Who are the children in Ben Stiller's The Nutcracker? They are real brothers

“Nutcracker,” a new holiday comedy filmed in the Greater Cincinnati area, isn’t just poised to become a modern holiday classic. It’s also a time capsule full of memories for four close-knit brothers.

In the film, actor and comedian Ben Stiller plays work-obsessed Mike, who is forced to travel to rural Ohio to care for his four nephews after their parents die in a car accident. The “Zoolander” actor is also a producer on the project, directed by David Gordon Green and written by Leland Douglas.

Starring alongside Stiller are Linda Cardellini and real-life brothers Homer Janson (13), Ulysses Janson (11) and twins Atlas and Arlo Janson (8). The film was filmed in Ohio and parts of the Greater Cincinnati area previously this year, with the majority of production taking place on the actual Janson family farm, located about 40 minutes northeast of the Queen City.

Other filming locations include the Murphy Theater in Wilmington and Stricker’s Grover amusement park near Ross, WVXU reported.

As if those weren’t enough Cincinnati connections, the film was also loosely based on Green’s relationship with the four siblings and their mother, Karey Williams, his former film school classmate.

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The Enquirer sat down with the Janson brothers to talk about their first film roles and their lives after filming.

Real Ohio Brothers Inspired Hulu’s New Holiday Movie ‘Nutcracker’

Green met the four Janson brothers while visiting Williams, an old college friend who had moved to her family’s farm in Blanchester, just outside Wilmington, Ohio. According to USA TODAY, it was being with her “crazy and talented” children that gave the director the idea for the Christmas film.

After becoming fascinated by the rural lifestyle of the Janson family, Green later returned to the small Ohio town with his co-author and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It was just incredible to see our farm and us in a movie,” said Ulysses Janson. “We go to the cinema every weekend. That’s why we watch the films often. It was just incredible to see.”

Although Green is known for his work on “Pineapple Express” and recent iterations of the “Halloween” and “Exorcist” franchises, he told D Magazine that he wanted to make a film that his 13-year-old twin sons could appreciate. And who better to star in the film than the four brothers who inspired it?

“They are as raw and real as little children can be. They climb trees, ride motorcycles, drive tractors and run a farm. But they also have ballet,” Green told the publication.

The film is an ode to Cincinnati and the Janson brothers

Despite their lack of acting experience, the Jansons’ on-screen performance was anything but amateur. This was mainly due to the comfort and familiarity on set, i.e. at home.

The boys were not only reassured because their familiar family farm also served as a filming location for the film. But almost every aspect of the film is based on her real life.

The family has over 80 animals on their homestead, many of which appeared in the film. Each dancer featured is a student at his ballet school, Ballet Tech of Ohio in Maineville. Her teacher, Claudia Barrett, even choreographed the final scene of the film, which was based on the original 1892 ballet “The Nutcracker.”

Her father, Jeff Janson, also made a small cameo in the film, and Cincinnati Ballet principal dancer Melissa Gelfin played her mother on screen.

“I just loved being able to see this movie and us, like Atlas and Arlo, as little 8-year-olds for the rest of my life. I can just imagine looking back at us in 30 years and frolicking around. “(Like) little ‘Rugrats’ and seeing our house the way it is now,” Homer Janson said.

Life after “Nutcracker”

“Nutcracker” has dominated Hulu since the film debuted on November 29th. The film landed in the top 10 of the Reelgood film charts on all streaming platforms for the weeks of November 28th to December 4th and December 5th to 11th. As of December 17, it was number 16 on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film’s success has opened new doors for the Jansons and given them opportunities that for most children usually only exist in dreams. They were able to travel all over the world, including Los Angeles, Toronto, Philadelphia and Cuba, to promote the film. They even got to board a plane for the first time and take a trip to the most magical place in the world: Disneyland.

But despite all their recent adventures, the Jansons said their lives are still relatively normal and they plan to keep it that way.

“Our lives haven’t changed much. “Plus, we know our movie is on Disney and we see our face every time we go to Hulu or Disney, that’s all,” said Homer Janson.

The Jansons and their mother added that the entire “Nutcracker” experience was like a plot straight out of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Each moment has given the brothers a memory they will cherish for years to come, while also giving them a sense of appreciation for their humble Midwestern roots.

“It was really like ‘The Beverly Hillbillies,'” Williams said. “But it was pretty funny. It was hilarious to see her there. And then Homer was funny because in the hotel in LA he said, ‘I smile at everyone and no one really smiles back.'”

The Jansons joked that they almost took off their shoes before stepping onto the marble floor of their hotel lobby, debating whether or not they could wear the usual robes that remained in their room. The Ohio natives also discussed the wonders of travel and their favorite aspects of each place they visited.

But they all agreed that the best thing about life after “Nutcracker” was the impact it had on their community. The Murphy Theater was a full house during the film’s three free screenings in November, which it hosted as a “gift to the community,” said general manager Steve Burnette.

The boys have also received countless positive comments about the Christmas film from friends, family and community members. Even her mailman had a positive thing to say about the film.

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Who are the children in Ben Stiller’s The Nutcracker? They are real brothers

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