Monday, March 26, 2007

Drake Bell Interview

1.How and at what age did you get into acting?
I don’t even remember. I was so young. All I know is that I was doing commercials since I was little. I always loved getting up in front of people.

2.When was your first T.V. role?
I know I did a lot of commercials when I was younger, but I don’t remember that much about them because I was so young. I know Home Improvement was one of my first big roles.

3.I know Josh said you were going to film the second Drake and Josh movie in the fall, did you start that yet?
No we are still waiting for some things to happen with locations and through the studio.

4.Are you still filming Drake and Josh?
No. We finished a while ago and now I am just promoting for my new album.

5.Are you going to make another season of Drake and Josh?
No we finished our last season a couple months ago but we have the movie in the works.

6.Are you doing any current projects?
No just promoting my album and will be for the next month and then I will get back into T.V. I am actually working on getting a reality T.V. show now.

Elisha Cuthbert Interview

1. How was your experience on the set of 24?
I had a great experience on "24." Working with Kiefer and the entire cast and crew was fascinating.

2. Would you consider rejoining the show as a main character again?
I will always have a place in my heart for the show and would definitely be up for returning if they asked me again.

3. What projects are you working on now?
I recently wrapped MY SASSY GIRL with Jesse Bradford. I also have CAPTIVITY coming out in March by Roland Joffe and HE WAS QUIET MAN in which I play a paraplegic opposite Christian Slater and William H. Macy.

James Morrison Interview

1. How and at what age did you start acting?
Well let’s see. I started when I was in High School and I expressed interest in it and my mother encouraged me. In fact she took me to the auditions. She said that she would audition with me. She would say, “If you want to go audition for the play I'll go with you.” It was a play called “Tiger At the Gate” and it was the local college production in conjunction with the community theatre, so I was seventeen and that’s how I started.

2. Did you ever attended an acting school of some sort?
Well, I have studied with various teachers, but I have been studying with the same acting teacher for 24 years. His name is Harry Mastrogeorge. I apprenticed as an actor at the Alaska Repertory theatre and I have studied with various people, but I decided that was the route I was going to choose instead of going to acting college, a university with an acting department.

3. What is a typical day like for you when you are working on 24?
A typical day begins with sitting in the “Hair Chair” and getting my hair darkened because if I don’t darken my hair I end up looking like a walking lightbulb (Laughs). Because my hair, I don’t know if you’ve noticed it's grayish white, and they darken it up for Buchanan. You head in and I shoot most of my stuff at CTU and we rehearse the scene with just the director and the cast and the script supervisor and we work out the kinks. Then we invite the crew in and shoot, but the most important thing in the typical day is, and not a lot of people can say this, but I spend time with the greatest people on Earth and some of my best friends. In fact, we just vacationed, there was about five of us in Maui. Yeah, so how many jobs in life do you know where you go on vacation with the people you work with. It's awesome.

4.Are you the only actor in your family or did your mother keep acting?
As a matter of fact, I got a role in the play and she didn’t, so she just did that to help me. You know how moms are. She just did that to give me support and encouragement, but I have a nephew that went to the same high school as I did, went to acting college but now he is not that much into it any more, so I guess I am the only actor in the family.

5.How has it been working on T.V. and movie sets for a portion of your life? Do you wake up every morning and love going to work on 24?
I do now because I work with a great crew and a great cast, but I can’t say that about everything I have done. It's just like everything else when you work freelance and you work job to job, sometimes you end up working with shmucks and you wish you didn’t (Laughs) and then other times you end up like it is now, but the essence of the work is always enjoyable. If you can wake up and do what you love, then life is pretty good.

6.How do you feel being in the spotlight all the time?
I feel pretty much the same people recognize me and they don’t know why because I look really different than I do as myself, as I do in the show. It's pretty much the same for me. I enjoy people recognizing me for my work on the show because it is such high quality T.V. and that’s always a pleasure. I am just a pretty low profile guy, basically I teach Yoga and I am just a family man.

7.How does it feel when a veteran actor character is killed off (like Carlos Bernard and Louis Lombardi) and they leave the show?
Yeah, that was sad. We knew Carlos was leaving because that was in the works for a while, but we didn’t know how or exactly when and with Louie that was a kind of surprise and because he’s a great guy and you enjoy being around him and suddenly it's like one of your pals is going to go missing. It's sad but you know that going in, and this job especially, it's not like other experiences. You know going in that everyone around you, including yourself, with the exception of Jack, because that’s just the reality of it, everyone has a target on their back. It’s a drag when your buddy gets knocked off (Laughs). It's kind of strange, but you're used to it as an actor when your constantly going from job to job, especially when your from the theatre. If you do fifty or one hundred plays in your career on whatever level you're always saying, "Hello", getting to know people and then leaving them. And so that’s why when you can't have a personal life on top of that, the stabilizing force. I think that’s why a lot of people end up leaving the business so often. They go not only do I have friends that I work with or have any permanent stair or job security wise, also my job makes it almost impossible to have any kind of stability in my real life. Especially when you are a young actor coming up. You’re always moving around, not making a lot of money, you know.

