Written by: Jill Sheets

Colin Ford

Recently, we had the honor of interviewing actor Colin Ford. Continue to read on and
learn more about this talented actor and his new Disney show, “Jake and the Never land
Pirates.”

R: First, congratulations one winning a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in
a TV Series for is role as Young Sam Winchester in “Supernatural.” What was it like
winning the award?

C: It was really exciting. I don’t normally get nervous but as they were announcing
nominations just before they announced the winner, I got really nervous. It is a great
feeling to go up on stage and accept an award for something that you love to do. I really
enjoy being involved with a show such as “Supernatural.” It is fun playing young Sam.

R: Would you mind telling our readers a little bit about yourself?

C: I am just a regular kid who happens to have a really great life. My birthday is coming
up and I will be 14. I attend a private school in Los Angeles. I love sports. I play football,
basketball and golf. I also love music. Most recently, I have started Djing parties.

R: How long have you been acting, and how did you get into the entertainment industry?

C: I have been acting since I was 5 years old. When I was very young I loved having my
picture taken. One day I told my mom that I would like to be on TV. She took me to an
agency and I went in all by myself. I was 4. I had an interview and when I came out I had
an agent. I got a very small-featured extra role when I was 5 in “Sweet Home Alabama.”
I have loved the business ever since.

R: We read that you got to do a photo shoot with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Tell us a
little bit about that, and what was it like working with them?

C: It was absolutely an awesome experience. It was for an article in W magazine. I think
I was 9 at the time. I have been told my whole life that I look just like a “young Brad
Pitt” so it was nice to meet him. Angelina was also very nice. I hope to work with both of
them again someday.

R: Tell us about your new show “Jake and the Never land Pirates,” and about your
character Jake.

C: This is a really great role. I am especially excited to be voicing the role of Jake. Jake
is a great leader. He has his friend’s cubby and Izzy that go on many adventures together.
The purpose of the show is to help young kids make good decisions and play nicely with
their friends. I have always enjoyed voicing characters. I started in voiceover when I was
five.

R: Are there any similarities between you and your character? What are some of the
differences?

C: Jake is funny, smart and likes adventures. He is a leader. I hope that I can always
portray these same characteristics in my personal life. Jake is younger than myself and
animated.

R: What is a typical day on the set for you?

C: We do most recording for “Jake” after school. Typically I leave school early the
day we record. I quickly re read my script and look over changes that the director may
have for me. On most days we all record together. When doing voiceover the words are
actually recorded before the animation is finished. I record different versions of each line
according to what the director would like. It is fun to interact with the other characters. It
is very different from film acting but one that I really enjoy.

R: What was the audition process like for show “Jake and the Never land Pirates?” How
did you find that you got the part?

C: Actually I was out of town during the first audition so I submitted a voice tape.
Months later my agent notified me that I had a callback. The callback was at Disney
studios and I went in person and did some scenes for the studio executives. There were
several other talented actors there auditioning as well. I believe it was about a week after
that when my agent called and told me I had gotten the lead role of Jake. I was so excited.
It is such a great project and I love working with my co-stars Madison Pettus (Izzy) and
Jonathon Heit (Cubby). We have a lot of fun together.

R: Tell us about your movie “Ticket Out,” and tell us about your character, DJ?

C: “Ticket Out” is an action thriller movie. It is about a boy named DJ who is victim of
abuse from his father. After a bitter custody battle, DJ along with his sister and mom are
on the run from his father and authorities as they battle to get away from his father. It has
lots of action and adventure. The movie was shot in Des Moines, Iowa. It was shot during
the winter so most days were extremely cold.

R: How do you prepare yourself for a role?

C: I try to do lots of research on the type of character I will play. I do this by reading the
script several times. I research books and other films that may contain characteristics
of my character. I want to bring a character to life on screen. I love entertaining the
audience.

R: If you could work with anyone in the world, who would it be?

C: I love what I do. There are so many talented actors and actress that I would love
to work with. If I had to name a few they would be (in no particular order) Leonardo
DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon (again) and Brad Pitt

R: Do you have a celebrity crush? If so, who is it?

C: Yes, Selena Gomez and Victoria Justice.

