Our latest digital feature for the month of July showcases actor and musician Julian Lerner who stars in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, the fourth installment of the hit Disney musical franchise. Zombies 4 premiered on the Disney Channel on July 10, and on Disney+ the next day. The cast also includes Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Kylee Russell, Chandler Kinney, Malachi Barton, Freya Skye, Swayam Bhatia, Mekonnen Knife, Lisa Chappell, and Jonno Roberts.

In our exclusive chat, Julian discusses joining the Zombies universe as a daywalker vampire, working with the cast, and more.

Exclusive photos for Popternative Magazine by Jena Cumbo

What was your initial reaction when you found out you were going to be part of the Zombies universe?

Julian: When I found out it was very, very surreal. I was a huge fan before I was part of this. I grew up watching these characters and dancing along with the music, so finding out I get to join the universe was the most incredible, mind blowing thing. Walking into rehearsal on that first day with Milo and Meg was literally a dream come true.

What is it about the franchise you feel makes it such a global hit with audiences?

Julian: The main themes of these movies are friendship, identity, acceptance, and finding your place in the world. That’s what connects people with this franchise.

How did you prepare for your role? Did it involve watching the past Zombies movies?

Julian: Yes, it did. I rewatched them all, and you know, once again, I love them, and I really wanted to better understand what made this franchise so special. You have the zombies which is already so special, but I dove in deeper and really looked at it from a different perspective. The mix of humor, heart, and big emotions – it’s where everyone comes together. So I think that’s what really stood out to me and I kept that in mind when I was building Ray as a character.

What can viewers expect from your character, Ray, and how would you describe him?

Julian: He’s right in the middle of tension between the daywalkers and the vampires. So, there’s that dynamic rivalry that really fuels a lot of his choices. He’s strong willed and he’s passionate, and his presence with the journey makes it all the more compelling as the story unfolds.

You have previous experience with musicals, but were there any new lessons you gained from Zombies 4?

Julian: I learned how to balance the fun and the high intensity moments with the more honest character driven ones. That mix really helped me grow, not just as a performer, but also as a storytelling.

What was it like working with the whole cast?

Julian: I’ll go person by person. So with Milo, I just learned so much from him, and he’s so supportive. He brings so much energy on set, and makes everyone feel so comfortable. Meg is super supportive of everybody; she’s always there for you and has such a wonderful personality.

Chandler has a huge smile that instantly makes everybody feel part of a family. I would say for Kylee, she has mom energy in the best way. She’s wonderful. And Freya is just so sweet and so talented. Malachi is such a great friend and he really brings everybody together. Sway, she really brought Vera to life in the best way, and being able to play Ray to her Vera was so much fun. And last but not least, MK [Mekonnen Knife] my boy. He’s an amazing dancer and he never fails to make you laugh.

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Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires is streaming on Disney+.

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