When three high school baseball stars who have been best friends since childhood head into their senior year, they have to navigate some pretty difficult situations in the new film The Outfield. Life-changing decisions about family, friendships, career goals and college choices arise and challenge the teens. Together though, these three buddies – played by Nash Grier, Cameron Dallas and Joey Bragg – find a couple of constants. Through thick and thin, the trio needs to follow their dreams. Thankfully, they can always lean on each other.

After screening the film last week, we checked in with two of the film’s über-popular stars – Nash Grier and Cameron Dallas. They talked about the experience of making the movie with a friend, what fans can expect, whether they have ever faced similar personal challenges and much more. Set for release on iTunes on November 10, 2015 by Fullscreen Films, The Outfield promises to be a huge success, due greatly to the popularity of these two social media stars. Their fan base is beyond excited for the movie’s pending release.    

Best known as new media superstars, Grier is just seventeen and Dallas is now twenty one. They have nearly 22 million followers combined across social media, which is not a feat which is easily reached. Both boys’ careers exploded by making six-second videos on Vine (Grier is actually known as “the King of Vine”), as well as other social media feeds. 

After achieving extreme internet fame, both Grier and Dallas joined Magcon (Meet and Greet Convention), a social-media tour that was bringing some of the biggest names in the field to the hometowns of fans across the country. After leaving Magcon, they moved in together in LA to concentrate on their acting careers. Though not still living together, they’re still friends working towards the same acting goals. 

The Outfield is Grier’s first acting gig and the second for Dallas. The two plan on working hard to make sure it’s not their last. If their fans have anything to say about it, we’re sure it won’t be.

How are you guys today?

Cameron Dallas: We are good.

Nash, I’ve talked to you brother before, but not you.

Nash Grier: The little one?

Yes, Hayes!

Nash Grier: That’s interesting. He’s a character.

He’s so sweet!

Nash Grier: Really?

Cameron Dallas: He’s a Hayes!

Yes!

Nash Grier: Okay…

Cameron Dallas: He’s definitely a Hayes!

How excited are you guys for your fans to finally see the movie?

Cameron Dallas: We’re pumped. It’s been a while.

Nash Grier: It’s been too long.

Cameron Dallas: The anticipation has been building up. It’s about to explode!

Nash Grier: Yeah, I think it’s eight days. I’m just waiting for everyone to see it.

The movie is based on playing baseball. Did you already know how to play, or did you have to practice and learn?

Nash Grier: We definitely practiced, but I have played baseball for years, growing up as a kid. It was just getting back in that groove, and finding my persona as a player. We went to the batting cages, and did workouts on fields and stuff.

Cameron Dallas: I played baseball for one year.

How’d that go?

Cameron Dallas: It was good. We got second place out of the league. I actually did play the outfield, too. As far as preparing, we went to the batting cages, and had someone teach us the proper way to throw a ball from the outfield.

Nash Grier: The fundamentals.

Make sure it looked good...

Nash Grier: It has to look as real as possible.

Is acting something that you both want to pursue in your life?

Cameron Dallas: 100%.

Nash Grier: Of course. I just fell in love with storytelling in a general basis. That is what we had been doing, but on a smaller level on the internet. A movie, especially this one, opens up to really tell anything. With the new spots and characters. You can put comedy and drama into one thing. That is one thing that I am very passionate about.

Cameron Dallas: The big goal is to do [low-budget made-for-video] movies like this, then move into ones that are in the theaters. Also, staying true to social media, and putting good content on there.

Nash Grier: It’s cool now, because we still get movies like this, indie films and small budget opportunities. Then we can still go do these huge productions and be the fifth or sixth guy. That is what the coolest is right now. Our doors are open.

Nash, your character Jack has a struggle where he has to decide between art and baseball. Have you ever been through a similar situation?

Nash Grier: Yes. I went through a struggle where I had to choose between sports and my existing life. Then deciding whether or not I wanted to start a career. That was a weird decision. Definitely not one day “I’m going to do this.” It happened over like a year. I used that whole experience to channel my character. Yeah, I had to decide: Well do I want to stop going to high school, stop playing sports?

