Sexiest New Heartthrob Mason Thames Navigates Shifting Roles

In a recent interview, 18-year-old actor Mason Thames opened up about the challenges of transitioning between his recent roles. Just last year, Thames played the character of Hiccup in the live-action kids' movie How to Train Your Dragon. He then went on to reprise his role as Finney in the dark horror sequel Black Phone 2, which launched his career in 2021.

Thames admitted that he sometimes struggled to fully shed the mannerisms and vocal patterns of Hiccup when filming Black Phone 2, with the director having to remind him to avoid sounding like the beloved dragon rider. Despite the difficulty, Thames was grateful for the opportunity to return to the world of Black Phone, saying it was a "surreal experience" to revisit the complicated character of Finney.

In addition to his acting accomplishments, Thames was recently named PEOPLE's Sexiest New Heartthrob, an honor he was both surprised and amused by. While his friends teased him about the title, Thames expressed gratitude for the recognition, joking, "Hell, yeah. As you should be."

But perhaps Thames' most impressive achievement this year is becoming the first actor since Jim Carrey in 1994 to have three #1 films at the box office in a single year. His trio of hits includes How to Train Your Dragon, Black Phone 2, and Regretting You. Thames remains "a bit lost for words" about this rare milestone, calling it "really, really crazy."