8.How much of you is in Bill Buchanan?
I think because these guys are really smart writers and they write to the actors strengths, I think a lot of me. The only thing that’s missing in Bill Buchanan that I have, I think, is a sense of humor and I think that Bill probably has one but he doesn’t have the chance to express it. He’s got to be in control. He has a sense of irony but not so much a sense of humor under the circumstances. I treat people fair and square just like he does, and I think you have to surround yourself with people who can be themselves around you and can do their jobs and I think we both have that in common. And I think if you treat people the way you would like to be treated then they treat you good too. I think Bill and I have that in common. So overall I think we have a lot.

9.After filming scenes do they turn out different than you would have expected?
Yeah I guess its because there are so many different ways to cut a certain scene but not really again because when you in the scene I am Bill Buchanan so if I am thinking about how its going to turn out that’s not a Bill Buchanan thought that’s a James Morrison thought. I know I am doing my best in my homework if I am thinking Bill thoughts only between cuts. I’m not thinking anything but the story and the circumstance that’s Only when I am at my best. When I start to think about all that other stuff it starts to take me out of CTU and out of the situation and that’s not my job. So I understand your question but yeah sometimes when I watch the scene I think why would they cut it like that but that’s only because there are several different ways you can cut a scene together and it is all very subjective but they have their reasons and its just not my job to question them. My job is to be Bill.

10.How did the cast and crew make you feel when you first came on set?
I was really excited no doubt about it I was excited but it’s always nerve wrecking the first day because your in a strange situation and there was no guarantee of any kind where this character would go. I knew nothing beyond the two weeks when I got the job. I came in to help them because Jack had been taken hostage. And that is all I knew. I knew something about the terrorists and the history of that day just like you did watching it. And I knew Michelle of course and I knew who Tony was and I had a past with Michelle and that’s all I had to go on. That’s all I really needed to know there was no more I needed to know under the circumstances because its so immediate and anything else would have been superfluous.

11.Was the episode when Jack shoots Chappell the only training or shadowing did you do for your role?
Yeah well I got the script when I got the job I looked at the situation and the story and I thought a lot about it. I just basically took what the writers gave me because the choice was made for me by them. I thought a lot about it to make it important to me but as far as hanging out with those bureaucratic g-man groups I didn’t do that. I just work with my imagination and what the writers give me.

12. Did you watch 24 before you became a part of the cast?
No you know I didn’t but the first episode I ever watched was the episode where Chappell is killed. I watched that the day before I auditioned. That was a great episode to watch and it was the highest stakes probably ever on the show. Of all the episodes I think of the show that’s the one that sums up the feeling of the show better than any of them. You will go to any lengths to do what you have to do. But no I didn’t watch the show. I know this sounds kind of weird but I don’t watch a lot of T.V. so I have to be very selective. I had heard great things about it but I had never gotten into it. But im sure glad I am now.(Laughs)

13. Do you watch the end product of 24 now reguarly?
Yeah I record it because I am usually working but yeah I watch it and I am a really big fan of the show the camera crew the special effects, the music the editors the whole kit and caboodle. I just think that their the greatest in the business there the top of the line craftsmen of the business and it’s a really artistically done show so I’m a huge fan.

14. Are all of the cast members on 24 close with each other?
We enjoy being around each other on the set. Some more than others because the people they are. I think that everyone keeps their distance somewhat. We don’t hang out. The only person I see outside work is Mary Lynn Rajskub(Chloe O’Brian) just because invite her to do things with me and she is always nicest enough to come. So we don’t hang unless we go to a party or something. It’s a close knit group of people is that answers your question. When were there working together everyone appreciates that it’s a very warm environment and you will see when your on set its unlike any other set I have been on its full of love and mutual respect.

15. What do you find that most of your fans ask you?
Lets see well most of my fans tell me things like it’s a great show and we are all doing great work but mostly people ask me if Chloe/Mary Lynn is really like that and I have to say no (Laughs) and you will see what I mean when you meet her. But I think that’s the most common thing and its because she’s such an endearing character and people over her so much. She’s just not like that.

16.How do you manage to multitask being on 24 teaching yoga and coaching you sons baseball team?
Well you know you do whats put in front of you so you’ve mentioned three things that I am very passionate about number one being my son of course and number two being my theatre practice because that keeps me conditioned not only mentally but physically and spiritually and everything else as well. Its hard to multitask when your doing things that you don’t like but when your doing things when your love its easy because you go oh boy I get to go do that now.