Cameron Dallas: I remember that, too. It was such a weird transition for you. I’m glad you chose what you chose. You followed what you wanted to do, instead of what other people were telling you to do.

Nash Grier: I went where the passion was.

What was it like working with your close friends on set?

Cameron Dallas: Obviously, you can tell it was a lot of fun for us. I don’t know if it was that fun for everyone else.

Nash Grier: The sets were like controlled chaos. That’s all a set is. How many times can you film a scene but get it perfect? We’ll do it 20 times before we finish it, but every time it will be rushed because we are on a time crunch.

The movie is based on parents pressuring you into doing things. Do you think kids still feel pressured to do specific things because of their parents?

Nash Grier: Ah, yes. This is something that resonates with me a lot, because I’m out here doing something that none of my family has ever done before. Not even [just] my family, I feel like no one has done what we are doing. We are really pioneering “yeah you can start a career from the internet.” Just do it until people consider you a real entertainer. We were two of the first kids to ever do that. Kids have to understand that you can really do anything that you put your mind to. My older brother, for example, he plays football at the University of Florida. His whole life, since he was five, he was told he was going to be a quarterback. That’s what he was bred for. If he wasn’t in that situation, where would he be? I think parents, kids, schools and surroundings all determine what they’re doing. Their classes and everything determine what they are going to be. I just don’t think that anyone should limit themselves. A lot of people have the same job, or dress the same. It should be so different. Everyone is so unique in their head, but they don’t show that and they don’t always do that. So that’s what I think everyone should work on most.

Cameron Dallas: I definitely think so. (laughs)

If you can think back to filming what was your favorite scene to film?

Cameron Dallas: A lot of the favorite scenes were the last three days, when we filmed out on the field. Those were pretty sick, because we actually got to hit, and we played a game. We scrimmaged a team. They let us hit balls and stuff. I almost hit one out of the park. I split the ball in two places. It was pretty impressive. I actually impressed myself. I was like “What! I did not just hit that!”

Nash Grier: All the scenes were very different to film. We were either really happy in our normal lives, or I was crying because my mom just died. It really just depended on the scene we were working on, whether it was with my parents, or my friends, or my girlfriend. They are all very different scenes. I had fun doing the whole thing.

Cameron Dallas: There was one take that got to me. When my dad is sitting down at the table, and he asks me if I want to go to college. Deep down, Frankie wants to go. He feels like he’s stuck in Peoria. He wants to go to college, but he knows that his parents can’t afford it. He says no, knowing that his dad knows he wants to go. If he leaves, it will take one person away from bringing in income for the family. It’s kind of like “eh.” It’s a good scene.

What was a normal set day like? Was it the same, or was it different everyday?

Nash Grier: Yo, mine was the worst, because I had school to do. Every five hours that I filmed, I had to do like two and a half hours of school. I’d go from a super-intense scene where I was super in character. If there was 15 minutes to spare, they would take me to school. I’d go back and forth from school to shooting. It was so distracting, and annoying. So after that film I was like: ok if I’m going to film, I’m finishing school. So I finished school. I’m done. I can focus on the film.

Cameron Dallas: Remember that house that we filmed at for the funeral scene? He was doing school in the back house or something like that. We opened the door, and I threw Frisbee plates at you. His teacher flipped out. I hid in the closet. I told Joey to hide with me. Joey didn’t trust me, so he didn’t hide. He ended up getting caught. The teacher freaked out on him, and I was just hiding in the closet laughing! He was like “I didn’t even do it!” And she was just like “GET OUT!”

Nash Grier: It wasn’t even like I was in school. It was just one on one. You didn’t have any freedom at all. It was your teacher and you. She’s behind you. Her only job is to make sure you get your school work done. You’re sitting there for hours on end. It’s just so awful.

What can your fans expect from the movie?

Nash Grier: Don’t expect anything. Don’t expect a single thing. That is what I would say going into it. Don’t watch it for him and me. Watch it for Frankie and Jack [their characters]. I know you guys have seen a lot of our videos and stuff, and that’s awesome. Try not to see us as the same people in the movie. We tried super hard to not be the same people in the movie.