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ALEX FERRIS GETS BULLIED INTO A NEW ROLE IN DIARY OF A WIMPY KID!
By: Lauren Pinney
You’ve seen his face several times before, most recently in last years blockbuster hit The Time Travelers Wife, but now young Alex Ferris is a name you will be hearing over and over again! His phenomenal acting skills have allowed him to play a variety of roles from period characters in sci-fi romance films alongside big Hollywood names like Rachel McAdams, to a modern day play ground bully in his new film Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
We caught up with Alex during his tropical getaway to one of his beloved vacation spots, Hawaii. We got the inside scoop on how he adjusted to the difference in the past few films and found out how Diary of a Wimpy kid was not only a change to his on set life but also how he thinks this film will change the lives of the kids that get to see it!
Alex was eager to tell us all about the onset pranks, fun and games, and overall kid friendliness that the set ofDiary of a Wimpy Kid offered. His draw to the role was that of the uniqueness of his character and how different his character was to himself. He was eager to play the bad guy of the film and to experience another character so very different than his upbringing. Overcoming the unfamiliarity of the bad boy role was a fun task for Alex, all he had to do was tap into that rebellious side and release his inner “bully.”
From nerf gun wars to onset fights, the cast of Diary of a Wimpy Kid brought all of the fun and challenges that come with being a kid. Read more of our interview with Alex to get the play by play of being on set and what he learned from the film. He tells fun stories on what went on behind-the-scenes and how he thinks the movie will be accepted from all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book fans!
What drew you to the audition for the role?
My friends have always been telling me how good the book was, how funny it was, so I finally got an audition for it. I was so excited. Then when I got the part, I read the script and that was even better.
Did you get to read any of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books before the film?
Actually, I didn’t read them before. I didn’t read the books until I actually got the part. I had to get it from my friend. I read the book and I really liked it so much I finished it that day. Later in the day, I went out and bought the next two books and I finished those. I bought the fourth book when it came out. They are really fun. I enjoyed them quite a bit.
Did you like one book over the other or did you like them all as a series?
I liked them all as a series. If I had to pick my favorite one it would be number one. When I was reading it, it was such a fresh new concept. It’s quite a unique book with all the pictures and the writing style. Yeah, the first one was my favorite.
Can you tell us a little bit about the audition process for the film?
I went for my first audition, I did pretty well. Then the next day I was leaving for Alaska. I went on a cruise to Alaska and we cruised away and the next thing I got a call saying “can you please come in for a call back”. So I was really upset because I couldn’t fly out and get back to Vancouver, so I had to miss the call back. And for the whole trip I thought I lost the part because I couldn’t make the call back. Finally, on the last day of the cruise they called back saying that I had gotten the part. Boy, I sure was happy about that. But, it turns out that since I got the part I had to miss the premiere for “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, which wasn’t too bad. I’d rather be working then going to a premiere.
In what ways do you relate to your character the most?
He was always trying to ruin Greg and Rowley’s relationship, which is part of what causes them to sort of go ahead and break up, and start hating each other. It’s sort of fun for Colin. He’s really secretly quite an evil little kid.
Have you ever played a character like that or is this your first time getting to play the conniving one?
This is really my first time getting to play one of the bad (kids). I mean, I’ve played the younger version of the bad guy before. Once my character turned out to be the killer, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually been the villain before. So, I think it’s actually great to be the villain for once.
Do you remember your first day on set?
Yes, all first days on set are nerve wracking because you really don’t know what to expect. All of us are quite different from each other. We were all away from home. All the other characters were from all over the place. The boy who played Rowley was from Rhode Island; the boy who played Greg was from Los Angeles. We ended up having a really good time on set.
Did you all do a lot of fun things like on set when you weren’t filming?
Oh, yeah, actually I had a lot of the cast over to my house since I was the only one here in my hometown. I invited them all over to my house and we had a great time. All of us all hung out on set.
What were some of the other things that were different on this set that you haven’t experienced on other sets?
Well, it was great because all the main characters, they were kids, so it was great working with. It’s also really fun working with kids because you can really have a lot of fun with them and also since there are so many kids everything’s really kid friendly. All the items on the menus were often like burgers and pasta for the kids, which is great. So, it’s great to be able to work with so many kids on a kid friendly set.
Do you have any funny on set stories from filming the movie?
This one time we’re all getting ready to film and the hair lady, she sat down on one of those fire extinguishers and she set it off and sprayed all that weird little fire foam stuff all over the hallway. It was really shocking because it sort of broke the silence. They are very loud.
Have you ever kept a diary or a journal before like the kids in the movie?
Yeah, I keep a journal of my life. Also, when I travel I write in a geography journal I use.
What was one of your favorite scenes to film from the movie?
There was this really big long choreographed dance was really funny. I had a great time filming that scene.
Do you have any advice for kids who get bullied on or in school?
Yes. Probably be yourself no matter what. In making this movie, Greg turns on his friend Rowley and he changes how he dresses, how he acts and everything and he changes Rowley and Rowley doesn’t want to change. He wants to be himself. And in the end Rowley becomes a lot more popular than Greg. So, I think the message is to be yourself because if people don’t like you for who you are than you probably don’t want them to like you at all.
You played the popular character in the beginning and you’ve gotten to experience that side of how kids feel now, so do you think there is a good thing to being popular or would you have rather been the nerdy kid?
Being popular definitely has got its ups and downs, you know. It’s good you have a ton of friends, you have a fun time, but then at the same time, there’s a lot of pressure put on you to always be the cool one, to do really well in sports and such. And there’s also the responsibility to be nice to other people, but when you are like a nerd, you don’t have to worry about being really cool and there is definitely good things and bad things about both, but I think it’s a bit more fun being a popular person because you really don't have to deal with the bullies or have anxiety like oh, my gosh, I shouldn't come to school today because this person is going to bully me.
Did you go to school or have you been home schooled most of your life?
I still go to school. I go to public school so my parents send me there. But acting is your hobby and school is you job, so if my career started going down I would be forced into a little bit of hiatus. I like being able to keep my grades up so I can stay in public school. I have really gotten to experience it. I’m pretty fortunate, I’ve got quite a few friends.
Do you think that the film is going to have a good message for kids? Do you think it’s going to be a positive thing and it’s going to have a good thing for kids to learn from the movie?
I do, I really think it sends a really good message. I mean everybody has insecurities and we all worry about different things. You just have to be yourself.
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