Lehighton native Jason Zacek will walk the red carpet of the TLC Chinese Theater in Los Angeles this weekend for the world premiere of “Bully.”

Father and son film team Santino and Joe Campanelli writers, directors and producers of the independent film, “Bully,” contacted Zacek while filming the story in Toms River, New Jersey, and asked him to star as one of three bullies harassing the story’s protagonist, Jimmy, a quiet, heavyset high-school kid who is constantly tormented by the resident school bully, Miles, and his two cronies, Neil (Zacek) and Eddie.

After an altercation on his way home from school lands him a chance meeting with former professional boxer “Action” Jackson, Ron Canada (“Cinderella Man”), Jimmy decides to learn how to defend himself. He hits the boxing gym and with the help of a colorful cast of friends around him, Danny Trejo (“Machete”) and Vincent Pastore (“Sopranos”), they prepare to end the unsuspecting bullies’ reign over the school.

“I’m the pit bull of the group in the movie. It’s more of a physical character,” said Zacek.

“I’m the one who physically picks on him, take his lunch money.”

Zacek says at its heart, the film is a comedy.

The 21-year-old said the Campanelli duo was halfway through filming when they contacted him for the role.

“They had my head shot from a couple of years ago that they held onto and called and said they wanted me in it. I thought it was a joke,” he said.

Though it does not have an official release date, Zacek says the movie has received warm reviews while showing in film festivals throughout the country.

“We took it to the Arizona Festival, Hoboken Festival and Garden State Film Festival where we won.”

“People need to follow their dreams and just do it. It pays off to take the risk,” he said.

“I had the best time of my life doing this film.”

Zacek says he gained invaluable experience while making “Bully.”

“I got some of the best wisdom from the veteran actors like Ron and Danny. Ron would be smoking cigars after we would wrap for the day. He told me how material things in life don’t really matter,” he said.

“I learned a lot from him on set, and I got to see them act and learn from all of them. The set became my family.”

According to Zacek, filming took place at several Toms River locations, including the local boxing gym training scenes and Campanelli’s old middle school.

“The director, Santino, is from there, and we found an old yearbook with his picture in it,” he said. “There were a lot of jokes on set.”

“The last scene we filmed was a fight scene and we had close to 500 extras. The cool thing was stopping to take pictures with them because I got my start as a background extra.”

Zacek said he thought it was ironic that he played a character like Neil.

“I was bullied in middle school because I wanted to act, and they said it would never happen,” he said.

Zacek’s grandmother began taking him to auditions when he was 16 with the condition that he also had a job.

“It’s funny going from being bullied to being a bully in the film.”

The California resident says now all he can do is audition and wait for his next role.

“I have more management agencies now than I did before I started filming this movie. I started taking acting classes with some of the actors from “Good Luck Charlie,” and I’m training in mixed martial arts, trying to learn to do stunts and fighting,” he said.

Zacek is also modeling for Dick’s Sporting Goods and will be featured in the outfitter’s baseball ad campaigns in stores and everywhere.

“Bully” is expected to be released sometime this year.