17.When your on set are you in a zone where you don’t want to be bothered because you are focused, do you have some fun or its one hundred percent work all the time?
You cant have fun and do 100% work all the time especially the situation were in the stakes are really high and its life or death in that world of 24, CTU ,Bill Buchanan and Chloe O’Brian you have to be able to break out of that to be able to have a balance because that’s what its all about and that’s also what yoga is balance and bringing the two things together and finding balance and if you don’t find the balance your going to have to suffer in one way or another. I think the one goal in live is to find a way to alleviate the suffering. You have to have moments where you break the tension. Besides like I said I really enjoy the people I work with and I also have to be 110%in my zone or I am not going to be accomplish what I need to accomplish professionally but then you have to be able to come out of it. You cant live in that place its too intense.

18. Bill Buchanan when he first came into CTU we 100% by the book now he is helping Chloe to really help Jack in the long run. Do you think in season 6 we will see a lot more of that or will Bill go back to the book?
Well your guess is as good as mine but I have a good feeling the reason Bill became that way is because as far as the audience sees he is already like that. You know a person doesn’t become arbitrary unless… well that’s not true its like the mother who lifts the car off of her child she found the strength to do that but she always had that strength in her and she exhibited it in other ways. I thought about this and I realized that this isn’t the first time that Bill has gone against authority on a certain level that’s in his personality a light bulb certainly didn’t go off and suddenly he is a stick up the but bearucrat and all of a sudden become a thoughtful take everything into his own hands do anything for the greater good kind of guy. I think he was always that kind of guy but he never was tested like this before.

19.Have you received you script yet or do you get it the first day you go back?
No we’ve wad it for a couple of weeks so we have time to prepare you know.

20.Now that you have been on 24 have you watched all the seasons?
I have watched seasons 3 and I have watched season 4. But I thought that I had better things to do than to watch 24 hours of T.V.(Laughs)

21.Do you have any idea whats going to happen in season six?
Not really but I do know that’s its going to be a very different feel and its going to be a great cast you can only imagine because they cast so well. D.B. Woodside(Wayne Palmer) is going to be the new president and Jayne Atkinson(Karen Hayes) is coming back so its going to be a great season.

22. What you describe the set of 24 as when you first walk in?
It depends who you are but for me I would describe it as immense and protective.

23. How is it like walking from CTU to the Presidential Retreat because it’s just over one of CTU’s walls?
It was on the same soundstage but a different half of it. You just walk across the soundstage and there you are.(Laughs)

24. How would you describe Prop Master Stearling Rush?
Oh Stearling Is a great guy he was on vacation with me in Maui we went snorkeling together he can fix anything (Laughs) Its was great there were 5 of us in this one villa in Maui.

Jayne Atkinson Interview

Jayne Atkinson
How and at what age did you start acting?
I started at 10 years old when I did a short play by A.A. Miles and I got into acting because my parents did community theater.

Did you ever attended an acting school or some sort?
Yes I went to North Western University for acting and then I went to Yale’s school of drama.

Has your family always been supportive?
Yes 100%

I know you were in numerous plays is it a big transition from broadway to Hollywood?
No because once I got out of Yale I went back and forth from stage to film pretty much since 1985

I know you have worked with such great actors and actresses like Chris Meloni ,Paul Newman, Jane Curtain how is it any different working with Kiefer because everyone says he sets the bar but you have always been around such great actors and actresses do you think the bar has been set for you already?
He is a good actor he is prepared and always ready to go so that set the tone for good acting and good scenes and a great final project.

How has it been working on T.V. and movie sets for a portion of your life?
I love everything about acting especially this show.

What advice would you give to actors and actresses who haven’t made it big yet?
Don’t be worried about making it big just it is day by day and you have to commit to your work. Just keep your eye on the prize at all time and you will be on the right path to your success and the number one thing is you have to be happy.

What is a typical day like for you?
I get there in the morning pretty early I have a cup of coffee, I do hair and makeup while looking at my lines and then we go into rehearsal. We rehearse the scene, talk about it, run through it and sometimes rewrite it and then after we lock it we bring in the camera crew with everything, get some final makeup and then we shoot it from every angle conceivable and its alot of fun.

How do you feel being in the spotlight all the time?
You know I really don’t at least I haven’t yet. I can tell when people recognize me but I look really different in real life than I do on T.V. and you might have noticed that when you saw me. You would have to be a pretty huge fan to know that it was me.

What is the hardest for you to do in the show?
Well when I started it was traveling back and forth because I was living in Connecticut. That was the hardest because I would be in LA for up to three weeks at a time shooting and then go home. So that was very hard on my family.

How does it feel when a veteran actors character is killed off (like Carlos Bernard(Tony) and Louis Lombardi(Edgar)) and they leave the show?
Honestly people are sad because were a big family but everyone is ready for it and everything just carries on.

What is your reaction when people come up to you on the street? How do you feel?
They say that they love the show and that they don’t want to know what is happening next.

How much of you is in Karen Hayes?
A lot of me is in Karen because I am a mother and I run a home and I try to use those qualities in her.
Last season Karen bent the rules to help Jack do you think that will carry into this season?
Chances are she will not. I think because of the circumstances in season six Jack Bauer is unfortunetly always brought into question and you would think by now everyone would listen to him but part of the deal is we question Jack Bauer.

