TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa native Joshua Felder has spent recent weeks going to movie premieres, meeting celebrities, and promoting the new movie he’s in called "Champions."
“I ain’t gonna lie. I never saw myself being an actor until now,” Felder said.
In the movie, he’s on a team of basketball players with intellectual disabilities, and their coach is played by legendary actor Woody Harrelson.
“I was starstruck when I first saw him. Then I realized we formed a good bond when it comes to sports and talking about movies,” said Felder.
Felder, who graduated from Hillsborough High School and the career exploration program at USF, was born with high-functioning autism. He’s an International Ambassador for Best Buddies and became the first person with a disability to dance in the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“When I first started, he was very shy. He wouldn’t talk to anybody as much as he does now. He’s always had a pretty profound friend group; that’s pretty obvious. Just about everyone everywhere,” said Best Buddies Tampa Bay Area Director Morgan Heartsfield.
When he’s not staring in big-budget Hollywood movies, Joshua is a star employee at the Holland & Knight law firm.
“He’s just always in a good mood and always trying to make everyone else feel better,” said Holland & Knight office administrator Dean Valenti.
Joshua said people who see "Champions" will laugh and maybe cry a bit too.
“I want them to understand that people with disabilities can live their dream in any shape or form when it comes to acting, maybe cooking, etc. Everything they put their minds to without letting their disabilities define them,” said Felder.