R: Are you single? What do you look for in a girlfriend?

C: I really like girls who are funny, nice, and intelligent. I like girls who like to go places
and don’t mind getting dirty every once and awhile. These places include: paintball, bike
riding, and taking cool trips.

R: What has been your most “star struck” moment? Who was it and tell us about it.

C: I believe it was when I got to meet Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the photo shoot of
W Magazine. It was just such a cool experience.

R: What bands and singers can be found on your mp3 player or iPod? What is your
favorite song by each one?

C: In my spare time I love to DJ parties and mix songs. Therefore, I have almost any
genre of music and every song in that genre. Just for Pop music I have about 2,000 songs.
I personally like all genres of music but I really like Eminem’s new album Recovery.

R: What do you like to do when you are not acting?

C: I love to ride my Fixie (bicycle) and play Xbox 360. My favorite game(s) are the Call
Of Duty series. I have all of them and usually play the most recent one.

R: We read that you had gone on vacation to Hong Kong. What was that like, and what
was your favorite thing about Hong Kong?

C: I actually went to Hong Kong to work on the feature film Push. But I did vacation
a little. It was really cool to see a different part of the world live and learn about their
culture. One really cool experience was when I was the Grand Marshall during the parade
at Hong Kong Disney. I also enjoyed going to the market place in Hong Kong and doing
a little shopping.

R: What has been your favorite memory so far?

C: I have been to some great places: Hong Kong, Vancouver is always a favorite to
me. Most recently I am going to Hawaii. Every place I film brings special memories.

R: What is the best advice you have ever gotten and by who?

C: Always read, stay in school and study hard. Stay focused, always practice your craft,
have role models that look up to. Reese Witherspoon gave me this advice on the set
of “Sweet Home Alabama.” I was five.

R: What advice would you give someone who wanted to become an actor or actress?

C: Stick to your dreams it can happen. Acting takes a lot of hard work. If you want
to be part of this business get involved in your city or town and do all the plays and
commercials you can! Whatever you dream is it will take lots of hard work. Particularly
in acting there are many more “no’s than “yeses”, don’t let the ‘No’s bother you.

R: What are some of your up and coming projects?

C: I am flying to Hawaii to film a new episode of the upcoming remake of “Hawaii 5-
O.” Very excited to be a part of this new show. In addition, I will be playing a bully in an
upcoming feature film called “Eye of the Hurricane”. I start filming in early September.
Also, I will be continuing voicing the role of Jake. I have several other projects that
pending, so everyone keep their fingers crossed for me.

R: What are some of your future goals?

C: I hope to continue my acting throughout my life. I like to write so someday maybe I
will write a screenplay. Directing and producing are also goals of mine. I plan to attend
college in a couple of years and if I decide to ever leave acting I think I would like to
become an entertainment attorney. I’m young at this point; I am keeping all my options
open.

R: What are five things people may not know about you?

C:

1. I am a very picky eater.
2. I like to write stories.
3. I really like to dance, even if I’m bad at it
4. I love the outdoors, and love to play paintball.
5. I love hanging out with my friends and going to movies.

R: Other than this one, what is the strangest question you have been asked?

C: Gosh, I don’t really remember. So far no questions have been too strange.

R: Are you on any social networking sites? If so, which ones and what are
their addresses? Do you have an official website? If so, what is the address?

C: I have a twitter account. You can follow me at colinfordactor. I do not have a
MySpace account or face book account that I update, however, there are several
face book fan sites that people have started for me. My official fan website is
www.colinford.net.

R: Where can your fans write to you? Do you have a fan email address? Do you answer
everyone of your letters/email?

C: Yes fans can write me. I have a fan email colinfordfans@sbcglobal.net. I do answer
my own email. It is much easier for me to answer during the summer but I do try to
answer email regularly during the school year.

R: What is it like to be able to communicate with your fans?

C: It is so rewarding. I am just a normal kid who happens to have a fantastic life. I know
I am lucky. It does make me very happy to know that I can entertain others with film,
voice and television. I am lucky that I get to pursue my dream of acting it makes me
happy to know others enjoy my work.

R: What has been the nicest thing a fan has ever done or said to you?

