Why Josh Valentine From Godzilla Vs. Kong Looks So Familiar

Born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Julian Dennison has been honing his skills in front of the camera for some time now. He landed his first cinematic role in 2013's Shopping, taking on the part of Solomon, one of the two brothers the film focuses on. From there, he signed on to play Kevin in the 2014 production Paper Planes and really kicked his career into high gear with a spot in 2016's Hunt For the Wilderpeople.

Director Taika Waititi's feature became a favorite on the film festival circuit and earned the status of the highest-grossing New Zealand movie in history. Of course, none of this would've been possible without Dennison's turn as Ricky Baker — a troubled youth who bonds with his adoptive "uncle" Hec (Sam Neill) during their time in the New Zealand Bush. This remains a standout performance for Dennison, who followed it up with a smaller part in Chronesthesia that same year.

The remainder of 2016 through to 2018 saw Dennison appear in a couple of video shorts, Summer Wonderland and Find Your Aussie Magic. Though it may have seemed his career was losing steam, the best was yet to come.