The movie, which screened this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, follows the early years of the military hero and first American president.
1 of 4 | “Young George Washington” had its New York premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this weekend. Image courtesy of Angel Studios
William Franklyn-Miller says he tried to separate the man from the myth when playing the titular military hero-turned-president in the new film, Young George Washington.
“This guy is such a known figure. We all know him as [being on] the dollar bill, as the first president of the United States and I think bringing the human aspect to his life is what helped me portray him,” Franklyn-Miller, 22, told UPI in a Zoom interview Friday.
“At the end of the day, in THIS story, he’s a 21-year-old boy and I think bringing that aspect to him was super-important.”
Yesterday, George Washington returned to NYC! @tribeca hosted the NYC premiere of #YoungWashington, and it was an absolutely amazing event. Thank you to everyone who orchestrated, coordinated, and attended the screening! See #YoungWashington in a theater near you on July… pic.twitter.com/IVXMHpif5X— Young George Washington (@washingtonmovie) June 14, 2026
Directed by Jon Erwin, the epic screened this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. It opens in theaters July 3, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Co-starring Mary-Louise Parker, Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammer and Andy Serkis, the movie follows George Washington before he led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolution, then later became the first president.
Franklyn-Miller said he was on vacation with his girlfriend when he learned he had landed the coveted role.
“I got a call that they wanted to jump on Zoom with me and I had a sneaky suspicion. But, as an actor, you’re always cautious when it comes to these things,” he said.
“There’s a lot of notes before you get a ‘yes.’ But, once I found out, I think I turned into a nine-year-old boy again. I was jumping around the room. I was honestly over the moon. It’s this dream role for an actor. It’s got everything in it,” he added.
“You’ve got the fights, the battles, the emotion when it comes to the loss of a loved one. You’ve got a love story in it, as well, and, really, the main thing is the ambition of this guy and finding out what place he has in the world and how he gets to that point.”
The actor said he was one of the first people cast and didn’t know with whom he’d be sharing the screen until he showed up for work.
“Everyone on the cast was amazing and talking about legendary figures! I mean, Sir Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammar, Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker. The cast was stacked,” he said.
“I found I’d gotten the role before they were attached to the project and before we’d even filmed the scene. So, the pressure was already high, performing and playing and embodying the first president of the United States. But once I heard the cast was involved, the pressure went through the roof. That was for sure.
“But I think that really made me focus on my craft and make sure I do the best job I could. So, it was great. It helped me a lot and I learned so much from those legends.”
Franklyn-Miller said he was thrilled to be taking Young Washington to Tribeca, the festival Robert De Niro co-founded 25 years ago.
“There’s not a better time to release this film. It’s the 250th anniversary [of the country]. It’s right on the money. It’s great. I’m really proud of it and Tribeca is something I’ve always followed quite closely, never, ever been,” he added.
“So, this will be my first time and to go for my first time for a film I’m a part of Is a dream come true and I’m so excited to watch it on the big screen [Saturday].”
The Medici alum also will soon be seen in Neuromancer and The Age of Innocence.
