Short answer: Joseph Zada is a 21-year-old Australian actor, born Joseph Cumpston, who plays Cal Trask in Netflix’s East of Eden. His other notable projects include Invisible Boys and We Were Liars, and he is set to play a young Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Joseph Zada may already be familiar to viewers of We Were Liars or the Australian drama Invisible Boys, but 2026 is putting the young actor in front of a much larger global audience.
On October 1, Netflix released all seven episodes of East of Eden, its new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel. Zada plays Cal Trask, one of the story’s most important characters. Less than two months later, he is due on the big screen as a young Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
So who is Joseph Zada, how old is he, and where have you seen him before?
Who Is Joseph Zada?
Joseph Zada is an Australian actor whose birth name is Joseph Cumpston. He grew up in Sydney in a family connected to film and acting.
In an October 2026 interview with Vanity Fair, Zada explained that he adopted the professional surname Zada, which came from his grandmother. The profile reports that his grandmother was of Afghan and Aboriginal heritage. Zada described the name change as giving him a new sense of confidence in his identity as an actor.
His acting career began with smaller Australian productions before accelerating rapidly through Invisible Boys, We Were Liars, East of Eden and eventually The Hunger Games.
How Old Is Joseph Zada?
Joseph Zada is 21 years old as of October 2026.
Published biography sources list his birthday as July 21, 2005, and Vanity Fair’s October 2026 profile also describes him as a 21-year-old actor.
| Joseph Zada fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Professional name | Joseph Zada |
| Birth name | Joseph Cumpston |
| Birth date | July 21, 2005 |
| Age | 21 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Raised in | Sydney, Australia |
| Profession | Actor |
| East of Eden character | Cal Trask |
| Hunger Games character | Haymitch Abernathy |
Is Joseph Zada His Real Name?
Joseph Zada was born Joseph Cumpston, so “Joseph Zada” is the professional name he now uses publicly.
This is more accurately described as his professional name rather than simply calling it a fake or invented stage name. According to Zada’s interview with Vanity Fair, he took the surname from his grandmother
Some of his earlier screen credits therefore appear under Joseph Cumpston or shortened variations of his birth name.
Where Is Joseph Zada From?
Zada is Australian and was raised in Sydney.
He also grew up close to the entertainment industry. Vanity Fair reports that his mother works as a producer and his father has worked as an actor and director before becoming a doctor. His brother Hal has also acted. Zada received one of his earliest movie roles in the 2019 film Bilched, which involved members of his family.
Rather than entering acting through one sudden Hollywood casting call, his career developed through years of smaller work before several larger projects arrived close together.
Joseph Zada Plays Cal Trask in East of Eden
For Netflix viewers discovering him in October 2026, the most important answer is simple: Joseph Zada plays Cal Trask in East of Eden.
Netflix’s adaptation was written and executive produced by Zoë Kazan and is based on John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel. The cast includes Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames, Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask, Mike Faist as Charles Trask, Joe Anders as Aron Trask and Zada as Cal. All seven episodes began streaming globally on October 1.
If you enjoy discovering rising international actors, read our profile on Sara Khorami , the Norwegian actress appearing in major Netflix projects.
Who Is Cal Trask?
Cal is one of Adam Trask’s sons and is central to the later generation of the Trask family story.
The character carries unusual screen history. James Dean famously played Cal in Elia Kazan’s 1955 film adaptation of East of Eden. That means Zada is taking on a character strongly associated with one of Hollywood’s most recognizable young actors.
Zada told Vanity Fair that he returned to Steinbeck’s text while preparing for the role. He also described experimenting with staying immersed in Cal’s period clothing and character between scenes as part of his preparation.
Why East of Eden Is Important for Joseph Zada
East of Eden places Zada alongside an established ensemble while giving him a character with substantial literary and film history.
It also arrives at an important moment in his career. Viewers can see him as Cal in October and then watch him take on another famous literary character — Haymitch Abernathy — in November.
That combination makes 2026 considerably different from his earlier career, when his work was concentrated primarily in Australian productions and younger streaming dramas.
Joseph Zada Movies and TV Shows
Zada’s filmography is still relatively short, which is unsurprising for a 21-year-old actor, but it already covers Australian film, television, YA streaming adaptations, prestige drama and a major franchise.
Bilched
One of Zada’s earliest credited films was Bilched, released in 2019.
The project has a family connection: Vanity Fair reports that his father gave him the role, while his brother Hal also appeared in the film.
The Speedway Murders
Zada later appeared as Dan in The Speedway Murders, a crime film centered on the unsolved 1978 Burger Chef murders in Indiana. IMDb lists Zada among the film’s principal cast. IMDb
Total Control
His television work also includes Total Control, the Australian political drama starring Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths.
