Nickelodeon’s SAM & CAT premiered on YTV earlier this week, introducing us to a new best friend duo and a slew of fun characters to love! THE MAGAZINE got a chance to catch up with Cameron Ocasio, who plays Dice and talk about the show! Read on to find out all the juicy details!
So, let’s get started at the beginning… How did you get into acting?
When I was little someone came up to us in a movie theatre and talked to my mom about it. I tried it out and thought it’d be really fun and I ended up being very, very, very good at it. I won first-runner up model of the year and first-runner up actor of the year. I thought, “You know what? This thing’s actually fun, I want to try this out.” So I worked hard and now here I am!
How did you end up on SAM & CAT?
I originally auditioned for a different project by Dan Schneider (the director of the show) and he thought that I would be good on SAM & CAT. I didn’t really even audition for Dice. He was like, “You know what? You’re Dice on SAM & CAT.” And I said, “Alright. Sounds awesome.”
SAM & CAT is sort of a spinoff of two shows. Had you seen iCARLY or VICTORIOUS before you were cast as Dice?
Yes! I loved the shows! I used to watch them all the time and I still do.
Do you think that you and Dice are similar?
Oh, definitely. I think Dice dresses pretty cool. He has a cool hat and chains and stuff and I think I dress pretty cool, too. So there are some similarities there.
And how would you say you are different from your character?
Dice can get you anything in the world. I don’t think I could do that. He can get anything from any country. He can get anything. I don’t know how to do that.
It looks like you’ve done some pretty wacky things on the show like the Harlem Shake and throw a tantrum. What’s it like acting out those types of scenes?
Oh, it’s so much fun! There’s so much wacky stuff on the show that I’ve never done before. It’s also a challenge cause I’ve never ever thrown a tantrum on TV before, so it was definitely a challenge but it was fun. I love challenges!
What else can we expect from Dice on SAM & CAT?
He trains this guy named Goomer and Goomer’s hilarious. He’s in a lot of episodes in the first season. Definitely look out for Goomer. Also, I work with a lot of animals on the show, which is pretty cool. I love animals and I want to be a vet when I grow up. Lately, I’ve been working with funky animals that I’ve never seen before.
What’s your favourite animal that you’ve worked with so far?
A monkey. That was so cool. It jumped on my back. It was awesome.
That’s exciting! So what do your friends think of you being on the show?
They love it. They actually love it. They watch every single episode and they’re just so proud of me. They give me so much support. My friends and my family, they just love it. They’re like, “Oh my god, you’re on TV! You’re on TV!” It’s funny.
What do you do when you’re not acting?
I hang out with my friends. Right now I’m in New York for the six week hiatus, so I’m hanging out with my friends and family. I haven’t seen them for a long time. I like to play video games, jump in the pool. Do all the fun stuff.
How do you balance school while acting on SAM & CAT?
I am home schooled. I have an on set tutor and she helps me out with anything that I need. It’s pretty easy and it’s nice with the one-on-one thing.
You have your black belt, you’re an established actor and you said you want to be a vet… What else do you want to do in the future?
Well, I am a magician as well. I do some pretty awesome magic tricks. I’ve been doing magic for about two years. I just keep practicing. I look online to see how people do it. Just practice, practice; that’s how you get better at everything, just keep practicing.
What’s it like working with your co-stars? Do you guys play any pranks or have any funny moments on the set of SAM & CAT?
Oh yeah, definitely! We always prank each other on set. One time Jennette toilet papered my whole room. So many pranks happen on set with me, Jennette, Ariana, Zoran and Maree. It’s so fun. We’re one big happy family!
Why do you think people should watch the show?
Because it’s super funny. It’s just going to make you so happy. It’s hilarious! I mean, if you watch the show, you have to smile.
Thanks for chatting with us, Cameron!
You can see all the crazy things Cameron’s character Dice does on SAM & CAT, Mondays at 6 p.m. ET on YTV!
(Photo credit: Sierra Prescott)