Mar. 21—LENOIR — Brayden Frasure is only 13 years old, but he has big dreams of not only becoming a famous actor and singer, but also serving God through giving back to those less fortunate in his community.

Brayden is a seventh grader at Granite Falls Middle School. Ever since he was a young child, he has been interested in acting.

He said he was first introduced to his love of performing when he was about 3 or 4 years old when he went to the rodeo with his family. There was a dance competition, and he went on stage and danced his heart out.

"I didn't win the dance competition," he said, "but even when it was over, I was still dancing. The clown literally had to drag me off the stage."

Brayden's mother, Nichole, said she was sure then that her son wanted to act.

"I think my mother played a huge role in finding out what I love to do," Brayden said. "She knew that I loved to entertain."

Brayden's first acting gig was for a Panera Bread commercial, and later he played a small role in the movie "A Happening of Monumental Proportions" (2017). He also starred in "Peel" (2019) as the titular character's younger self.

In September last year, Brayden joined a star-studded cast in Spain to film Wes Anderson's upcoming movie, "Asteroid City," which is expected to be released in June. Brayden got to meet the likes of Tom Hanks, Bill Murray, Scarlet Johansson, Maya Hawke, and many other A-list actors.

Along with his acting roles, Brayden is involved with Music Club Kids, a live-action musical comedy series for kids. The creator and producer has worked with Brittney Spears and Whitney Houston, to name a few. Each video has kids singing and dancing along to a song parody that tells a story, Nichole explained.

Brayden's favorite episode, "You Just Got Detention," is a parody of the song, "You Just Want Attention" by Charlie Puth.

"I am really into music right now," Brayden said. "I'm thinking that I will continue recording music. I play the piano, and I'd really like to learn to play the guitar. I'd also like to explore making a movie, producing, writing, directing. I think that's the path for me."

"I could definitely see him working in front of the camera and behind the camera at some point because he's really interested in it," said Nichole.

Brayden is a young man of many talents, as he is also heavily involved with Zigazoo, a children's social media app that encourages young people to stay active and challenge themselves. He records and edits his own videos for the platform.

Visit zigazoo.com to learn more.

Brayden has also starred on "Little Big Shots" (2020), a show hosted by actor Melissa McCarthy that highlights the next generation of remarkable young people as they share their impressive talents. During his episode, titled "Together We'll See it Through," Brayden explained that his biggest dream was to operate a food truck that serves people experiencing homelessness.

Actor Kristen Bell made a special appearance on that episode to talk with Brayden. She donated $5,000 for him to pursue his dream.

"We went to California, and he actually got to serve out of a food truck there that serves the homeless, just like what he wanted to do," said Nichole. "It was with Bill Bracken, called Bracken's Kitchen, and they filmed Brayden serving the homeless community out there."

Now, Brayden is giving back to his community through his own food truck, Little Red's Wagon, that serves the homeless community in Hickory.

Brayden said that, much like his career in acting, his mother inspired his generous spirit. One day, the two of them were out shopping when a woman approached them, asking for their help. She told them that she and her husband were homeless and struggling. Nichole and Brayden went into a nearby Subway and bought the woman and her husband some sandwiches.

"My mom sparked that in me," said Brayden. "She took time out of her day to buy that lady a sandwich, and that just made the lady's day. So I saw what joy it gave my mom to give joy to others. My heart opened up and a pitcher of joy just poured right in. It was a spark that grew into a flame and then a wildfire. My mom told me that's why my hair's red, because that flame is still burning."

Little Red's Wagon serves hot dogs with chips and a drink, or potato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich at the Shelter of Hope in Hickory. Brayden hopes to eventually expand his service into Caldwell County, as well.

For more information, go to littleredswagon.com.

Brayden and his food truck were featured in the book "Young Changemakers" written by Stacy Bauer.

"He makes [my husband and I] super proud," said Nichole. "He gets none of his talents from me. I feel like my job, my purpose, is just to provide him with the opportunities to do the things he loves ... We're really glad that he's following God's path for him. He keeps getting blessed because he's following his purpose and he's giving back."

"I'm very glad I found my purpose at a young age because if I didn't, I would spend a lot time wondering what it was," Brayden said. "My favorite part in doing all of it, I like the travel part of it because I love adventure. I love the work part of it because it's who I am, I love acting. And I love meeting the people."

Come see Brayden perform with other Caldwell County students in the county-wide musical, "The Wizard of Oz," at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center (1913 Hickory Blvd., Lenoir) on Thursday, April 27 and Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m.