NJ teen Roman Engel stars alongside Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller in 'Paper Tiger'
The 17-year-old plays the couple's son in the new crime drama, which opened the New York Film Festival in September.
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Roman Engel, a 17-year-old actor from Hamilton who still attends school and works at a local pizzeria, has landed his first major feature film role alongside Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller.
Engel plays Benjamin "Ben" Pearl, the teenage son of Johansson and Teller's characters, in "Paper Tiger," a crime drama directed by James Gray and also starring Adam Driver.
The film follows a middle-class family whose pursuit of the American dream takes a dangerous turn.
"Working with Scarlett is probably the biggest highlight of my career," Engel said in a statement provided by his publicist. "I remember going to see Black Widow with a friend and saying, 'I'm going to act with her one day.' And here I am."
Engel said Johansson, who also began acting as a child, offered him advice about balancing school with the demands of working on a film set.
Engel has several years of performing experience, including appearances in Radio City's Christmas Spectacular, "Saturday Night Live," "Sesame Street" and NBC's "New Amsterdam." His credits also include the Netflix animated series "Centaurworld" and the film "Legacy Peak."
For the film's Sept. 25 New York Film Festival premiere, Engel designed a red-carpet jacket featuring pages from his "Paper Tiger" script, according to his publicist.
The film is scheduled to begin its theatrical release Nov. 13, with a nationwide expansion planned for Nov. 20.
(Photo Credit: Project Publicity)
