Des Plaines native Fin Argus plays cancer-stricken teen in new Disney Plus movie ‘Clouds’

Des Plaines native Fin Argus was a teenager when he came across the 2012 song “Clouds,” written and performed by Zach Sobiech, a Minnesota teen battling a rare bone cancer.

“I loved the song,” Argus, 22, told the Tribune. “I even went so far as to start learning it on the guitar, but at the time, I was like, I don’t know if this sounds good with my voice. Fast forward to seven years later, I got the audition for this movie. It just seemed sort of meant to be.”

Argus plays Zach in the new movie “Clouds,” which is scheduled to drop Friday on Disney Plus. Zach wrote and recorded music to say goodbye to his friends and family after learning his osteosarcoma was terminal. His song “Clouds” reached the top spot on iTunes shortly after he died in May 2013 at the age of 18.

“Clouds” is Argus' feature film debut. Neve Campbell (“Scream”) and Tom Everett Scott (“That Thing You Do!”) portray Zach’s parents, Laura and Rob. Chicago native Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out”) plays an inspirational teacher, while Sabrina Carpenter (“Girl Meets World”) is Zach’s best friend and songwriting partner Sammy in the two-hour movie, which filmed in Montreal.

“There were moments when we were on set and it felt like we were crashing because we had to go to these really dark places emotionally, but we had a support system with each other,” Argus said about the cast and crew. “It was a roller coaster filming. There were really amazing days, and there were really hard days, but I think the amazing days kind of bolstered us and made it possible to get through all the difficult scenes.”

Argus said he met with Zach’s friends and family to prepare for the role and make his portrayal as authentic as possible — Zach’s wardrobe and personal items are even featured in the movie. Director Justin Baldoni told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Argus captured Zach’s goofy and fun personality. “It’s an incredibly scary thing to think about one’s death, and he remained upbeat and fun-loving,” Argus said about Zach. “Although this movie sounds like it could be a very sad story, it’s actually a really inspiring story filled with lots of hope and lots of love.”

Before stepping into Zach’s shoes, Argus was a musician in his own right. He said he took guitar lessons as a kid and started writing songs at the age of 10. He also learned to play the piano, French horn, cello, ukulele, banjo and mandolin. He participated in Kidz Bop, a music franchise that features kids performing family-friendly versions of popular songs.

He said he attended Maine West High School for a year before going to L.A. with his mother to explore long-term job opportunities. They ended up staying in L.A. longer than expected. Argus lives there now, but said “Chicago will always have my heart.”

He’s had roles in short films and on ABC’s “Agents of Shield” and YouTube’s “Total Eclipse” and “The Commute.” His debut EP, “Lost at Sea,” dropped in 2017. He plans to release a new single soon. “It’s kind of a commentary on the experience of using social media and how it tends to bring us to a place where we feel we have to curate our image for an audience or public perception,” Argus said. “And that’s something I’ve struggled with a lot, so I wrote this song awhile back and kind of let all those feelings out.”

tswartz@tribpub.com

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