Did you know that Zander’s father is actor James Eckhouse, who played Jim Walsh in the original Beverly Hills 90210? Wow!

A fresh newcomer, Zander is ready to hit the world by storm. From a small role on "Privileged" to his new “huge” role in what’s sure to be a very talked about primetime, Zander Eckhouse has been climbing up the ladder of stardom, ready to keep going until he reaches the top. But despite his quick rise to fame, he doesn’t let that stop him from remaining as down to earth and normal as possible. We recently caught up with Zander to talk about playing George on ABC’s "Huge" and his plans for the future; check out what he had to say!

So what got you started in acting in the first place?
Well I grew up in an acting family, so both my parents are working actors and are respected in the business, and I actually went to film school, so I just graduated from film school and it’s very dear to me. I spent the past four years behind the camera so I basically connected with my dad’s managers and I thought it would be really educational and kind of fun for me to feel what it’s like on both sides of the camera, so I started auditioning and breaking my teeth auditioning and I connected with Whinnie and tested for this and here I am. It’s all really new exciting for me so I’m happy to be on board.

What was your first job as an actor?
My first job as an actor was when I was 3, and me and my cousins put on a play for my family. But my first professional job was a show called Privileged, on the CW, and I came back from school one summer, when I came back and visited my dad’s managers, and was basically broke from paying student loans and school costs, and I was sharing my dad’s car; he generously let me share his car for a while, and I one day dropped my dad off and walked into his manager’s office, and they were like “well, what are you doing with your life?”, so I spent some time there that summer, and I got a job on Privileged, which was a very exciting first job.

You played the part of Parker, right?
I played Parker, and I was totally nervous, and it was funny because I was supposed to be this hot shot rich kid who owned a Yacht, and I was totally freaked out because it was my first job, but it all went well, and it was very a very exciting introduction to television.

Zander in Huge with co-star Hayley Hasselhoff – daughter of the famous David Hasselhoff.

What process did you have to go through to get the part of George on Huge?
That was even more nerve wracking. Another nerve wracking series of processes, but exciting too. Auditioning is exciting because you go in and it’s like a little mini performance, and you just have to focus on your work, and if they like you they like you; and in this case, they did, and I came back and I met Whinnie, and she liked me, and then I tested for the network with some very competent handsome men, and that was very nerve wracking, and then they gave me the part!

Tell us about the show and who your character, George, is.
The show’s called Huge, it’s an ABC Family show, and it follows kids at a summer weight watch camp, and it’s really about these kids dealing with relationships and body image and self discovery and dealing with lots of racing hormones. My character George is a fitness counsellor at the camp, and he’s a recent hire, and he is kind of nervous about keeping his job, he’s always worried somebody is going to realize that he has no idea what he’s doing. He just turned 21 and is dealing with an authority figure at the camp but also a friend, you know, being a mentor but also identifying with these kids, because I think George has had some issues and is not entirely comfortable in his own skin.

Do you feel like you have similarities with your character George?
Yes, absolutely. I have no idea what I’m doing half the time, no I’m just kidding. Yeah, I think it’s very easy for me to play George, just because this job is so new to me, and I think George’s job is very new to him too, and I think both George and me, Zander, are both wanting to be good at their job, and navigated through the newness of the whole experience.

We suspect George/Zander is going to gain a few hearts once Huge airs!

Can you tell us a secret or story from the set?
We don’t really talk to each other, we just sing Disney songs, and songs from Wicked, and we just like communicate through musical theatre, so there isn’t really room for secrets. We’re just singing Pocahontas all the time. It’s a lot of fun on set, it’s basically like being back in kindergarten, in a good way! Everyone’s so energetic and professional and just happy to be there, and it’s like a dream job, waking up in the morning and going to it.

Out of all your cast mates, do you think you’ve become really close with some of them? Like a lasting friendship?
Oh, all of them! That’s the thing is that Whinnie, Savannah, and Kim all cast the show with the mindset to create an atmosphere that feels real, so all the chemistry that hopefully you’ll see on screen, that’s us. That energy is present off camera as well as it is on.

What’s a typical day of filming for you guys?
Well, we wake up at like 5 in the morning, and we drive out to the set. We start usually at around 7, and it’s long hours. We work for like 12 hours, and people like Nikki and Hayley; there are people who I don’t know how they get the energy, they’re working so hard non stop, every day. George shows up less, so Zander doesn’t have to go in as much as Nikki and Hayley, and Ari and the other members. But it’s hard work, but it’s fun work. I think every day is different, and there really isn’t a normal day on set. We’re all so insane, and you can always be sure to find a new experience when you get there every morning.