Database credits list Zada as Daniel in the series.
Invisible Boys
A more significant step arrived with the 2025 Stan Original Invisible Boys.
Stan lists Joseph Zada among the central cast of the ten-episode series, alongside Joe Klocek, Aydan Calafiore and Zach Blampied. The drama follows young people in Geraldton against the backdrop of Australia’s 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite.
Zada played Charlie, one of the show’s principal characters.
We Were Liars
Zada then reached a broader international streaming audience through Amazon’s We Were Liars, based on E. Lockhart’s bestselling novel.
Prime Video lists him alongside Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor and the rest of the ensemble. Zada plays Johnny Sinclair, one of the central young characters.
Vanity Fair reports that We Were Liars represented his first major Hollywood role and that he filmed a second season during summer 2026.
East of Eden
In 2026, Zada joined Netflix’s East of Eden as Cal Trask.
With all seven episodes now available, this is his newest released role and one of the most prominent opportunities yet for viewers to see him in a dramatic literary adaptation
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
His next major project is even larger.
Joseph Zada plays young Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The story returns to Panem 24 years before the events of the original Hunger Games and centers on the 50th Hunger Games, also called the Second Quarter Quell. Lionsgate has scheduled the movie for November 20, 2026.
That is the younger version of the character Woody Harrelson played in the original films.
According to Vanity Fair, Zada secured the role after a casting process involving more than 2,700 actors. He also said director Francis Lawrence encouraged him to avoid simply imitating Harrelson and instead develop his own interpretation of the younger Haymitch.
Joseph Zada Filmography at a Glance
| Year | Movie/TV show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Bilched | Toby |
| 2023/24 | The Speedway Murders | Dan |
| 2024 | Total Control | Daniel |
| 2025 | Invisible Boys | Charlie |
| 2025 | We Were Liars | Johnny Sinclair |
| 2026 | East of Eden | Cal Trask |
| 2026 | The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping | Haymitch Abernathy |
Release-year labeling varies slightly between databases for The Speedway Murders, so publishers should avoid overemphasizing an exact year unless using the release territory being discussed. IMDb lists its U.S. release in June 2024 while some filmographies associate it with 2023 production/festival dating.
How Did Joseph Zada Become an Actor?
Zada’s interest in acting developed inside a filmmaking family, but his recent rise was not simply the result of family connections.
He told Vanity Fair that he became increasingly serious about acting in his teens and eventually left high school to pursue it full-time. After Invisible Boys, several major opportunities followed in rapid succession: We Were Liars, East of Eden and then The Hunger Games.
The unusual part of his current trajectory is how closely those projects have arrived together. Someone who first discovers him on Netflix in October 2026 will be able to see him lead a major theatrical franchise film only weeks later.
What’s Next for Joseph Zada?
The most immediate answer is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
The movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 20, 2026, with Zada at the center of Haymitch’s story. Scholastic describes the film as the sixth feature in Lionsgate’s Hunger Games franchise and lists Zada among a large cast that also includes established and rising performers.
He also told Vanity Fair that he has been writing a dramedy with his brother and has considered directing in the future.
For now, however, the combination of Cal Trask and Haymitch Abernathy makes late 2026 a major period in his young career.
Final Thoughts
Joseph Zada is a 21-year-old Australian actor, born Joseph Cumpston, whose career is expanding quickly through major literary adaptations.
Netflix audiences can currently see him as Cal Trask in East of Eden. Viewers may also recognize him from Invisible Boys and We Were Liars. Then on November 20, he is scheduled to step into his highest-profile film role yet as young Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
That makes him a name entertainment audiences are likely to encounter repeatedly throughout the rest of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Joseph Zada?
Joseph Zada is 21 years old as of October 2026. Published biography sources list his date of birth as July 21, 2005.
What is Joseph Zada’s real name?
His birth name is Joseph Cumpston. He now works professionally as Joseph Zada.
Where is Joseph Zada from?
He is an Australian actor raised in Sydney.
Who does Joseph Zada play in East of Eden?
Zada plays Cal Trask in Netflix’s 2026 limited series East of Eden.
Is Joseph Zada in The Hunger Games?
Yes. He plays young Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
When does Sunrise on the Reaping come out?
Lionsgate has scheduled its theatrical release for November 20, 2026.
What did Joseph Zada play in We Were Liars?
He played Johnny Sinclair in Prime Video’s adaptation of We Were Liars.
Was Joseph Zada in Invisible Boys?
Yes. He played Charlie in Stan’s 2025 series Invisible Boys.