C: All my fans are great. It just always makes me feel happy when I know fans enjoy the
character I play. I like to make fans happy so I am always happy to hear from them. After
my movie ticket out, I received a really cool drawing of a plane with the title drawn,
along with a nice note. It was nice for the person to take the time to draw me a picture.

R: Is there anything else you would like to add or say to your fans?

C: I really appreciate everyone’s support. Please write to me and let me know how you
like the movies and TV performances. I really enjoy entertaining people. I hope that I
can entertain you through my performances for many many years. You are all great!

R: Colin, thank you for the interview. Have a great day.

Written by: Jill Sheets

Kenton Duty

Picture credit: Keith Munyan

Recently, we had the honor of interviewing actor Kenton Duty. Continue to read and
learn more about Kenton and his new show “Shake It Up” .

R: Tell us a little bit about yourself

K: Hey… I am 15 years old. I was born in Plano, Texas! I have twin sisters….
Jessica and Rebecca. We have a pet guinea pig, whose name is Peanut. . I play guitar
and a little keyboard. I write my own music and songs and currently working on
producing my freshman CD. I have a horse in Texas, and I really like to ride when I go
back to Texas. I like to ride 4-wheelers. I have played baseball and basketball. I have
recently gotten into AirSoft games. I enjoy hanging out with my family. And, I have a
great group of supportive friends.

R: When did you start acting, and how did you get started in the entertainment
industry?

K: The summer after 3rd grade, I went to a musical, acting workshop at The Dallas
Theater Center. My parents enrolled me there to learn how to do presentations and feel
comfortable in front of an audience for my classes in school. I loved the workshop. The
casting director of the theater asked me to audition for their production of “Christmas
Carol”. I auditioned and fortunately got cast in several parts! That was the beginning!

I also did a commercial after that and found that I enjoyed the TV side of the
business too. So, my parents enrolled me in a studio, Young Actors Studio. I had been
there a week or so, and the studio had a showcase. Thankfully, I met Ms. Cindy Osbrink
(Osbrink Agency) at the showcase. She asked if I would like to come to Los Angeles and
see how things work in Los Angeles. My parents agreed, and we came out for a few
months. I booked a few of things, and I was HOOKED!!!

R: Tell us about your new show “Shake It Up”, and tell us about your character.

K: The show centers around kids in school wanting to be on a dance show. There are
two girls, Rocky and CeCe , who want to be dancers on the show. My character Gunther
has a twin sister, Tinka. Gunther, Tinka, Rocky and CeCe are all selected to be dancers
on the show. Rocky has an older brother, Ty. CeCe has a younger brother, Flynn.
Rocky and CeCe’s best friend is Deuce. The story follows the interactions of these guys.
The show is a comedy, with great music and AMAZING dancing!

My character, Gunther, is a very confident person. He feels that he has worked
very hard and trained very hard to get where he is. He thinks that his upbringing gives
him an edge over the others in school and on the dance floor. Gunther goes for what he
wants. I really like that about his character. Gunther is from a fictional country. So, I
have had the opportunity to create his dialect and personality from scratch. That is
something an actor does not get to do too often. It is really fun to take the words from the
script and “Guntherize” them!

R: Are there any similarities between you and Gunther? What are some of the major
differences?

K: We are both confident individuals. We both go for what we believe in. We, also,
both like to have fun!

We do not have the same style in clothing, although the clothing for his character
is outrageously fun! I have been called a preppy rocker. Another funny way we are not
the same is that Gunther can sew entire outfits, and I can MAYBE sew a button!!

R: What is your typical filming day like? What time do you have to get to the set?

K: The first thing I do when I get to set is to check in with “Mother Sharon”, our 2nd
AD!! I get any revisions or notes that may have come out and review them. If there are
some scenes where I feel there are multiple ways to attack it, I go talk to our director or
on set coach. When we are rehearsing and I am not in the scene, I hang out with my
friends. We sometimes run lines to rehearse our next scene. We all enjoy music, so we
like to play around with all different kinds of music.

I arrive on set any time between 7:30a and 11:00a, depending on what is
scheduled for the day.

R: When will the show premiere on Disney?

