Iconic Child Star Makes Low-Key Arrival in Melbourne

A huge US child star touched down in Melbourne on Friday, as he prepares to film his latest feature film in Victoria. 

Jacob Sartorius shot to fame in the mid-2010s for the lip-syncing videos he shared to the now-deleted Vine app when he was just 13 years old.

Now, he has transitioned into a serious musician and actor, and has made a shock appearance in Australia after a long-haul flight from America with actor Dakota Lotus. 

The pair, who revealed to Daily Mail they had only just met ahead of their flight, were all smiles as they arrived to begin filming their upcoming movie, A Day For Losers. 

‘We just met but we’re already best friends,’ Dakota, 20, told us, with Jacob, 22, echoing: ‘I feel like I’ve known this guy for my whole life.’ 

The fast friends kept their looks casual and low-key when they arrived at Melbourne International Airport. 

Jacob stepped out in all black, layering up against the chilly weather with a black jumper and sweatpants.

He accessorised with a matching hat, turning it backwards as he carried a backpack.

Meanwhile, Dakota opted for a white jumper and loose-fit blue jeans as he rolled his carry-on luggage through the airport.

At one point, the social media star and actor stopped to meet the director of their upcoming teen movie, J. G. Clarke. 

Dakota could be seen hugging the writer, who kept his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and slipped into an all-black suit for the meet-and-greet. 

The US stars said they were stoked to be on Aussie soil, with it being Jacob’s first time back in seven years and Dakota’s first visit ever. 

But despite being Down Under to film a huge feature movie, the stars said they were excited to spend their free time exploring the local area.

‘I want to hold a koala. I think my life will be complete [if I do that],’ Jacob said. ‘It’s definitely something I want to check off my bucket list.’

Meanwhile, Dakota was more interested in blending in with the locals, saying he just wanted ‘to get used to all the local spots’. 

The US star is best known in North America as a ‘Disney kid’, after he shot to fame as one of the child actor leads on Coop and Cami Ask the World on the kids channel.

Now he is pushing to land more film gigs and spends much of his time online advocating for environmental and mental health issues.

‘I remember I started my show on Disney and I didn’t even know how to say a sentence,’ Dakota said.

‘I was going into interviews like, “What am I going to do? I don’t even know how to talk.” 

‘I think just getting comfortable with myself and growing up in this industry too, I think that definitely helped. I’ve just been so comfortable in myself now.’

‘He doesn’t need any more confidence,’ Jacob joked. 

Jacob, too, is on the cusp of his adult career, having fought to be taken seriously in the music industry after his unusual beginnings on social media. 

The child star said he felt ‘pressure’ to shed the stigma of being a social media star as he chased his music dreams growing up, but now, he embraces it.

‘I felt that pressure more when I was younger, when social media and influencers were more frowned upon,’ he said.

‘I think over time, though, you look at TikTok and Justin Bieber‘s on TikTok. So I think the stigma around influencers is going out the window.’

Jacob went on to note that one of his close friends, Alex Warren, got his start on YouTube and went on to be a founding member of the Hype House in America.

‘He just won a VMA the other week,’ Jacob pointed out. ‘So, I used to feel that [pressure]. But now I think I kind of embrace it. I think it’s something that’s cool.’

A Day For Losers is currently in production in Melbourne and is set at the fictional South Verge Military School.

The film is about a disillusioned cadet who promises the girl of his dreams that he’ll throw the party to end all parties.

However, his only hope to pull it together is to win over the most unpopular kids at school—one by one.