Justin Baldoni Discusses ‘Huge Responsibility’ for the Making of Disney’s ‘Clouds’ (Exclusive)

Disney+ hit the ground running when it became one of the newest streaming platforms outside of Netflix and Hulu, providing families access to some of their favorite Disney content. Jane the Virgin actor Justin Baldoni is not only a favorite onscreen face, but he’s also digging in deep behind the scenes these days as a director. Making his directorial debut with Disney’s Five Feet Apart, Baldoni put as much heart and soul into his second project, Clouds, being that it was about his friend Zach Sobiech, someone who felt more like family and left the actor crying tears of joy.

“Five Feet Apart was very special because it was inspired by my friend, Claire Wineland, who passed away shortly before I could show her the movie, but Clouds was different because it was a true story, and it was a true story of my friend, Zach [Sobiech],” Baldoni said during a PopCulture @ Home interview. “And I promised him that I’d continue to tell his story before he passed away, and it took five and a half years to get the movie made.” The actor detailed that when the coronavirus was deemed a pandemic, he was editing the film at that time, expressing how fast the process was. “I mean, right now I was just getting back from Montreal where we made the movie one year ago. That’s how fast it was,” he said.

Clouds tells the story of Sobiech and his musical background but also his battle with bone cancer. Sobiech was an inspiration to many and expressed his emotions through music. In 2013, he released a hit song titled “Clouds” and was unaware at the time that it would become an inspiration for the movie. Clouds, the film, debuted on Disney+ in October and has since brought tears and joy to the hearts of many.

When Baldoni was piecing the film together, he wanted to do his friend justice in conveying his inspiration and emotional story. “Every day. I mean, this was my friend,” he said when asked if he got emotional on set during certain scenes. “I was telling his story, and you know, getting a chance to recreate his life with actors.” Baldoni expressed that Sobiech’s family is much like his own at this point, adding that because of how close he is with everyone, there was a “huge responsibility.”

“There were moments where, you know, I would know exactly what had happened in that scene, and then I would see it being recreated and of course, you just break down. And it’s also tears of joy, right? […] It’s like thinking about him and how proud he must be. That makes me cry the most,” Baldoni expressed.

Since Baldoni has kept more than busy during a time when it feels the world is shutting down, he’s stayed on the go thanks to the help from Philips Espresso. Mentioning his love for coffee and how he really appreciates the popular morning drink, he loves using the Philips Espresso 3200 Series with LatteGo because it not only makes five different coffee styles, but he can make it his way. “[…] I like to get my coffee beans from a certain place,” mentioning that his choice is ususally free from a lot of toxins and low in acid, “So I can do it. I can make it. I can just press start, and I get the foam perfect […] it’s just, everything is amazing!” For more on Baldoni and your other favorite celebrities, keep it here at PopCulture.com.