Viewers taking in the Nickelodeon free preview will be the first to catch the exclusive Canadian premiere of THE TROOP. Premiering with two back-to-back episodes on Saturday, January 2 at 8 p.m. ET, this new half-hour live-action comedy blends sci-fi adventure with CGI animation. Jake, a typical teenager struggling with adolescence, discovers a whole new existence when school counselor Mr. Stockley (John Marshall Jones) reveals that he has unknowingly aced an aptitude test for admittance into a secret Troop. With the ultra high-tech headquarters hidden under their school, Jake and his newfound crime-fighting companions, the smart and outgoing Hayley, and socially challenged Felix, are faced with the task of protecting their town from the paranormal.
THE MAG caught up with 3 of the stars from THE TROOP to drill them on entertainment, paranormal activity & stuff!
MEET NICK
Nick Purcell stars as the fearless tracker of monsters, Jake, who struggles with being a teenager in high school but feels at home in The Troop!
Ever had a real life paranormal experience?
Yeah,at a haunted abandoned hospital, I took pictures and in one of the photos was a mysterious figure!
Favourite episode to shoot so far?
The episode where I get to become a Vampster!
Favourite episode to watch so far?
Episode #11, “Lost in Translation”.
Sleep overnight by yourself at an abandoned, haunted jailhouseOR hold hands with Felix and Haley, repeating “Bloody Mary” 3 times before shooting a scary scene?
I’ll take the haunted jailhouse. After all, I AM a monster hunter, so I can handle it!
NICK’S FAVES
Movie of all time: IRON MAN
Band or artist: Owl City, Mute Math
Day of the year: Dec. 25
Weird food combo: Meatball sub with pepperoni
MEET DAVID
David Del Rio stars as Felix, an introverted genius who knows everything when it comes to supernatural activities!
Best part of being on THE TROOP?
There is never a dull day on set. One day we would only focus on stunts and fighting these monsters, and the other day we would focus on scenes between the actors! Sometimes, we do them both in one day! That’s when it really gets fun.
Wake up paralyzed in the middle of the night, only to discover a dark figure in the corner holding a clown doll OR host a cast sleepoverin the 13th room ofthe 13th floor of a hotel rumoured to be visited by many angry spirits?
Host a sleepover, because clowns frighten and annoy me. Also, if some freaky thing happens on the 13th floor, at least I’m not the only one there.
Favourite episode to shoot so far?
I really enjoyed shooting the episode that Felix invents an evil robot version of himself. Hayley is very funny in that episode too!
Favourite episode to watch so far?
“No More Master Nice Guy”. It really showed The Troop’s loyalty toward each other.
DAVID’S FAVES
‘80s movie: WALL STREET
Salty snack: Peanuts
Song to sing: “Fly Me to the Moon”
Weird food combo: Mashed Potatoes with Ketchup.
MEET GAGE
Gage Golightly stars as Hayley, a smart, athletic teen with a busy social calendar who can drop any monster in her path with a few quick moves!
Ever had a real life paranormal experience?
When we were filming in the closed down mental institution, a crewmember had told me and my friend about a ghost that appears on the third floor in the second window at 9 o’clock sharp! So, a few crewmembers and I ran outside to look up at the window and… I saw her, but just a few fleeting seconds! She was a blurry outline in a pink hospital gown with short brown hair.
Go with friends armed only with a handheld camera to investigate an ancient burial site on Halloween night OR get haunted every night for a week by2 ghosts that look like Jake and Felix?
I would much rather set out in the woods on Halloween! It’s very “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. The idea of witches is something new, not yet dealt with by The Troop. And who would want Felix and Jake haunting them for a week? I’m haunted by them enough without the ghost part!
GAGE’S FAVES
DVD everyone should own: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
Musical instrument: Piano, celloor violin
Band or artist: Def Leppard, Pink Floyd and Imogen Heap
Day of the year: Halloween! Dressing up is the bomb!
Thanks, Nick, David, and Gage!