K: I don’t have an exact date yet, but I believe it will premiere in the November
timeframe.

R: What was the audition process like for the Disney show?

K: I went through the normal cycle. I had to create a three-minute dance routine,
invent a foreign accent/personality, and prepare audition sides for the series of auditions.
I went to the first audition, and was blessed to keep getting asked to come back for the
next rounds of auditions! I kept hoping that I would continue to the next round. By the
time I went to the Producer’s read, I knew I was going to love the show. I was looking
forward to the music and dancing components, on top of the comedy! For the Disney
testing session, I read with one of the girls auditioning for Tinka.

Here are the dates and locations you’ll need to know:

    September 14th    Portland, OR            Rose Garden
    September 16th    Tacoma, WA              Tacoma Dome
    September 18th    Oakland, CA             Oracle Arena
    September 20th    San Jose, CA            HP Pavilion at San Jose
    September 22nd    Los Angeles, CA         Staples Center
    September 23rd    Anaheim, CA             Honda Center
    September 25th    Glendale, AZ            jobing.com Arena
    September 26th    Las Vegas, NV           Thomas & Mack Center
    September 29th    Salt Lake City, UT      Energy Solutions Arena
    October 2nd       Omaha, NE               Qwest Center
    October 3rd       Kansas City, MO         Sprint Center
    October 4th       St. Louis, MO           Scottrade Center
    October 6th       Auburn Hills, MI        The Palace of Auburn Hills
    October 7th       Columbus, OH            Nationwide Arena
    October 9th       Des Moines, IA          Wells Fargo Arena
    October 10th      Milwaukee, WI           Bradley Center
    October 12th      Tulsa, OK               BOK Center
    October 15th      San Antonio, TX         AT&T Center
    October 18th      Dallas, TX              American Airlines Center
    October 20th      New Orleans, LA         New Orleans Arena
    October 21st      Memphis, TN             FedExForum
    October 23rd      Birmingham, AL          BJCC Arena
    October 24th      N. Little Rock, AR      ALLTEL Arena
    October 27th      Chicago, IL             United Center
    October 29th      Minneapolis, MN         Target Center
    October 31st      Louisville, KY          Freedom Hall
    November 1st      Lexington, KY           Rupp Arena
    November 3rd      Washington, DC          Verizon Center
    November 4th      Philadelphia, PA        Wachovia Center
    November 5th      University Park, PA     Bryce Jordan Center
    November 7th      Newark, NJ              Prudential Center
    November 8th      Newark, NJ              Prudential Center
    November 9th      Boston, MA              TD Banknorth Garden
    November 12th     Hartford, CT            XL Center
    November 15th     Cleveland, OH           Quickens Loan Arena
    November 16th     Indianapolis, IN        Conseco Fieldhouse
    November 18th     Long Island, NY         Nassau Coliseum
    November 19th     Long Island, NY         Nassau Coliseum
    November 22nd     Greensboro, NC          Greensboro Coliseum
    November 24th     Charlotte, NC           Time Warner Cable Arena
    November 25th     Nashville, TN           Sommet Center
    November 28th     Columbia, SC            Colonial Life Arena
    November 29th     Atlanta, GA             Philips Arena
    December 1st      Tampa, FL               St. Pete Times Forum
    December 2nd      Miami, FL               American Airlines Arena

Thank you Joe Jonas. You’ve made our day!!! Video comes from the boys’ YouTube channel.

- Katie

Love the clothes Miley Cyrus wears? Well, by the fall you’ll be able to snag her look – and for cheap. The Hannah Montana star, who just signed on to do another season, has teamed with Max Azria to produce a clothing line for WalMart!

By the beginning of August the clothing line, titled Miley Cyrus & Max Azria, will be in stores. The line will include tops, pants, graphic tees, shoes and accessories. And the best part? According to a press release, every item in the collection will cost $20 or less!

“I love creating looks that are all about personal expression and individuality,” Cyrus says. “Collaborating with Max Azria has been an amazing experience and I’m really excited about launching this line with Walmart. There’s even more to come!”

While the collection has not been seen yet by the public, it is said to be based largely on Miley’s rock-and-roll roots. When the fashions hit stores, we’ll be reporting on the looks and what’s the best thing to grab for your stylish back to school look.

