With the Canadian premiere of CLOUD 9 just around the corner, starring actor Luke Benward gave us the inside scoop on what to expect from the new Disney Channel Original Movie. No stranger to the spotlight, Luke is best known for his roles on RAVENSWOOD, SEE DAD RUN and GOOD LUCK CHARLIE. We caught up with the ambitious 18-year-old to chat about shooting in the snow, working with his canine co-stars and his on-screen kiss with Dove Cameron.
What inspired you to start acting?
Well, I fell into it organically. I was five years old when I did my first film and it just happened that my mom is an actress and an acting coach. Her agent called and wanted me to audition for a film coming to Nashville (where I lived) and I went. I couldn’t read and didn’t know my lines, so I said the Pledge of Allegiance and happened to get the job. I’ve had the same agent for the past 13 years and that’s where the ball started rolling, started getting bigger. I moved to California about a year and a half ago and now I’m definitely serious about pursuing my passion for acting.
What is some advice you would give to kids who want to pursue acting careers?
I would say find an agent that believes in you, not just one with famous clients. Find an agent that really believes in you because that’s a really big part of my career. Always be prepared, you have to know who you are, what you are going out for and why you are in the business. If you are in the business to be famous, I would advise not being in the business. You should be in the business to be an actor and make art and because acting is your passion. Come on, join in! It takes a lot of hard work. You have to know what you want and go after it.
How do you think you’ve grown as an actor?
Wow, well, I hope I’ve grown quite a bit! I know, physically, I’m much taller than I was. I think as an adult I’ve learned the leadership of my mom and so I’ve been able to have her as a mentor. Year after year, I always learn so much from her. I’ve always taken a very philosophical approach. I think through my characters a lot, rather than just feel it. It’s kind of my personality- I’m a thinker. As I’ve grown older, I’ve broken down the human psyche behind characters and why do they do what they do. What are their motivations? For me, it helps to make it more real and relatable.
During the filming of your upcoming movie, CLOUD 9, did you have a prankster on set?
I think the biggest prankster on set was the weather. You put 100 people between the cast and crew on a half-pipe, which is literally made of snow and ice you’re bound to have slips and falls. There were definitely some funny falls and we all had a really great time on set. We all got together and there was definitely a family-type of environment.
What was it like working with all those dogs?
It was awesome! I’ve worked with animals before and it’s always amazing what they can get these dogs to do. It amazes me how dogs are better at standing on their marks and doing what they’re told than humans are.
Had you ever been snowboarding before?
Yes, actually a few times. At the start of the shoot, we had a snowboarding camp for about two weeks. Myself and two other guys from the cast had already been snowboarding, so it was kinda just like we got to snowboard for two weeks for free. It was like being on vacation at a snow resort!
What was your favourite part about filming in the snow?
There was actually one day in particular where outside our hotel we built a snowman. A few feet away there was this rock with a tunnel dug through it. I went and hid in the tunnel and started throwing snowballs, and Mike and me started wrestling in the snow and then the girls were throwing snowballs. I think we had a snowball fight for an hour and a half that day.
Were you nervous about your on-screen kiss with Dove Cameron? What were some things you did to ease the nerves?
On-screen kisses are always a little awkward. Anytime you have to show affection like that on-screen it’s a little weird because you have all these people watching you. You want to make sure it looks affection and you also need to make it look pretty. Something that helped is that in the audition for CLOUD 9, Dove and I auditioned together, and they kind of sprung it on us by saying, “We want you to do this scene again and this time in the end we want you to kiss.” I was just like, “Uh, okay.” So we did. That kind of helped get the nerves out because we had already kissed on-screen before.
What are some upcoming projects you are working on?
Well, I’ve got CLOUD 9, which comes out on January 17, and then I’ve been working on a show called RAVENSWOOD, which comes back on the air in January. I shot a civil war movie not too long ago and that should be coming out soon in early 2014.
Thank you, Luke!
Catch CLOUD 9 when it premieres on Family Channel on Friday, January 17 at 8 p.m. ET!