Joel Smallbone Calls ‘Young Washington’ a Celebration of Freedom and America

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Joel Smallbone of For King and Country jokes that he felt right at home wearing 18th-century coats and ruffled shirts for his role in the new film Young Washington, which follows the rise of America's first great leader.

After all, Smallbone and his brother Luke are well known for their stage wardrobe and theatrical flair – which made the transition to colonial Virginia attire easy.

“It felt, somehow, oddly natural,” Smallbone told Crosswalk Headlines, laughing.

Joel Smallbone portrays William Fairfax, a friend of the young George Washington who had an influence on the future president. The Angel Studios/Wonder Project movie will land in theaters on the same day, July 4, that the United States celebrates its 250th birthday.

It also stars William Franklyn-Miller as Washington, Kelsey Grammer as Lord Fairfax, Ben Kingsley as Robert Dinwiddie, Andy Serkis as Edward Braddock, and Mary-Louise Parker as Mary Washington.

Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine, House of David) directed it.

The film celebrates liberty while encouraging Americans to reflect on the lessons of the nation's past, Smallbone said. He and his family famously moved from Australia to the United States, but now consider America their home, he said.

“You don't know where you're going until you know where you've been,” he said. “And I think generationally – understanding where our parents and their parents and their parents have been, understanding where this country, that – you know, we're immigrants to, but we have made our own – understanding where we have been – the good, the bad and the ugly – I think, can really inform where we're going.

“I'm really proud of this project.”

It’s not the only upcoming movie with Smallbone set in the 18th century. He also stars in Drummer Boy, a Revolutionary War-era musical that recently finished production. Its release date has not been set.

“These films enlighten us – when I believe we're at a bit of a crossroads as to where we're going,” he said of the United States, describing it as a beacon of freedom and liberty – two themes the movie celebrates. “I hope, in some small way, it can be an indicator to take steps in the right direction.”

Smallbone is no stranger to the big screen, having starred in The Book of Esther (2013) before taking leading roles in Priceless (2016), Journey to Bethlehem (2023), and Unsung Hero (2024).

“Before we were a part of music, Luke and myself and our brother Ben, would shoot short films in the backwoods of my parents’ hobby farm – bad spin-offs of Indiana Jones, and Luke was always the first one to get killed off because he couldn't remember his lines,” Smallbone said, smiling.

“But I remember the first time we put a visual to The Last of the Mohicans’ soundtrack, and it was like my brain exploded. There's something about visuals and music that go hand in hand – and so much about what we do [in For King and Country] is so theatrical as a band that it just seemed like a really natural evolution to go, ‘what if we take this to the screen’ – whether it's a music video or a feature film. And so I have loved it.

“It's actually been this other expression of creativity that I feel like I've been able to create through the band and then beyond the band.”

Young Washington is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong war violence and some bloody images.

Photo Credit: ©Angel Studios/Wonder Project

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.