Tim Federle Reveals The One Experience He Sourced Inspiration From For Better Nate Than Ever

When it comes to telling a great story, sometimes it's best to look back at your own life experiences — which is exactly what Tim Federle did when he wrote the new Disney film "Better Nate Than Ever." "It's pretty autobiographical," he admitted during a recent press conference The List attended. "I was the last kid chosen for dodgeball every week in Pittsburgh throughout most of the 90s."

Much like 13-year-old Nate in the film, Federle was also an aspiring actor who refused to give up on his dream of making it in show business. When it came to telling his own story, however, he realized he was gifted at writing it himself. "One of the amazing things about being a writer and a director is you get to take all of the setbacks and turn them into plot points," he said. "And not everybody gets that gift."

Because of that, Federle took his pen to the page and crafted his novel, "Better Nate Than Ever," before pitching it to Disney and streaming it on television screens across the world. While a majority of it is based on his childhood, there is one scene from the film that's a very special memory for Federle.

Riding a bus from Pittsburgh to New York City is something Tim Federle remembers fondly from his childhood. "I would take a Greyhound bus after school at night," he explained during the press conference. "I don't know why my parents let me do this. And I would take the bus, and then I would go to an audition the next morning."

On one particular visit, he had an audition lined up at Radio City Music Hall. However, "I got cut," he admitted. Yet, it wasn't so bad in the end. "It was the dream, because I was never happier than when I was making a dollar a week because I was surrounded by like-minded people," he said. 

Following your dreams is something every single person on this planet is able to understand, and obviously, we know how Federle's story ends: he becomes a big-name writer and director at Disney. Now, he wants to inspire everyone else out there to write the life story they always dreamed of for themselves. "As a kid with big dreams, whether your dream is Broadway or to be a chess champion or to go to the Olympics, I think many people can relate to the idea of feeling different and wanting to find their people," Federle said. "And I was really proud of how it all came together."

"Better Nate Than Ever" is available to stream Friday, April 1 exclusively on Disney+.