How do you think all the shows secrets are kept unreveled?
I think some of it does, and I think some of it wont but its mostly the people who don’t have to make the commitment like the actors or crew leak some plotlines.

How does it feel being in the spotlight all the time?
I don’t know yet I think once we get into the season again the spotlight will be on but after we won the Emmy it was great and then it was back to work.

After filming scenes do they turn out different than you would have expected?
Yes because the actors don’t choose what takes they choose its all up to the director and the editors so they might choose a take I didn’t think was my best take.

How patient do you have to be to endure all of the takes?
You do have to be patient but you can think of it as a chance to do it again and make it better. I guess it doest get frustrating if you feel that you had a great take but they didn’t get it because of a technical difficulty and if it’s an intense scene but its nothing horrible.

What is it like working with such a great cast and crew?
It has been great but most of the casts and crews in my career have had wonderful people.

How did the cast and crew make you feel when you first came on set?
Very welcome and without the cast and crew I was thrilled to be there because I loved the show. I was just so excited to be part of it.

What type of training or shadowing did you do for your role?
I watched previous seasons so I felt very prepared.

19.Do you have a favorite season or moment?
I have a favorite moment it is in season one when Jack was trying to get to his wife and child who are being held hostage and he takes this waitress and asks for help and explains to her that he has been going all day and he falls asleep for one second and it’s a brilliant scene because you see that Jack is vulnerable.

20. Do you watch the end product of 24 before it comes out or when its on the air?
I am one of the only people who wait to watch it with everyone else.

21. What was your 24 audition like?
I didn’t audition for Karens role I auditioned for the presidents wife. Because I am older it was more of a meeting than an audition it was basically to see if I could work with the show.

22.What’s your favorite T.V. show apart from 24?
Yes Greys Anatomy.
23. Do you see any cast member outside of work?
Yes James Morrison who plays Bill Buchanan who has a son the same age as my son so we got them to have a playdate.

24. Is there anything not revealing to the plot that you can say about next season?
Just that the stakes are much much higher and its almost if you look at the situation were in now and look into the future if things didn’t go well. So we have big choices to make.

Josh Peck Interview

Josh Peck Interview



How and at what age did you start acting?

I was like nine I started out doing stand up comedy in New York. I was making fun of my mom and school and when kids would pee their pants and other stuff…. I was just making fun of them but it was in a nice way (Laughs) and just pulling stuff from my life as a nine year old. And my act evolved as I got older to sort of better suite the audience that I was trying to impress I Guess and I ended up getting this show and just went of Drake and Josh.

How long did it take you before you received a role on Television?

I was actually thirteen when I got the Amanda Show that was my first big T.V. Experience. Yeah I was just around thirteen.

3. When you were in School were you in any school plays?

I was in Fiddler on the roof for two seasons straight at the JCC and what not. I could burst out some Pippin. I was in Bye Bye Birdie. I did the whole musical theatre gamut.
So I am liable to bust into song right now (Laughs)

4. How Long Did you go to school for?

Until I graduated. I did go to High school but we mostly had a tutor on set for three hours a day.

5. When you did go to school was it normal or abnormal?

Nah there were always a bunch of phonies who would try to be nice to me because I was doing stuff in entertainment like there were a bunch of kids that would call me snow boy because of my role in Snow Day they would totally just scam on me and joke on me because I was an actor and it was something that they wanted to do so it just came down to them being jealous. It was a bit abnormal but I in general am a bit abnormal so it wasn’t that bad.


How hard was it your first time memorizing your lines?

Really easy im really good at memorizing stuff because I used watch movies over and over again like I would just get obsessed over comic books and movies and books and stuff like that. I guess I could estrange myself to remember things but its weird I can remember ten pages of lines but I don’t know where my keys are right now.


What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me is a lot of chillin, hanging out, eating food just sort of now that works over being a normal nineteen year old guy.




Has your family always been supportive?

Yes they have been very supportive they’ve put me up for raffle at fundraisers at their school I’ve been the focal point of discussion at Gymboree I’ve just got quite the following when it comes to the two to six year old kids.


Are you the only actor in your family?

My moms a character I don’t know if you would exactly call her and actress but she could be.(Laughs)

How much of you is in Your Character Josh?

I guess that because we share the same name is pretty pivotal all of me I guess. Its magnified Josh Nichols is Josh Peck multiplied by ten and with bad hair.(Laughs)

Are all of the cast members on Drake and Josh close with each other?

Yes our parents on the show actually adopted Drake, Megan and I so we all live in the same house…. No im kidding. Yeah were really close we do all the fun family stuff that you would do we’ve gone bowling and we go to the movies. We just went and saw Pirates Of The Caribbean the sequel and there were fifteen of us in the movie theatre and we took up a whole row of seats. It was like a big Drake And Josh party. It was kind of weird though because when we were walking around every one was starring at us. But we are a big family because were really close and we hang out all the time. Weird but a warm feeling inside like gas. (Laughs)










What advice would you give to actors and actresses who haven’t made it big yet?

