
Ed Oxenbould. There are bad days and there are really bad days. Alexander’s includes everything from a humiliating text that spreads like wildfire to an actual fire at the expense of his secret crush. The nightmare is capped with news of a huge party thrown by his nemesis on the very day Alexander planned to host his own somewhat-less-exciting birthday party. Since Alexander—bad day and all—was destined to be the heart of the film, the person chosen to fill the title role had to be special. Filmmakers cast a wide net—casting directors saw more than 500 kids. “We had to find just the right person to play Alexander,” says director Miguel Arteta. “We didn’t want a typical child actor. Alexander needed to be the underdog. He’s like the one kid in the otherwise-perfect family portrait with his eyes closed.”