Hondo resident Cole Springer is featured in the new film American Baby. Credit: Bricini Entertainment
San Antonio-born actor and current Hondo resident Cole Springer was just 9 years old when he got his first showbiz break.
A talent agent approached the family and asked if they’d ever thought about exploring an entertainment-industry career for their young son.
“The agent told my parents that he liked my energy and wanted to have a chat with us,” Springer, 22, told the Current during a recent interview. “My dad kind of blew it off at first, but my mom wanted to entertain the idea. I’m still with the same agent today.”
After graduating from Hondo High School, Springer was on the verge of joining the U.S. Marines but decided to continue his Hollywood pursuit while also launching a career in real estate. Today, he’s a real estate agent and an actor with several projects under his belt, including an episode of the HBO series The Leftovers and the 2023 thriller On Fire, starring Peter Facinelli (The Twilight Saga) and Lance Henriksen (Aliens).
In his latest film, American Baby, Springer plays Nate, a homophobic bully. During a party, he intimidates a young girl named Olivia (Abigail Pniowsky) who later must navigate the repercussions of being a pregnant teen in conservative small-town Texas.
“Anybody who knows me knows that I’m a pretty nice guy, but for whatever reason, I keep getting typecast as a bully,” Springer said. “I’m not like that. I’m not quick to snap. I feel blessed as an actor that I can just flip that switch and get that rage in me.”
Springer said he was drawn to director and co-writer Ellen Rodnianski’s screenplay because it confronted the topic of teen pregnancy and small-town stigma with authenticity without glossing over anything.
“She was willing to put a spotlight on a subject that not a lot of people want to talk about,” he said. “I feel like more people should hear about stories like this. I feel like that’s where the industry is headed.”
It’s especially true in Texas where the state government has enacted some of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws.
“Ellen said that was part of her motivation and inspiration to write the script,” Springer said. “I don’t know if these [politicians] are taking the situations like the ones in the film into mind. I’m not saying which route someone should take, but as humans, we should have free will and have the option to do what we want.”
Earlier this month, American Baby won the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the Austin Film Festival. As the movie continues to expand its audience, Springer hopes it will make conversations on the topic more compassionate and less judgmental.
“I never dove deep into this subject and thought about it,” he said. “It was eye-opening for me. It helps you understand what it’s like if you have somebody close to you in that situation. It shows you how to have empathy for them.”
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
Cottonmouth, a Western adventure shot on an indie budget, is currently available to stream on Prime Video.
The movie, which screens Saturday, is the last installment of this season’s Native Film Series.
The San Antonio resident showed the star how to handle a school bus for the Apple TV movie.