Its something that is like if It were so easy every one would be doing it so there is a reason that its so tough and to find validity in the little things its like your not always going to have huge sign posts telling you what to do or what you’ve accomplished or what you need to work on. It’s the little things that’s going to give you a sense of what direction you’re going in and the progress you’re making and whether or not it’s something that you should keeping doing. I would say just try it acting is universal it can help with anything it can be transversed into business and science or anything its universal.

Which cast member are you the closest with?

Drake definitely Drake im really close with Drake.

Do you guys hang out all the time?

All the time! Were going to be hang out with you soon I have a feeling. (Jay: Hopefully) Hopefully right my friend.

How do you feel being in the spotlight all the time?

Warm and a little bit nervous because sometimes I think it’s the police spotlight and you know I’ve had a couple of crimes in my past. No im just kidding it really doesn’t feel like the spotlight. It feels like im a big goober with a T.V. show and there are a bunch of goobers out there with out T.V. shows that get to watch me all day.


How has it been working on T.V. and movie sets for a portion of your life?

It’s been unbelievably rewarding and just a learning experience and I couldn’t of asked for a better family and group of people to grow up with. Im noticing now that im getting a little bit older but im not very wise yet at least but these people really have become my family members and working with them for six years has become my high school experience and Drake and I have had the ups and downs as siblings. We’ve had the fights and we’ve had our share of disagreements and we’ve had our laughs and we complement each other and that’s the nicest balance.

Are you excited for your second Drake and Josh Movie?

Cant wait the hope is that we will start to film in the fall. But what happens everybody sets a date in this town for something and it always gets pushed back for some reason.

Are the Movie sets that you work on at a faster or slower pace than a T.V. set?

On movie sets I’ve noticed that it just moves a lot faster. I have done a lot of independent projects and there isn’t a huge budget and time is money so you sort of have to move as fast as possible so your kind of working on a tight rope and the shows allowed me more freedom and I can be a little more laid back and yet we still move fast because were shooting a thirty minute episode in two days. We rehearse for three days and shoot for two so its kind of if you ask our first assistant director Terri she’s always on pins and needles looking for Drake and I or playing X-Box in the green room or were at Kraft Services getting food.




What do you find that most of your fans ask you?
(Is there anything that you don’t want to share with your fans)

The things that I get asked most is where is Drake, or are you real or do you really like Oprah and that goes with out saying yes. The things that I wouldn’t want to share with my fans would be my desert and probably my appetizers too because im hungry?

You have lost and incredible amount of weight how did you do it?

Trim-Spa baby no im kidding. I don’t know I just made the conscious decision to lead a healthier life style and its all about being happy in your skin it doesn’t matter what you look like as long as your happy with the person you are and your comfortable with what you are giving to the world and that’s all that matters. I just wanted to be a healthier person and get in shape a little bit and I was able to do so and I did it at the right age so if anything I hope I can only inspire people my age and people in general to take that one step to be healthier and which every way. So its extra fruit today for me (Laughs)

What was the funniest thing that has ever happened to you while working on Drake and Josh?
I don’t know there are so many they pull pranks on us we’ve been doused with chili and chocolate mike and I’ve had cake blown up in my face I have been given spaghetti with hot sauce so the list could go on and on.

23. And Finally Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years as an actor?

Okay not as an actor I was going to say the car wash because my car is pretty dirty. As an actor I guess on a movie set with a bunch of cool people that I like being around. I wouldn’t even have to be a movie set it would just like to be surrounded people that I think make me better and with people I think that I can learn from because that’s all I can ask for.

Thank you so much for your time Josh I really appreciate it.

No thank you dude you are quite the interviewer if I ever open up a magazine you could totally totally come work for me its so cool.

Lucas Grabeel Interview

Jay Tenem’s Exclusive interview with High School Musicals Lucas Grabeel.

I met with Lucas numerous times while I was in California. This was my interview with him when I hung out with him at a café in Los Angeles.

1. How and at what age did you start acting?
Officially I started acting when I was 12 years old the show thing I ever did was a musical called secret garden it was in a high school at the same school district that I was going to. I was obviously in 6th grade and yeah once I got on stage and saw the audience I said this is what I want to do for the rest of my life so I just ended up from then on doing everything that I could to get there.

2. Was High School Musical your first acting role on T.V.?
No I came out here 3 years ago in 2003 I was extremely fortunate to start working very soon doing some national commercials to start out and my first film was Halloween town 3 for The Disney Channel. I also shot that in Salt Lake as well as High School Musical so I have a nice little family down there now.(Laughs) And a few other little things like a couple T.V. shots but obviously High School Musical is the biggest thing.

3. Have you ever attended an acting school of some sort?
No I actually never took a drama class in high school because I didn’t want to. I was in all of the High school musicals and all that stuff but choir was more of my thing in high school. I was much more involved with them more than the drama because it was a better department there.

