Face of Courage

JACOB TREMBLAY has some advice for kids who are bullied. “Kill them with kindness,” Jacob told TFK. “And if that doesn’t work, just ignore them.” The 11-year-old plays Auggie, a fifth grader who has had many surgeries on his face, in the new movie Wonder, based on the popular novel by R.J. Palacio. Julia Roberts (right, with Jacob in a scene from the movie) plays Auggie’s mother.

Each day, it took makeup artists two hours to transform Jacob’s face for the role. But his real preparation came with help from kids in his hometown of Toronto, Canada. Jacob asked them to send him letters. He wanted to hear about their experiences. He saved the letters in a binder and read them for inspiration before his scenes.

The letters helped Jacob connect with his character. He hopes people who sees the movie will also be able to relate. “Everyone is like Auggie in a very important way,” Jacob says. “We all want to be accepted and treated just like everyone else: with kindness.”