YA Actor Interview – Ian talks ABC’s Neighbors | Young Adult Mag


Ian Ptraick who we found out plays a series regular, will star in the new series The Neighbors. He talked to us about his experince in getting the role and what it’s been like on set so far. Take a look at the trailer:

                                

Tell us about the casting experience, how long after you auditioned for The Neighbors did you hear back?
It was so great to find out after only two weeks that I had been chosen over many other actors for the role of one of the main members of the alien family!


 

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Being so young, what are your hours like? Are you also enrolled in school?
I am enrolled in school, and complying with the rules for actors between the ages of 9 and 16, I am limited to 9 hours total on the set.   I work on The Neighbors five hours a day while shooting and then have three hours of school and an hour for rest and play.  It’s a good thing that the work is so much fun and we have a great teacher too.

We noticed that you worked on the film Looper how was it working with top actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis?
Actually, our scenes in Looper were not shot together.   However, I am now working with some wonderful other stars on the Neighbors  –Jami Gertz,  Lenny Venito, Simon Templeman,Toks Olagundoye and Tim Jo, among others. They are all amazing and great to work with.   I also worked with Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Dan Marino and Alan Alda on the movie “Wanderlust” and had an equally wonderful experience working with such talented and seasoned actors.

Tell us about Lennox Lewis. Who is he in The Neighbors, and what’s his character like?
Actually they renamed the character I play to Dick Butkus.  Dick Butkus is a very smart Alien kid.

What kind of story line should we see?
Basically it is all about how aliens from another planet, who have the ability to transform themselves to look like humans and then the crazy escapades that happen as they learn about and experience everyday human life and events on earth.

 

We know the show is about Aliens, does your character experience them and if yes how is it working with CGI?
Yes I am one of the aliens, and I believe CGI is used when I transform from human form to alien form.

Is this going to be recurring role?
The role I play is Dick Butkus which is as a “series regular,” not just a recurring role.

Do you have anything else lined up that we should be looking out for?
The Neighbors is anticipated to be a great hit so that will take up most of my time.  Anything else cannot be discussed presently.

That’s alright, what’s your favorite part about acting?
Going out and meeting new people and traveling to new places and sharing the creative process of making entertainment for everyone to enjoy.

Which actor or actress would you like to work with in the future?
In addition to the current cast on the Neighbors (who I love working with on the show), I would love to work with Jennifer Lawrence because I love the Hunger Games Trilogy or Emma Stone because she is such a great comedic actor.

Do you have a favorite book, or what book are you currently reading?
I am an avid reader so this  is a hard choice, but some of the current books I am reading are “How to Train Your Dragon”, Warriors or “Warrior Cats” and “Rangers Apprentice”.