4. High School Musical has gotten so big there making High School Musical: The Musical how do you feel about that?
Haha yeah it’s pretty crazy and weird because my drama teacher called my mom and told her that that my High School is going to put on High School Musical this year and I talked to my old directors at the two community theaters I went to and there both doing it. So three different theaters in my home town are doing it in 150 thousand and there are people all over Missouri saying that there going to do it.

5. Are you going to go back and help them or give them some direction?
I doubt it because honestly I don’t think they should do it and I don’t have anything against my high school and I also love the community theaters I was a part of so supporting them yeah ive already gone back a few times and taught a couple classes for the theater and did some fundraisers for the performing troop there.

6. What was a typical day like for you while you were working on High School Musical?
When we started out we were in rehearsal so I would get up, roll out of bed, stretch and play with Kenny Ortega and the choreographers and just have fun all day working really hard ive never sweat so much in my life doing those dance rehearsals. It was hot we were in a school, in a gym dancing all day long but at the same time getting to know everybody which was really nice as well. Once we start filming we wake up in the morning the driver would take me to the set from the Hotel and we would shoot and a lot of waiting around time and also learn more about each other and have fun. And afterwards we would go back to the hotel room I would soak my whole body in the bath because I was so soar and then just chill for the rest of the night.

7. What’s a typical day while not working on High School Musical?
It’s very weird because my life is either really busy or extremely not so on the days when I don’t have anything I will wake up late, check my email, listen to music all day long. If im not listening to music im playing it, maybe drawing or painting and stuff like that mainly hanging out at my apartment.

8. Do you have anyway for your fans to contact you online, Like Myspace?
No Myspace I do have a website its something that my friends and I made together as a joke. And then it ended up being a big deal and now there are tons of people on it.

9. Do you look at blogs on say IMDB?
I did and that was the main reason I started the website and the forum on the site and that has you know like 600 users or something like that every time I go back and check it I have like 1,162 in you inbox so its hard to check them all.

10. Has your family always been supportive in your acting?
Yes extremely so my mom is an entertainer at heart even know she didn’t go into it professionally she’s always been that kind of person with that personality. But yeah ive been very fortunate to have a whole city supporting me. Everyone was always there wanting to help out. I actually had a benefit show for myself for moving out to LA(Laughs). Everyone showed up and it was great.

11. So you did film in an actual school?
Yeah we filmed in East High and Murray High.
So I was Really East High
Yes it was we changed the décor they had the same school colors and they were east high but they weren’t the wildcats they were the cougars or something but the wildcat on the gym floor is actually there cat but its another cat but not wildcat.

12. How do you feel watching yourself on TV?
I don’t I hate it.
I know a lot of people who do that but is it to the point in a premier where you will turn away when you come on screen.
No I don’t know for me the craft of the art of how ever you may define I acting is the job and the process and the working on set. No one else but me and people on set get to see that. And its sad because that’s what the most important part for me. And all this other stuff afterwards comes with it sometimes but after High School Musical I didn’t care if it turned out to be the worst movie in the world. I had an amazing experience shooting it and afterwards its like if I put it on im like oh ok this is it but it’s the memories and the experiences. So I don’t care how it turns to some extent but I just don’t like hearing myself and watching myself and I obviously am my worst critic(Laughs).
13. At the school were there kids lineing up at the gate waiting to see what was happening?
No it was just a movie being filmed all they knew is that is was for the Disney Channel and even us were were just filming another Disney Channel Original Movie which is great. And we were having an awesome time but we never though that anything like this would happen it was all by surprise.

14. High School Musical 2 is it going to be summer at Ryan and Sharpays country club?
Yeah I haven’t got the script but ive heard 10 million different things from all the Disney executives who are giving me secrets that im not supposed to say but I don’t believe any of it. There actually rewriting it right now. They in the process right now so they wrote the rough draft and now there fine tuning it and honestly High School Musical I still have the first script I was given and its literally night and day to what it turned out to be in the movie it was really nothing like it. Who knows we really have no idea about what its going to happen other that what you asked me. So its summer we are at Ryan and Sharpays country club and everybody’s back and something’s going to happen.

15. Do you think at the end of High School Musical that you guys were left as friends?
Yeah to some extent I think theres the indignity of everything ok or we will have a sequel when they wrote it and when we were making it we had no idea there was going to be a sequel. I mean people were talking about it and I was like no way that’s not going to happen that’s the last thing that’s going to happen. The last day of shooting we were doing Were All In This Together and I was like this is the last time im going to do this dance and sing this song. Little did I know I would be doing it 100 thousand times more. (Laughs)

16. What type of training did you do for Ryan?
I just thought a lot about my high school experience and Ryan is a spawn of every horrible theatre person I have ever met back home. I thought of different movies and put those characters together to make Ryan?