Many people are saying that they’re expecting Huge to be a mix between Glee and Ugly Betty – what’s your take on it? What do you think viewers can expect from the pilot?
I think Huge is going to be its own crazy animal, and I think that it’s so many things! I think Whinnie and Kim and Savannah wanted to create a show that stimulates a conversation outside of just watching it, that you’re going to be talking about it at the dinner table that night, or breakfast, and I think huge is about weight loss and the show acknowledges the problem of child obesity as part of a much broader perspective, so you’ll se the kids dealing with really relatable issues, like self esteem, self confidence, peer pressure, and it’s really funny. That’s what I get from it. We have a n incredible staff of writers that makes my job easier because the words are so good. I haven’t really seen anything yet, but I can tell you that as far as I know, it’s just a great feeling and the energy on set is incredible, and hopefully that translates to the screen.

Huge was a book first and now they’re turning it into a show; what’s your take on all these popular books becoming TV shows and movies?
I think it’s great. If there’s a positive message, then whatever it takes to get that out. I’m a die hard Harry Potter fan, and that’s a really good example of something that its phenomenon is so pervasive, and I think that if it’s a positive message, the more people are receiving that message the better. So I think if it’s adapted and it’s good, which is Huge is, then I think it’s a very good thing.

Zander at a recent event.

Now, you attended NYU to study film and television; what made you decide to go to university first before breaking into the industry?
I had no idea that I would be here, if you told me I was going to be on a TV show four years ago, I would have laughed uproarically. I wanted to experience something out of Los Angeles, I wanted to kind of branch out and experience a different city. I think film school was a really good foundation for understanding the tools in which you need to tell a story these days, and I think it was a good idea, even though it definitely wasn’t cheap.

You’ve also done some editing, like you did on a movie called Suitcase; are you planning on continuing down that path, or maybe directing?
My heart kind of belongs to writing, which is really why I went to film school in the first place, because when you write a script, you tend not to trust your baby with anybody but yourself, so I learned how to direct. I am definitely most comfortable in my room with a pen and paper. I am dedicated to story telling as a whole, so wherever that takes me, I’m good.

Would you maybe want to continue pursuing writing alongside your acting?
Right now I just want to support Whinnie and Savannah and the show, and the show has been an education more than I can ever imagine. It’s been film school and acting conservatory all in one, so it puts a smile on my face. So right now I’m just 150% into this job, and if I can force myself to stay up a couple extra hours and do my thing, then that’s cool, but I think it’s all part of the same learning process, and I’m just totally stoked that I can even experience that.

If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing right now?
I would probably be on a ranch somewhere, on a peach farm or something, herding cattle and meditating. No, I would probably be finishing the film that I still haven’t finished for NTYU. The reason I really moved to LA was to shoot my thesis film for NYU and it was interrupted; a very good interruption, but hopefully that will get finished. Whatever happens, I want to return to that at one point. But right now I’m on a rollercoaster and I’m excited to be on that ride.

Who acts as your inspiration?
I was revisiting an episode of Friday Night Lights, and I’d have to say Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights, I try and base all my actions off of what that man would do. What a man he is!

Watch out Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins on FNL), here comes Zander!

You’ve been putting on plays since you were three – was acting something you’ve always wanted to do or was there possibly another path that you considered at some point?
I have very active qualities, extreme narcissism and exhibitionism, so I think all of us, whether we’re actors or directors or performance artists, we’re all trying to communicate a narrative, and be a story teller, so I think whatever that comes from, I’d like to think that I’ve always had that. But who knows!

What do you like doing during your free time?
I basically just stare at a blank white wall to recuperate from the day, but if I have spare time, but I’m trying to read as much as possible.

What’s the last book you read?
I’m such a geek for biographies, and so the last book I read was a biography on Andrew Jackson. And I like reading books about people who are dealing with a lot more stress than I am.

What would your dream role be?
My dream role would probably be someone who’s insane, like a serial killer or something. Someone who’s slightly off kilter, someone who I can identify with who’s on the brink of insanity, I don’t know why!

Would you ever consider going into the music industry?
You know, my parents always had a piano and I would always bang on that throughout my childhood and piss everyone in my house off. I’d like to have as many things to do that I’m not good at as possible. If someone hears me sing in the shower sometime, then possibly, but for now it’s just me singing in my car and my shower.

You seem so genuinely nice; what do you do to survive in this industry which is so hard and cut throat?!
Thank you! Well in ten years I’ll probably be a strung out crank addicted wreck. No I’m just kidding. I think that there’s a certain energy in Los Angeles that I’ve grown up with, that makes you really have to reconcile under your inside geek and I think just keeping your self hood, and the fact that my parents are from the mid-west helps.

What’s up next for you? Anything besides Huge?
I don’t think three minutes into the future, so I have absolutely no idea! Lunch, I think? I’m having lunch right now.

Well, thank you so much!
Thank you so much!