a major motion picture with any actor alive or dead, then who would you select?
RB: “I would co star with Leonardo DiCaprio because I feel like I have the most to learn from him. Also it would be so unbelievably awesome. He’s just my favorite actor and great at his craft. I try not to over idolize people and I’m sure he has his flaws but he still seems like a super cool guy.”
CS: Do you have any tricks that help you avoid bloopers while on set?
RB: “Preparation, don’t leave anything up to chance. Also even if you are prepared and maybe you just get really anxious before you shoot, like myself sometimes, just scream. Yell! Yell your lines as loud as possible and over act if you’re worried about your performance. Get into character and raise your stakes to an extreme level. Also, know you can do it. Don’t ever doubt yourself and don’t think about the consequences. Just do your job.”
CS: As you conquer more roles, how do you hope to evolve as an actor?
RB: “I hope that it gets easier to click with the roles I audition for. Some roles click and others take more time, I just need to learn how to adapt and break down certain unique roles. I also need to fully commit in my choices and repeat. I will always keep learning and I know I will never fully master acting but I enjoy spending time working on it so we will see where my time and focus gets me.”
CS: Outside of work, what do you like to do to relax on a day off?
RB: “On a day off I like to get off my phone, though sometimes I lack the will power to do so. I’m working on that. Anyways, I like to disconnect with the things that don’t matter and reconnect with my family. I might take a nap, have nice conversations, play some pickleball with my family and neighbors, and read. On a side note, I’m reading Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins right now and I highly recommend it.”
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CS: In your Instagram bio, you describe yourself as a country boy at heart. How do you keep touch with your small town roots while filming and attending events in big cities?
RB: “Big cities have too much concrete and can be too disconnected from the things that matter to me. Big cities are pretty cool don’t get me wrong, its honestly just more about where family is. I’m from Temecula, which isn’t really a small town but I have many country attributes. I also highly value family, God, and my country. I also like to feel connected to my community.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets or fun facts that you’d like to share that our readers wouldn’t know about you?
RB: “I’m pretty open with my life on social media, but I can tell you that everyone’s human. The people we idolize on social media like Addison Rae, Bryce Hall, etc they are just like you! If you had never seen them on social media you might not even want to be friends with them! Social media is everyone’s highlight reel, its what we want you to see! They are both really cool and hard workers but YOUR friends and family deserve more of YOUR appreciation and respect than them. NO OFFENSE TO BRYCE OR ADDISON, LOVE YOUR CONTENT!!”
