The actor who grew up before audiences in one of Hollywood’s most ambitious films has chosen a very different path as an adult. Ellar Coltrane, who played Mason Evans Jr. in “Boyhood,” has largely stepped away from the entertainment industry.
Now 31, he spends his time doing manual labor, serving as a volunteer firefighter and preparing for another career centered on helping people.
Getty“I live in the middle of nowhere, and I’m pretty far away from film,” Coltrane told Variety. “I’ve moved on. I do manual labor, and I’m a volunteer firefighter, and I’m working on my EMT license right now.”
‘Boyhood’ Captured 12 Years of His Real Childhood
Coltrane was only 6 when filmmaker Richard Linklater chose him to lead “Boyhood.” Rather than replacing its young actors as they aged, Linklater brought the cast together for short filming periods over 12 years, from 2002 through 2013.
The movie followed Mason from elementary school to college, allowing Coltrane’s real growth to become part of the character’s journey. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette played his parents, while Linklater’s daughter, Lorelei Linklater, portrayed his sister.
Released in 2014, the film earned six Academy Award nominations. Arquette won the Oscar for best supporting actress. The Austin Film Society recently marked the movie’s 12th anniversary with special screenings and a cast conversation.
Fame Was Harder Than Making the Movie
Although Coltrane remembers the production warmly, he struggled with the attention that followed its release.
“When it released, when I became famous and was going around doing a million Q&A’s and parties, I didn’t enjoy that part so much,” he shared. “But I never wavered in production. I loved it. It was a really wonderful experience for me.”
Coltrane also spoke candidly about making mistakes as he grew into a teenager during filming.
“I showed up to set probably when I was 17, very high on marijuana one time, and was extremely anxious and self-conscious, and that scene is terrible,” he revealed. “Needless to say, that scene did not make it into the final cut. I never did that again.”
Independent Films Could Bring Coltrane Back to Set
Following “Boyhood,” Coltrane appeared opposite Tom Hanks in the 2017 thriller “The Circle.” He later reunited with Hawke in the Showtime miniseries “The Good Lord Bird.” More recently, he has taken parts in several independent short films.
Returning to Austin for a “Boyhood” screening reminded him how much he enjoys the collaborative side of filmmaking, even if mainstream stardom no longer appeals to him.
Getty“Interacting with film people again, I am missing being on set, missing collaborating,” Coltrane told Variety in the same interview.
“Just showing up on a big set with a million producers as an actor, I don’t know how to do that. I was never really trained as an actor. I was trained by Richard and Ethan as a collaborator and part of the machine of the film. So I’m hoping for more small, independent passion projects that I can be a part of, because I have a lot to offer.”
For now, Coltrane appears content building a meaningful life away from Hollywood while leaving the door open for the right story.
