Alex Ferris Photography: Pink Monkey Studios Photographer: Ross den Otter

Hi Alex. Thanks for taking the time to do this! With The Time Traveler’s Wife being released in just a few weeks, have you been busy doing press for it?
Yes, I have. Since I live up here in Vancouver, I have been designated to long distance interviews, but I have been quite busy with those.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is such a fantastic book and to be a part of the film must be pretty exciting, do you have any favourite memories from your time on set?
My favourite memory on set was probably when we filmed the scene in the vintage 60’s car. There were no seatbelts, and there were ashtrays in the back seat! It was very retro. It was also great to film in Toronto, I find travelling such an adventure.

Were you nervous acting alongside big movie stars like Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams?
The first day on set of a large production is always nerve racking. But I get just as jittery meeting the hair and makeup people as I do the actors! It doesn’t take long to fit in though, and you are always very busy which takes your mind off of being new.

So I believe, you got into the acting business while on holidays in Hawaii, tell us a bit about that.
Just before my 7th birthday, my family and I were in Hawaii for spring break. I met a boy on the beach who was also from Vancouver, who told me about how he had just done a Matchbox toy car commercial and had got to keep the toy cars. I was rather jealous, so I asked my mom why I wasn’t an actor! My mom told me that acting took up too much time, and that hoping for free toys wasn’t a good enough reason to become an actor. After begging my mom for several days she said to me, “I’m sorry Alex but even if you really wanted to be an actor you can’t because you don’t have an agent.” That seemed like an easy problem to solve. So, I went up to the boy and asked him who his agent was. When we got back home I wrote a letter to the agent asking her to hire me. My mom reluctantly sent off the letter. I guess she liked my letter, because my agent (Lena) hired me, and shortly after I booked my first audition!

You live in Vancouver, would you ever consider moving to LA when you get older to be closer to the industry action?
I love LA! I love the great restaurants, the boardwalk in Santa Monica, and of course I love Disneyland. LA ties with Vancouver and Venice as my favourite city in the world. Even if I wasn’t an actor, I would consider moving there.

Now you’re also juggling acting with school and I believe you still manage to get straight As! Very impressive! What’s your secret?
My secret to success is motivation. If I didn’t get great grades my parents would make sure that acting was the first thing to go! Another key to juggling school with acting is that I definitely budget my time to make sure that I finish assignments well ahead of a deadline. If it’s a Monday and I have a project due on Friday, I try to make sure that it is done by Wednesday. Sometimes it means long nights, but it is definitely worth it because it means I can act.

And are you also on student council as well still? Are you still going to juggle acting with school as you get older or will you take time out of one for the other?
Yes, I am on student council. I also play on the school soccer, track, and basketball teams and this year I was the emcee for the school air band contest and talent shows. I love being involved at school, and have a pretty easy time managing everything. Next year I will be in grade eight which for us is the beginning of high school. I am a bit worried that school will get much harder, and that it will be more difficult to do everything I want to do. Hopefully everything will sort itself out.

Do you see acting as your future or are there any other career paths you would like to try or think would be fun? I hear you play a bit of Soccer, so maybe a sports star perhaps?
I would love to be a full time working actor for a living! If that doesn’t work out, I want to be an investment banker. I find the stock market fascinating!

Alex Ferris Photography: Pink Monkey Studios Photographer: Ross den Otter

That’s definitely unique! Now, we know you’re a bit of a busy bee, but what do you like to do in your spare time?
When I am not acting or in school, I love to golf. It sounds a bit boring, but when I’m playing well, there are not many other places I’d rather be than on a golf course.

You’re at such a young age and have already more than 15 film and 9 television appearances under your belt (including guest appearances on Smallville and Supernatural). How do you go about selecting your next project? Is there anything in particular that draws you to the roles you play?
Since I attend regular school, I haven’t tried out for roles that would mean relocating to LA. That means I miss out on trying out for roles in TV shows where I would be a series regular. That cuts down on a lot of options in terms of potential roles. I like to do all sorts of roles, I often think that when I audition for a role and get the part that perhaps it was meant to be. Because I am still quite new to acting, I love trying out for all sorts of different parts. Short films are also fun to do because they are often quirky.

Are there any co-stars in particular that you’ve most enjoyed working with?
Robin Williams (in RV) was really fun to work with. He is absolutely hysterical in front of a group of people, but I remember that in his spare time he was rather quiet. He enjoyed biking around Vancouver.

Do you have a dream role or genre that you would love to star in? Or perhaps a favourite actor or actress you would love to work alongside?
I would love to be in a James Bond or Indiana Jones movie. Those are my two favourite movie franchises. If I could choose to work with one actor, it would have to be Sean Connery.

So we know you’re doing The Tooth Fairy, but are there any more projects that you have up your sleeve that we’ll be seeing you in coming up?
I was recently on the finale of Harper’s Island, that was really fun because the whole storyline was a secret. I am also he voice of TD in the PBS cartoon Martha Speaks so if I’m not busy working I think it’s fun to know that I’m still on TV!

*** Just to get to know you a bit better, we’re going to play the favourites game if that’s okay with you! So favorite...
Food? Sushi (I hate cheese!)
Colour? The colour of the ocean
Ice cream flavor? Vanilla - boring but true!
Book? Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”
Film? The Godfather Part I, and Anchorman - although there were parts in it that I’m supposed to plug my ears for!
Band and/or singer? Lil Wayne
CD? Tha Carter III
Song? currently liking “I’m So Paid”
TV Show? I love to see the homes on “Million Dollar Listing”
Actor and actress? Sean Connery and Meryl Streep - especially in The Devil Wears Prada
Animal? Definitely the ostrich
Sport? I love football, the Cowboys and the Jets are my teams

***

Alex Ferris Photography: Pink Monkey Studios Photographer: Ross den Otter

And now a few random questions before we finish up…
Do you have any siblings?
Yes, I have an older brother Jack who is 14, and a younger sister Bronwyn who is 10. Luckily we all like each other although we’ve been having some fierce backyard badminton dust-ups lately.

Any pets?
We have two Scottish Terriers named Roger and Audrey. We have a cat named Murray and my mom has a horse named Nelle. My sister has a fish named Simon, but I think it’s on its’ last legs!

Do you have any hidden talents? Can you sing or play an instrument? Or maybe you’re a talented drawer?
I am sure that no one would want to see me draw or hear me sing! My best-hidden talent is that I have a really good memory. It makes school and acting so much easier for me. When I was in grade two, the school did some testing and they told my parents that I had the ability to memorize equivalent to someone in grade 9. That is definitely a helpful talent.

Would you like to travel in the future? Are there any particular places you’d like to go?
I love to travel. If I could go anywhere, it would be Egypt!

Describe your perfect day.
I would wake up in Egypt, see the pyramids, then charter a private jet to LA where later in the evening I would win an Oscar!

And do you have a MySpace/Twitter/Facebook/website/fan address or some other form of communication that fans can reach you at?
I don’t yet, but that would make a good summer project!

Thanks for your time Alex, we really appreciate it! Good luck with your future endeavours and we can’t wait to see you in The Time Traveler’s Wife! Bye!
Thanks so much for the interview, see you soon!