Connor Dean is a triple A - an actor, and athlete, and an advocate. From Butch the Bully, to the Young Entertainer Awards, to the USTA (United States Tennis Association), Connor Dean remains humble and relatable. And like many of us, he is having a blast on TikTok - despite his accomplishments. Dean is also passionate about humanitarianism, his collaborations with organizations like the Leukemia Foundation and Starlight Children’s Foundation will not go unnoticed. Jejune, curious as always, sat down with Connor Dean to learn more about his work as an actor and ambassador, as well as his tennis chops. For more on Connor Dean, read below.

Where are you based?
I live in Los Angeles California.

What inspired you to become an actor?
When I was younger, I had to go with my brother whenever he had an audition. I got tired of it and thought that if I am going to these auditions, I might as well just audition. So I took acting classes, went on a few auditions, and I loved it. I loved the feeling of playing a character that was completely different from my personality. I have been acting ever since and I love it.

At a young age you played Butch the Bully on Cool Cat. What is Cool Cat about and drew you towards this project?
Cool Cat is about a cat that helps teach kids about how to deal with certain situations such as dealing with bullies. I was sent on this audition audition by my agent and I thought it would be fun playing a bully.

Could you tell us about Butch the Bully and your experience taking on this role?
When I was cast as Butch the Bully, I knew that it would be a little hard for me because I am not a bully. I had to prepare myself for this role, but it was a good thing I had enough experience while growing up with an older brother. It was definitely weird to play a character that was a complete polar opposite of my personality but I gave it my best.

You were nominated for two Young Entertainer Awards for this role - Congrats! What when through your head when you received the amazing news?
When I heard that I was nominated for two Young Entertainer Awards I couldn’t believe it. I actually received one nomination for my role as Butch the Bully and the other nomination was for my recurring role on 9-1-1. I was just happy to be nominated twice and to have that experience of going to the Young Entertainer Awards. I had a lot of fun that day and cannot wait until we are able to do it again.

Your role in Amazon Prime’s Jingle Trails won you another YEA nomination. You’re on a roll! Could you tell us about this film and your character?
Jingle Trails is about two teens that discover Santa on vacation during the summer. It was really fun to film and where we filmed it was really peaceful and beautiful. When I heard that I got another nomination for my role in Jingle Trails I was really excited. I did not even think about what would happen if I actually won. During the YEA’s, which was through Zoom this year, I could not believe that I won. I was so thankful that I could not even think of what to say at that moment. This was such an amazing moment for me and I just couldn’t believe that it actually happened.

Butch the Bully has become a fan favorite across social media and given rise to many memes. How do you feel about the media attention and support you’ve garnered from Butch the Bully’s popularity?
I think it is kind of funny that some people have just attached themselves to the character that I played. When I look at some of the memes that people have created of me, I just laugh because they are just really funny. I saw one of me holding the Infinity Gauntlet and I thought that that was cool. I appreciated that these people like the character that I played.

And you’re no stranger to social, particularly TikTok! What’s your favorite part about using Tiktok?
The thing I like about Tiktok is that you can be as creative as you want. The only limit on the app is your imagination. I love scrolling through the app and seeing all of the ideas or skits that people have created. I also try to support the small content creators out there because I know how hard it is to get a following. I just love being able to create any video I want and I have a lot of fun doing it.

You also have a recurring role in FOX’s hit series 9-1-1. Could you tell us about your character and your experience filming a TV show?
In 9-1-1 I played Tucker, a kid that was stuck in the earthquake of Season Two. It was really cool to see how they filmed this disaster behind the scenes. The way that they used a combination of practical effects and CGI was really cool. I also had a lot of fun filming it at the W Hotel. I had a blast working with the talented cast and crew. This was such a fun set to be on and I am glad that I got to experience it.

Many creatives have taken on an array of projects to stay productive during quarantine as social distancing rules make filming difficult if possible at all. How has COVID-19 impacted your work as an artist?
With COVID-19, it was hard for me to work. There was no production or any auditions happening at first so it was hard for me to find any work. After quarantine happened, I started finding other things to do to occupy my time. I have been writing my own scripts that I hope to produce one day through my production company that I have with my brother called Penny Arcade Pictures. I have been finding my own ways to work during this hard time.

Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share with Jejune?
Right now I have some things coming up that I, unfortunately, cannot talk about at this moment. I do have some scripts that I am working on that I should finish very soon and I have some other things coming up as well. My brother and I hope to accomplish a lot through our company so stay tuned.

