Blake Batchelor lands movie roles, including ‘The Butler’

Blake Batchelor’s movie resume includes “The Butler,” “Homefront,” “The Starving Games,” “Hateship, Loveship” and “Ghost Shark.” (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Blake Batchelor is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kristen Wiig, James Franco and Oprah Winfrey in his five film roles.

Batchelor is an eighth-grader at Discovery Middle School.

At age three, Batchelor first appeared in a play. “Since then, acting has been my passion,” he said. His mother Heather Batchelor has choreographed many productions, and Blake always attended her rehearsals.

Batchelor continued to perform in community theater, church productions and local commercials. Then, he secured an agent in New Orleans, now the second most popular filming location (after Los Angeles) and site for all of Batchelor’s movies.

Opening Aug. 16, “The Butler” features Batchelor as a 1980s’ kid on a White House tour. Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey are leads. Batchelor appeared in a scene with Whitaker and worked with Academy Award-nominated director Lee Daniels.

“In ‘Homefront,’ I portrayed a bully’s friend in both schoolyard and birthday party scenes,” Batchelor said. Opening in November, the film stars James Franco, Jason Statham, Kate Bosworth and Winona Ryder.

Batchelor is a resident of District 12 in “The Starving Games,” a spoof of “The Hunger Games.” Scheduled release is October. He met Kristen Wiig, SNL alum and Oscar-nominated for “Bridesmaids,” in “Hateship, Loveship,” in theaters in late 2013. He portrays a bike-riding towns-person in Wiig’s hometown.

“In ‘Ghost Shark’ for SyFy Channel, the top part of my body got eaten by a ghost shark,” Batchelor said.

“In film, doing the same takes over and over is difficult. The director may want different camera angles and background movement,” Batchelor said.

At Discovery, Batchelor is president of RUFF (Ready yoUrself For the Future). He plays piano, takes gymnastics and participates with the youth choir and Fathom Youth at Asbury United Methodist Church.

His parents are Mike and Heather Batchelor. Mike works as compliance coordinator and trainer for Airport Terminal Services. Heather is a Realtor and teaches English as a Second Language. His brother Brett is a Bob Jones High School junior and member of the golf team.