Why Caleb Trask From Netflix's East Of Eden Looks So Familiar

There's a lot of buzz surrounding the Netflix adaptation of "East of Eden," led by Florence Pugh. If you've watched it already, you may be wondering where you've seen the guy who plays Caleb Trask before. That would be Australian actor Joseph Zada, and if he looks familiar, it could be because you've seen him in the trailers for the next installment in the "Hunger Games" franchise, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping." He will star as a younger version of tribute-turned-mentor Haymitch Abernathy, portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the Jennifer Lawrence-led movies.

Speaking to Polyester, Zada said that he was "very excited" but also "very nervous" about joining the "Hunger Games" franchise, adding, "It feels like I am a tribute and the Capitol is all the viewers watching to see whether I'm ever going to act again. But I'm so excited, the cast is incredible." In case you're not tapped into the "Hunger Games" universe, you may also recognize Zada from his role as reckless rich boy Johnny Sinclair Dennis in the Prime Video series "We Were Liars," based on the book by E. Lockhart.

Zada has been working in the business since his 2019 debut in the film "Bilched," which co-stars his brother and was directed by his father. He caught the acting bug early, and, before long, he was dropping out of school to pursue it as a career. "My attendance was too low," he told GQ Australia. "They said, 'If you do that audition, you're not coming back.' So I dropped out to do an audition." Zada then established himself with memorable roles in the Australian TV shows "Total Control" and "Invisible Boys," setting himself on a path to Hollywood.

If you're an actor set to play a character made famous by someone else, it's only natural for you to want to see the original performance, especially if the performer in question is a Hollywood legend. However, Joseph Zada was advised not to watch the original film adaptation of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden," which featured James Dean in the role of Caleb Trask, until after he'd finished his work on the Netflix version.

Zada explained in an interview with Today that writer and showrunner Zoe Kazan asked him if he had seen the 1955 film version, which he hadn't. She then told him to avoid it because she was worried it might influence his performance too much. According to Zada, Kazan really liked the interpretation of the character he gave during his audition and that's what she wanted to capture.

If you're one of the many people who are discovering Zada through his fantastic performances in "East of Eden" and you've become a fan of the up-and-coming Aussie, don't worry — you're going to be seeing a lot more of him. On top of his role in the upcoming "Hunger Games" prequel, he's set to return as Johnny Sinclair Dennis in "We Were Liars" Season 2, which has been officially confirmed.