17. What cast member are you the closet with?
As for as hitting it off it was Monique Coleman I think one of the reasons was because we were the two oldest and its not like everyone else is much younger than we are its just im an old soul and ive always grown up with people who are older than me so I act like an old man all the time and the funny thing is I hear that from my friends (Laughs) Yeah but Monique’s just a really cool girl. And Chucky who was one of the Choreographers and he also had a small role he was on the basketball team. He is 25 but he’s just like a little kid inside so we had a lot of fun just hanging out.

18. What advice would you give to actors and actresses who haven’t made it big yet?
If your young start five minutes ago and do as much as you can to get yourself prepared and ready take an acting class or a dancing class take anything to get involved and experience life, travel do different things as much as you can always change your hobbies because being an actor you have so many things as possibilities to do as a job. Even before you start like working at blockbuster like I did the things I did when I was younger helped me work at blockbuster and not hate it and not kill myself before I became an actor. I cant complain about blockbuster its retail im sure You’ve herd from Ashley(Tisdale) she worked in retail also im glad though that my first job was at a restaurant so every time I go to a restaurant I know how to treat the waiter and I know how to respect everyone who works there because I know how horrible it is to work there. I worked in retail and I know every time I walk into a retail store that im not going to mess stuff up on the shelves because that was my biggest pet peeve because people did that all the time and things like that are the things that make you a better person. So im glad that I got to work at a crappy job for a long time because im a better person for it, and it builds character.

19. How do you feel being in the spot light all the time now?
I don’t like it. Here is the thing I try to make to most of it and all situations that im dealt because my number one goal in my life above career, family and spirituality/religion whatever you call it is happiness and that’s all I want. Im thrown in a situation where I am in the spotlight im going to make it good and im going to make myself happy out of it. That’s fine and dandy but im different in the fact that I don’t look for things like that. I don’t walk around malls looking to get recognized. Its just not important to me whats important to me is my art and my happiness and my family and my friends, those things that aren’t tangible I don’t need free stuff given to me I don’t need big cars or expensive houses, any of those thing none of it matters to me. I want to do my art I want to be an actor and I want to have people around me who support me. So it’s something that you have to deal with and it comes with the job of being an actor in Hollywood or where ever. Its dealing with people talking your picture and people asking you stupid questions but that’s part of it so you got to make the most of it and try to have fun.

20. Did you have fun last night at the Teen Choice Awards?
The honest truth I hate the Red Carpet everyone thinks if I could just walk down that red carpet its so glamorous and so beautiful. But you were there with me we hung out and we could barely hear each other it was hectic people are yelling and people are mad for some reason(Laughs) everyone is pushing and shoving except for the one or two people who are so important they get there own place and they get there picture taken and that’s just not me you know we have spent two days together so far I am a real person I want to do real thing with real people and have a good time and I don’t need cameras flashing.

21. Do you think that your background had any influence on the?
Oh absolutely
Do you think it would be different if you were in the spotlight since you were five?
Oh yeah
I think because of your background you were very nice to everyone yesterday and you did stop for everyone so I think that most people who were brought up around the Hollywood life aren’t like that.
Its nice to do but when it is part of the job you have to do it and put on a smiley face shake hands and do your little 2 minute interviews and that’s great but last night was a perfect example of a bad situation and you try to make some good out of it there were screaming girls all around me I couldn’t hear a word that anyone was saying onstage and I was just kind of like ahhhhhh no I would never choose to do it but I had fun because im hanging out with cool people like you, Zac, Ashley, Vanessa and the rest of the guys but I made the best of it by seeing some live performances and being there.
22. Do you have a favorite Movie?
Nope
23. Do you have a favorite T.V. Show?
I don’t watch a lot of T.V. but I rent episodes but my favorite drama of all time would be Six Feet Under. There is a new show it’s always sunny in Philadelphia which is really great.
24.What was the hardest thing for you to do in High School Musical?
You Know for me my character was a kick back of a lot of different characters that I combined. The hardest thing was leaning to what character I wanted to mold Ryan to simply because im new to the business and im trying to get comfortable with everything but that’s what it was making sure that I have going on in my head was what was going on screen
25. Do you think because you are so down to earth it will be harder for you because of all the fakes and phonies?
No because ive learned a lot in the last three years about how to deal with people and business and the whole industry its basically like a roller coaster that goes up and down but as long as I stay laid back and chill but there does come a point when you have to be mean and to the things that you don’t want to do but you go in with a smile and its over before you know it. Also my goal or dream right now is to slip under the radar and to do independent films that are cool and interesting and also different. Disney has been an amazing platform to start off with and they have been so good with me I cant complain but I also don’t want to be making kids movies for the rest of my life. I am so much older than I look so I want to push that along.

26. Was it hard your first time to memorize all your lines?
No ive been memorizing lines since I was 12 and I was doing theatre where you have to memorize 2 and a half hours of lines. Yeah when I first started memorizing lines it was hard but I was twelve at the time but the more you memorize the faster you become at doing it. Now I can memorize a ten page script in fifteen minutes I don’t know how it happens but after you look at the format of a script for memorization methods only you start picking it up.

