Look for this Minnesota eighth-grader in a comedy-horror film this fall

SAUK RAPIDS, MINN. – Fourteen-year-old Hudson Behling had played a few roles in community theater — Wilbur the pig in "Charlotte's Web" and Kristoff in "Frozen." But he wanted real roles.

"When I was cast as a monkey in 'Madagascar' when I was 11, I thought I'd had enough of that.

"So I literally searched 'Netflix auditions,'" he said.

Now, Hudson, an eighth-grader at Sauk Rapids Middle School, is awaiting his big-screen debut in the horror flick "Altar," an A24 Films production in which he stars opposite January Jones ("Mad Men"), David Krumholtz ("Oppenheimer") and Kyle MacLachlan ("Fallout").

The film "follows the summer of a young boy [Gary, Hudson's character], forced to grow up faster than he ever imagined," according to initial reports in Variety. The action is set in small-town Michigan, though filming took place in Winnipeg.

So how did a boy with minimal acting experience wind up with a Hollywood agent and possibly the chance of a lifetime? His mother credits the teenager's drive.

"Hudson was very motivated, and that made a lot of difference because, as a mom, you hear 'I want to do this,' and you're never sure what's going to stick," said Kari Behling, who works as nursing manager at Sartell Pediatrics while raising Hudson and his 17-year-old brother, Hunter. Her husband, Josh, the boys' father, died when Hudson was 3.

"His dad loved Chris Farley, and I think Hudson has some of that same funniness in him," she said. "He was persistent about wanting to be an actor."

Hudson's online research, coupled with his mom's screening to make sure it was legit, helped get things rolling. He participated in a virtual commercial for John Casablancas Modeling and Talent Management. That led to 30 weeks of group acting classes at $75 each.

"I probably spent more than that for his older brother to play hockey," Kari Behling said. "So when I saw Hudson was doing everything he could to make this happen, I decided I wasn't going to tell him no."

Hudson learned of an acting expo in Dallas, where he and his mom spent five days in summer 2023 along with about 2,000 others, reading for agents and talking with managers from all over the world. He performed a monologue, read brief scripts and even walked as a runway model — something that makes the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Hudson chuckle over, he said.

Hudson's performances generated an astounding 11 callbacks. That was when Kari finally thought there could be substance to his dream. By their return, the Behlings had settled on PureTalent Management to represent them. Ashley Green, talent manager for PTM, marveled that Hudson, a young actor with little experience, landed a lead role.

"A lot of young actors dream of an opportunity like this," Green said.

Green said she first noticed Hudson as part of a group question-and-answer session when he asked how he could handle preparing for college while becoming an actor.

"That showed his maturity," Green said. "A lot of times you have parents that may want it more than the child. It's refreshing when you see a youth actor who wants to develop this into what could be their lifelong career."

His agent knew right away he had something special, she said.

"He's not like every other teenage boy," she said. "I love his little raspy voice. His hair is very curly and he's a little bit bigger guy. He's also got a confidence about him that's not arrogant. He's not afraid. He's not shy. He's easy to talk to. That's great for when you're on set and take direction without getting your feelings hurt."

Green connected the Behlings with DDO Artists Agency, which set up further coaching and ultimately landed Hudson the audition for "Altar" early last year. A portion of Hudson's earnings goes into trust until he's 18. PTM and DDO each take a percentage but the rest is his.

"It's not life-changing money, but it's great for a youth actor," Green said. "It's a nest egg, or it might pay for a couple of years of college. … Now that he has this film on his résumé we can pitch him for different projects and use it as evidence of what he can do."

He had previous auditions, including one for a Costco commercial and another to play a role as Kathy Bates' grandson in the CBS reboot of "Matlock." But with A24, which in 2022 produced the Academy Award winner for best picture ("Everything Everywhere All at Once"), Hudson met the director, writer and casting agent, auditioned with candidates to play the role of his sister and became one of four finalists.

"They wanted me to be sad during one audition, and I was sad that day anyway, so I thought I did really well," Hudson said. "I felt chemistry with [Lily Collias] who was going to be my sister."

"Last May, they called and I thought they were leading up to telling me I didn't get the part. When they said they wanted me to be their Gary, I was crying I was so happy," he said.

DDO negotiated his contract last summer and he got five days' notice to report for shooting. As a minor, he had to have his mother or another relative or guardian with him at all times.

"I'm like, 'I have a job and a 17-year-old at home,' but with Hollywood you pretty much bend to their schedule," Kari Behling said. Family stepped in to help, she took time off her job, "and we made it work," she said.

Hudson missed several weeks of classes last fall, on set as many as 10 hours a day and mandated to spend three hours a day on schoolwork.

"There was a lot of down time," he said. "Each scene probably took two or three hours. There might be five to 10 takes and then they'd move the camera to get different angles of the same shot."

On occasion, he used prosthetics, was wired to fly through the air and was covered in fake blood. While it's a horror movie, the plot includes some comedy and family drama, too.

The movie is in final editing. No release date has been announced, but the premiere could come later this fall. Whether that's in Hollywood, New York or even Winnipeg, Hudson and his family will be flown there to attend it.

He's already auditioned for his next role, though he's just as excited about starting high school. Kari Behling is even hopeful January Jones, whose son Xander became friends with Hudson, may be able to connect Hudson with his comic-acting idol, Adam Sandler.

"If acting becomes huge for Hudson, as crazy as that might be, we'll deal with it, but right now we're still the same people living in the same house with the same rules," she said. "He's still the same boy. Nothing has changed."