Jejune admires that you’re part of a team giving back to the Leukemia Foundation. What has your collaborative work consisted of and what drew you to this cause?
Just recently we just finished our campaign to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation. I was so happy to be able to help raise money for this great foundation, and all of the teams together raised over $1,250,000. I was drawn to this cause because I knew people that suffered from Leukemia. It is a hard thing for not only the person that has it, but for the family to deal with and I was happy that I could help. I cannot wait until the next campaign so that I can help raise money again for this amazing foundation.

You’re also an ambassador for Starlight Children’s Foundation and Spay Neuter Project Los Angeles. What kind of volunteer work have you achieved through these nonprofits?
I love working for these charities. With Starlight Children’s Foundation, I have helped them by streaming on Twitch to help raise money. I am able to have a lot of fun streaming while also being able to help them out. I help the Spay Neuter Project Los Angeles by helping raise money and by spreading awareness that we need to adopt and not shop when looking for a pet.

How have these experiences influenced you?
These experiences have helped me see how much one person can help a charity. One person can do a lot for a charity, so just imagine if a whole community helped out. I see these charities as not work, but as my duty to help them.

The Leukemia Foundation and Starlight Children’s Foundation seek to provide aid and support for ill children. How can we come together to follow your example and find ways to give back to these children?
For these charities, try to find a local charity that is supporting these foundations and help out. You can even create your own campaign to help raise money for them. These foundations can never have too much help and we need to come together as a community and help them out.

SNP LA, on the other hand, is an animal welfare organization. What compelled you to partner up with this nonprofit and why is it so important to raise awareness for animal welfare?
I am such an animal lover that I always want to do what I can to help. All animals deserve to be well taken care of, but let’s face it, sometimes people are not very nice to animals. Just because they can’t talk doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings or need love. I actually have two rescue pups of my own. I’d adopt more but we just don’t have the time or room!

Finally, you will be working with Starlight later this month. Can you tell us a little bit about this project and how our readers can get involved?
On March 31st I will be doing a stream at 2:00 pm on my Twitch account twitch.tv/theconnordean to raise some money for Starlight. I will be streaming some fun games so everyone should come and help me support Starlight. People can get involved by going to my livestream and donating through the campaign page. It is going to be a lot of fun so make sure to come by.

Besides being an actor and philanthropist, you’re a competitive tennis player! When did you begin playing tennis?
I have been playing tennis seriously for about 8 years now and I love it. When I was younger, I started playing tennis for a while, but a little bit after I took a break and played some other sports. When I took that break I played Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer, and more. I had a lot of fun with these other sports but I realized that they were not right for me. I went back to tennis and I knew that this was the sport that I wanted to play.

What do you love most about the sport? What is it’s most challenging aspect?
I love tennis because it is a sport where you can be competitive and still have a lot of fun. I could either play by myself in singles or play with one of my friends in doubles and still have fun. The most challenging aspect of tennis is having patience. Some people believe that tennis is easy, but it takes a long time to be good. If you do not have the patience to keep practicing your shots, then it is going to be very hard for you to advance in this sport. You also have to have patience in a match to be able to outwit and outlast your opponent.

Moment in your athletic career that you’re most proud of?
There are many moments that I can say I’m proud of. My first big win was when I was younger and my team won the Junior Team Sectionals. That was amazing because we went undefeated that year and I was excited to bring home a trophy. It’s always a thrill to beat players I am not expected to beat, but sometimes it’s just as big of a thrill to know I played really, really well even though I lost the match.

How do you balance acting and athletics?
It was hard for me to balance my acting and my tennis in the beginning but now I have it balanced pretty well. I usually practice my tennis early in the morning, and on the way to tennis I will work on things that I need to work on for my acting and I will even be writing scripts. When I get home from practice, I have enough time to film a self tape if I have one. I usually try to get all of my work done in the morning before my tennis practice, in the car, or after tennis practice.

How are you staying positive during lockdown?
During lockdown, I try to stay as positive as I can. I try to talk to my friends as often as I can and we all hang out online. I also try to spend time with my family watching shows that we want to watch like WandaVision, which we just finished and it is great. I try to keep my Instagram as positive as I can all the time, but this was especially true during lockdown because I want to show people that if I am finding ways to get through this tough time, then everyone can.

What’s your motto in life?
In my life my motto is “What We Believe We Achieve.” This was something that my acting coach used to say to us and it is true. If you do not believe that you can do something, then you are blocking yourself from being able to do it. If you believe that you can achieve your goal then you can do it. Never stop believing in yourself no matter what.

To learn more about Connor Dean, please follow him via the below platforms:
Instagram: @theconnordean
TikTok: @theconnordean
Twitter: @theconnordean
Facebook: @theconnordean
Twitch: twitch.tv/theconnordean

Photography by Julian Dahl.

Connor Dean’s Perfect Ace