27. Whats your reaction when people start coming up to you on the street?
Its always different but the first time I didn’t know if they were coming up to me I was like whats going on. People would turn and do that whole face and I was like what famous person is here, who are they looking at? Oh me (Laughs) but the fact that its kids makes it all the better. If a young person is going to come up to me and be excited and want a picture or a autograph and that’s important to them im more than happy to do it.



28. After filming a movie does it come out different than you would expect?
Oh yeah completely always High School Musical is a prime example we had so much footage of all those dance numbers. You never know which one they will pick. We spent two and a half days shooting stick to the status quo and two and a half days shooting were all in this together and there fourteen hour days everyday. I think we shot 8,000 feet of film before lunch one day and that’s like our limit for one day and we shot that before lunch it was insane because we had three cameras going on all the time and tons of people everywhere.

29. What was it like working with Kenny Ortega?
Kenny is very interesting. He is one of those brilliant artists whose minds are always moving to the normal person he would seem very scatter brained and crazy and that’s just because he has so much stuff going on in his head a few select things come out and it’s a dream to work with someone like that. We were so lucky to have someone like him to direct our little film and he turned it into what it became today.

30. And Finally Whats it like working with such a great cast and crew?
It’s a gift because ive worked on some bad sets and I have been fortunate to work on mostly good sets. Return to Halloweentown we just shot this past summer and also in Salt Lake City also for the Disney Channel so im 3 for 3 in both (Laughs). So going back there and knowing who you are and what your like and excepting you with open arms was great because you work so much quicker, better and your happier the whole time if your happy on the set you will make a good product and if your not its up in the air.

I just wanted to thank Lucas and Bob and the Rest of the High School Musical Cast for Making this possible.

Tim Carter Interview

Tim Carter

Last week Starting wide receiver for the New York Giants Amani Toomer injured his knee and will be out for the rest of the 2006 season his replacement is Tim Carter. Here is the exclusive interview.

1. How and at what age did you start playing fooball?
I was about 11 years old and I had just moved to Florida with one of my best friends and his older brother and father were taking him to sign up to play little league football and I decided to sign up with them and that’s how I started playing football.

2. Did you ever take a break from Football?
Yeah pretty much when I started playing I continued to play and I never took any breaks.
3. What was your favorite football team growing up?
I didn’t have a favorite football team I did have favorite players. I really liked Deon Sanders, Tom Carter ,Micheal Irving but as far as a team I didn’t really have a favorite team.
4. Who was your absolute football hero growing up?
It was Deon Sanders.
5. At what age did you decide you wanted to play professionally?
I was probably about 15 or 16 years old.
6. How was your experience playing in college against the likes of Alabama,Florida,and LSU?
Those are good rivals and we would be fighting every week.
7. Do you feel a big difference playing in college and playing as a professional?
Yes there is definitely a difference in talent and competitiveness. So yeah I would say that there is a big difference in playing in the NFL and in college.
8. How does it feel to be a Giant?
The Giants have a great organization and a great history and I really like the fan support and I mean it’s a very prestigious organization to be apart of.
9. How did you feel when you scored your first professional touchdown?
I was really excited.
10. Have you learned a lot by veteran receivers Like Amani Toomer?
Yeah those guys have a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge about the game so they taught me a lot since I have been here.
11. How is it playing for Tom Coughlin?
He is a great coach and a great coaching staff. He is about winning football and that’s what im about also.
12. How are your practices?
They are very up tempo and there is no waste of time and it is very efficient.
13. Who helped you the most on the team when you first were draft?
Amani Toomer and Ike Hillard was here so they helped me.
14. Do you see any players outside of practice?
I hang out with Amani Toomer, Plaxico Burress, and David Tyree so we try and get together every now and again.


15. Did you ever invision being a wide receiver for the New York Giants.
Only heading into the draft I knew there was potential that I would be coming to New York.
16. Whats a typical week day for you?
I wake up at 7:00 A.M. I come into the stadium and watch film. We have a lot of meeting and watch a lot of film and then we eat and go out to practice at about 1:00. After practice we come back in and watch more film. We do some little things here and there but that’s it.
17. Say a 1:00 home game when would you have to be at the stadium to warm up and start practicing?
We try to get to the stadium about 2 hours before the game and try to go out to the field for about thirty minutes warm up and that’s it. But you warm up as a team and then go into the locker room and come back out then play the game.
18. How early do you leave for an away game.
We always leave the day before the game.
19. Do you ever practice after you get to the away field?
No we always wait until game day.
20. What was going through you head week 2 against the Eagles when you scored the touchdown?
I saw the ball come out and Plaxico Burress fumble and then I saw the Eagles safety’s coming down the field and attempting to recover the ball and then I saw Visanthe Shiancoe was also attempting to recover the fumble and I knew that it wouldn’t be a clean recovery for either one of them. I started sprinting down, the ball popped out like I anticipated and I just jumped on it.
21. Whats does game day mean for you?
We don’t wanna leave anything out on the field and we always wanna come out with a win. So we come out and compete.