Since he graced our screens as Kingston in The Next Step season five and onwards, Noah Zulfikar has been a force to reckon with. He is a creative powerhouse whose passion for acting landed him a role in one of Disney's most prominent film franchises, Zombies, as a perky cheerleader named Jacey. Noah is making his mark in the entertainment industry one step at a time.
The actor has amassed over 100 thousand followers on Instagram, and a verification badge accompanies his account. The Teen Magazine interviewed this upcoming young actor, and we learned so much about him. Continue reading to find out more about his life, objectives, and path to success.
(Via Instagram @noah_zul)
Breaking It Down On The Dance Floor
When we think about dance, one of the first people that comes to many of our minds is the insanely talented Noah Zulfikar. The Canadian native is an enthralling young dancer who has spent almost all his childhood dancing on stage. "Dancing has always been a part of my life. I have old videos of when I was a child, dancing at the age of like two years old in the family room of my childhood home.
I've always loved dancing. I've always loved music. So it's always been a part of my life, and it always will be", he says.
He has studied Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and Tap dance disciplines and is currently an alumnus of the Canadian Dance Company. As he grew older, Noah began participating in several conferences and contests around North America, receiving numerous scholarships and honors. We asked the dancer how he felt about his time at the Canadian Dance Company, and he fondly stated, "That's always going to be my home studio.
I'm still very close with all of the teachers there and the studio owner. I went to their Christmas party last year, and it was nice to see everybody. It's been a minute since I saw Mr.
Lupien and everybody from the family. It was nice to reconnect with everybody. They've always supported me, and they'll always be a part of my life".
(Via Tenor)
Being the humble individual that he is, Noah doesn't believe he's one of the greatest dancers in the world or is on his way to becoming the next Mikhail Baryshnikov. "I don't think I'm one of the best dancers in the world at all! There are some incredible dancers out there".
You can check out some of his dance videos below and let us know what you think in the comments!
Next To You - Canadian Dance Company (Emily Roman and Noah Zulfikar)
Passion For The Arts
Aside from his ability to break it down on the dance floor, Noah Z is also gifted at acting. He has starred in several productions, such as Zombies 1,2, and 3, The Price of Perfection, The Next Step, and many others. When asked how acting was integrated into his life, the star shared, "It's funny because acting actually kind of came to me.
I was always a dancer, and I was very grateful to have been able to book The Next Step. I booked that because of an audition that came to my dance studio, the Canadian Dance Company. So I auditioned for it (The Next Step) a few times for a few seasons and finally booked it for season five.
After season five, I just dove into acting. I started taking acting classes and perfecting my craft. Acting has since then become a passion of mine, and I enjoy it". The star hopes to focus more on acting but will still pursue any dance projects that come his way.
Most of his projects have consisted of quite a bit of singing, so naturally, we asked if singing was an avenue of the arts he's willing to explore. He affirmed, "Singing is something I'm willing to explore! I got to sing in the last season of The Next Step, which I just did, and when I filmed those Disney movies they were musicals, so I was in the booth singing.
It's never been my strong suit, but I've hopped into classes ever since I've had to do those projects. Singing is just a whole different world. Definitely, something I want to get better at and maybe one day I'll be able to claim that I'm a singer!"
(Via Instagram @noah_zul)
Trek Through Hollywood And Role Prep
The life of a celebrity seems exciting to us as their fans. We see the lavish homes they live in, the expensive cars they drive, and all the trips they take to vacation spots we've plastered on our vision boards. However, we often miss the tears of our favorite pop stars, actors, and actresses.
We fail to see past the dazzle of Hollywood. Many well-known actors often describe their path to fame as an uphill battle. So when we asked Noah to describe his journey, we were pleasantly surprised when he told us, "It's been an amazing experience. I'm very lucky that, even though there was the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many people were unable to work; I was able to shoot a movie and work and stay busy. However, all my past projects have ended, and I have to audition again for new work, but that's all part of the industry."