(picture from MileyCyrus.com)

You can find more of the pics here. Just remember to keep breathing after you see them!

- Katie

At 19 years old, Brennan Hillard is a fresh face in Hollywood that is going to turn some heads. As one of the stars of the new Wayans Brothers’ comedy, Dance Flick, Hillard is finally living his dream. Since age six, he’s been taking voice lessons, performing in theaters and striving to make it big. The story of how it all happened is an interesting one, and RelateMag.com had the chance to talk to him about how the role came to fruition.

At his first audition for Dance Flick, Hillard admits, “I was scared out of my mind. I thought I was going to throw up I was so nervous.” During the auditions at Paramount Studios, he flew back and forth from Arizona and Los Angeles. For his second call back, his manager told him at the airport that he would have to perform the theme song from the movie Fame. “I know that everyone thinks I’m crazy that I’ve never heard of or seen the movie Fame,” explains Hillard, “but I’ve really never heard or seen it!”

Avoiding any major freak outs, Hillard quickly learned the song at his manager’s apartment (in thirty minutes) only to find that the producers had changed the words of it when he reached the studios. With the help of a loaned boom box and some improvisation, he gave it his best shot anyway and nailed the part. Three days later, he got a call and found out that he would be playing role of Jack in the film. Hillard admits, “I didn’t think that I was going to get it. I don’t think any actor thinks they are ever going to get the part. It’s surreal when it does happen to you.” He admits to screaming with his friends upon receiving the good news.

In the film, Hillard will play a spoof of Zac Efron. “I have no idea how he will react,” jokes Hillard. “I like his work and hope that he understands that it’s all in good fun and we didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. I admire him and admire his career so hopefully he enjoys it.” Starring along side the Wayans and other great acts like Shoshana Bush and Chelsea Makela, the film is bound to be a huge hit for anyone with a great sense of humor.

Based out of Burbank, and now paying his own rent, Hillard talked a bit about other things that he enjoys outside of work. In his spare time, he finds writing music therapeutic and is also a big sports guy. Not only has he played almost every sport (the exception is hockey), he’s a huge Yankees fan. Lunch is his favorite meal of the day, and this soon-to-be-heartthrob has been taking dance lessons (break-dance, hip-hop, contemporary and jazz) since age eight. Hillard in fact performs every scene in Dance Flick himself and is proud of it.

What advice does Hillard have for other young teens looking to succeed? He encourages others by saying, “If something doesn’t work out and you are really trying your hardest, maybe try something new…but if it’s what you really want to do, I’d say go for it!” He also warns against negativity in adding, “You won’t get anywhere if you are constantly being down and giving up. There have been times when I’ve wanted to give up, but I just didn’t. You just have to keep going and keep pushing. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Dance Flick will be released in theaters May 22, 2009 and fans can now follow Hillard on Twitter (key name: brennanhillard) and MySpace. RelateMag.com is sure that we’ll be seeing more of him in the years to come.

[Shot from the movie taken by Glen Wilson. Headshot of Brennan from brennanhillard.com]

• Robert Pattinson has signed on to film the fourth (and final?) Twilight saga movie Breaking Dawn. This is planning pretty far in advance considering the second film hasn’t even wrapped up yet. But, we’re grateful he’s going to be around for the next one.
• The movie poster for New Moon was leaked to the internet earlier this week. There seems to be some debate about the poster since Bella is positioned behind Jacob and not between the two boys. But personally, I think it makes sense as it is. The second book (no matter if you are Team Jacob or Team Edward) is about Jacob standing in for Edward and trying to shield her from the hurt he caused. Bella isn’t torn between the two of them – yet…

• If you are following this Russet Moon saga. (This is the book that was written by someone else and it about Jacob after Breaking Dawn. Think of it as Fan Fiction.) Well, the author tells us that on June 1 the first chapter of the book will be posted to the website. I’m dying to read it.
• Have you seen these fan-made movie posters? Apparently, people have a lot of fun making their own version of what the New Moon poster should look like. I love these. (If you’ve made one send it to thescene@relatemag.com and we’ll post it here too.)

Ciao! Katie