Young and industrious Ella Anderson has already appeared in a wide range of projects, from horror movie The Possession of Michael King to YA kids’ show A.N.T. Farm. Next up, she stars in the Nickelodeon film A Fairly Odd Summer as ‘Mitzie.’ Also, this fall she joins the brand new Nickelodeon series Henry Danger, a comedy where 13-year-old Henry lands a part-time job as Danger Boy, a sidekick in training to a superhero. She sat down with YA Mag to talk about her work, her obsession with fairies, and lots more.
YOUNG ADULT: Hi Ella!! Talk to us about your character Mitzie in the new Nickelodeon film A Fairly Odd Summer. How are you similar to her, and how is she different?
Ella Anderson: Mitzie was such a fun character to play! She is super brave and adventurous…and spunky too. She and her brother, Marty, stick together because their parents are too caught up in their own worlds to pay much attention to them at all. I am similar in a lot of ways to Mitzie. I have an adventurous side for sure and I am very close with my two big brothers, Gabriel and Julian. I think that my favorite characteristic about Mitzie is that she is so brave. I loved the part when she had the chance to let Tootie go into the volcano without them and Mitzie said “what do you take us for?” and insisted they go in and help her even though it seemed really scary. I try to be brave every day and try new things even if it seems scary at first. Once I get past the fear, I am always glad I did.
YA: After you finished shooting, what were you most excited to see on screen? And what are you excited for the audience to see?
EA: After we finished shooting, I was MOST excited to see myself with the fairies! Cosmo, Wanda and Poof are on my TV every day and I could not WAIT to see them floating next to me! I am excited for the audience to see the twist ending!
YA: You also recently shot a horror movie, The Possession of Michael King. What is it like being a Young Adult on the set of a horror film? Did your parents let you watch the end result?
EA: I was actually 7 when I shot The Possession of Michael King. Working on that movie was a lot like any other job on a film set. The coolest part for me was watching all the stunts and the awesome Horror type make up. I would sit in a chair next to my movie dad, Shane, and watch him get a bloody symbol put on his chest while they blow dried my hair! I saw how “fake” it all was and it was sort of like going to a Halloween party every day. My parents let me see the movie, but covered my eyes and ears in the “bad parts”.
YA: Any fun stories to happen off camera while on set?
EA: Hmmm…well…The main thing I remember about my off camera time on POMK is that I was obsessed with leaving notes outside of my trailer for the Echo Park Fairies. I would make them pictures and each morning when I got in, there was a note back from the fairies too! One super funny story…someone gave me a fake donut for a present and I left it in Shane’s trailer one day and told him I got him a “special treat” and to go in there and to enjoy! I listened through the wall of my trailer to him saying “Oh…yummy!” and then “…What the?!” and then he started laughing cause he actually bit into the “foam donut” HAAAAA
YA: Talk to us about your next projects, Bukowski and Unfinished Business. What is great about these new projects?
EA: The film Bukowski is about the author Charles Bukowski and it tells the story of his life from when he was a kid. I play one of his childhood friends, Lily Jane. The film was directed by James Franco who I loved working with. Unfinished Business is a film that will be in theaters March 2015 and it stars Vince Vaughn. The storyline of the movie is being kept under wraps at this time, but I can tell you this much…I play his daughter and it is HYSTERICAL!
YA: If you had to pick only one of these word to describe yourself, which would it be and why: ACTOR or KID?
EA: I would say KID. I am just a kid like all the other kids out there. I act and some kids play soccer. I appreciate that I get the chance to do something that I LOVE everyday. I wouldn’t trade it for the world…I am a kid and acting is what I love.
YA: If you could play any role from any film or TV show in history, who would it be and why?
EA: I have always loved the movie Charlotte’s Web with Dakota Fanning and I would love to play that role because I love animals so much. I also would love to do the role Madeline Carroll did inSwing Vote because she is super strong and has such a range of emotion. Or Abigail Breslin’s role in Little Miss Sunshine (I have not seen that whole movie, just parts) because that character is so complex and has to deal with all the different characters in her family as well as her own emotions. The all time best TV show role I would have loved to do…Little House on the Prairie’s Laura!!!