Almost every film and TV star takes a different approach to any roles they're asked to play. Some actors dive deep into their characters, becoming that character totally, and study the script as if their life depends on it. For The Next Step Star, it's all about understanding the character's needs and wants and the character as an individual. "I really check out the breakdown.
Usually, they give you lots of details about the character, and if the TV show has past seasons, sometimes I watch the episodes from the other seasons, just to get a feel of the tone and the speed. If it's a comedy, I try to pick up on the comedic timing. If it's a drama series, I try to pick up how dramatic it is.
Then it's just a matter of getting your lines down and understanding the character and where they're coming from. There are also just a few questions that I ask myself, such as, what does the character want? Also, trust in your skill set and abilities," he shared.
Balancing It All
Now at this point in the article, you might be wondering how he does it all. And most importantly, how he manages to look so good while juggling every aspect of his career without dropping the ball once.
(Via Instagram @noah_zul)
Luckily for us, he openly shared his secret to actively pursuing a career in dance and acting, which are both very demanding fields of work.
"Honestly, that's something that I've been trying to figure out for the last little bit. Lately, I've kind of put dance in the backseat just because I'm really trying to focus on acting, and I'm really trying to get people to see me more as an actor. I think that's the one thing within Toronto and within this industry.
People see me as a dancer and, yes, I am a dancer, but I want to be taken seriously as an actor. So dance has definitely taken a backseat, but I still try to get into classes in different parts of the city and whenever my friends are teaching. I hop in their classes and make sure that I've still got it, because it's kinda scary after a few months of not dancing, so I'm definitely still trying to balance the two."
Social Platform And Being A Role Model
Having amassed over 100 thousand followers on Instagram and thousands on other social platforms, Noah has undoubtedly created a strong fanbase and a place where young aspiring actors can draw motivation and inspiration from him. When asked how he feels about the reach he now has due to social popularity, he humorously said, "Honestly, it's kinda unreal. I've never been a huge social media type of guy.
But to have a platform that reaches so many people, I try to be as positive as I can online and spread as much joy as I can. I love all the people that follow me and hope they enjoy what I post".
Advice and Future Plans
To all the young people whose dreams are to become the next big movie or television star, Noah Zulfikar has a few words of wisdom for you.
'The journey is not going to be easy. No career path is the same. I have some friends that have booked huge roles on their 2nd attempt.
I also have some friends that have been in the industry for years and still haven't landed a role and they're some of the most talented people I know. I believe that everything that is meant for you will come find you. Keep pushing.
Keep doing things to better your own craft. If you're a dancer, you gotta keep dancing. If you're an actor/actress, you gotta keep acting. Keep doing this until your talent is so big that people can't stop talking about you."
Noah has some big things planned for the future, so keep an eye out for him on some new projects. He also hopes to travel the world a little bit. He wants to visit places such as Paris.
(Via Instagram @noah_zul)
10 Quick Q's With Noah Zulfikar
Three qualities that make a good dancer?
Adaptability, focus, energy.
A TikTok dance trend that you can’t seem to get the gist of?
Hahaha, I don’t know any TikTok dances!!!!
Favorite cast to have been a part of?
Zombies!!
(Via Instagram @noah_zul)
Favorite snack to have on set during a late-night shoot?
Watermelon Candy.
Favorite dance move ever?
The “Woah”.
A movie/TV series do you wish to be a part of?
Power / Ghost TV Series.
Describe your acting style in one word.
Charming.
If someone was going to create a movie of your life, who would play you?
Jaden Smith.
What type of role do you see yourself playing in the future?
Action Movie roles!
Do you still get nervous going in front of the camera?
Sometimes. But I think everyone does!! Then, if you care about something, you want to deliver a good performance, and that brings nerves!!
Keep Up With Noah
You can follow Noah on Instagram @noah_zul and be sure to watch all three Zombies movies. I hope you enjoyed this article!