~Lirpa~
09-15-2005, 12:17 PM
In L.A. on a break from his mega popular TV series "Lost" 13-year-old
actor Malcolm David Kelley took time out to chat with us about
playing Walt, the only kid on the island on the show and what it's
like to be isolated in Hawaii with a bunch of adult actors. We tried
to get some show secrets out Malcolm, like will we see those
weird "others" pirates who grabbed him at the end of last season but,
on orders from his producers, he couldn't spill the beans. The young
actor did admit that he'd love to play a monster on the show. Hummm.
We've learned that cast members, including young Malcolm, don't have
any idea about the show's secrets. They only learn new things as they
shoot each script…and they are told not to reveal what they do know.
Malcolm just finished shooting a TV movie with Ted Danson for A&E
that will air in late 2005. The project is called "Knights of the
South Bronx" and is about a white teacher (Ted Danson) who teaches
his disadvantaged students to play chess to divert them from joining
area gangs. But, let's get back to "Lost". Picking up from last
season's exciting wrap up episode…..
TeenTelevision: That last scene where you are kidnapped by "the
Others", how was shooting in the water like that? Was it in a tank or
really out in the ocean?
Malcolm: It was really in the ocean. I've never been on a boat like
that before so that was my first time and I was kind of freaked out
the first time we did it. But, I was cool. We were pretty far out
there too. I didn't get in the water but just in case I fell in in
between takes, they gave me a life vest.
TeenTelevision: Do you have a favorite theory about the secrets of
the show? What do you think is really going on?
Malcolm: A lot of people say they think we're all dead or it's really
just dinosaurs or something like that but you have to tune in to find
out what happens.
TeenTelevision: Oh, we will. Is your dog on the show a buddy? Do you
have pets at home?
Malcolm: It's a female dog which is pretty cool. She's tame and
everything so it's really cool. It's my first time working with a
dog. I had a dog. It was a Dalmatian but she died. Her name was Lucky.
TeenTelevision: [Okay, now we feel bad. We made him think of his lost
pet. We'll just change the subject]. Do you feel like one big family
on "Lost"? Who is your fave cast member to hang out with?
Malcolm: Yeah. We feel like one big happy family. We don't know
anybody else out there. We're out there by ourselves and everything.
We hang out all the time like on the weekend or, whenever we're not
working, we try to get together. We have fun. I hang out with Harold
Perrineau, the guy that plays my dad on the show. I hang out with
him, his wife and his daughter all the time.
TeenTelevision: Do your parents go over there with you when you are
shooting?
Malcolm: I had a guardian go there with me and for a little while, my
grandma went out there with me and my mom and dad will come back and
forth twice a month or something like that.
TeenTelevision: What is the coolest thing about shooting in Hawaii?
And what isn't so cool?
Malcolm: Well, I don't know anybody. I'm the only kid in the show and
I don't have nobody to talk to or anything like that. But everybody
is cool. All the people there are nice. The scenery is beautiful.
It's wonderful out there.
TeenTelevision: Do you go to school on set there?
Malcolm: I have a tutor actually. I'm going into the 8th grade.
TeenTelevision: Before "Lost" did you like sci fi or mystery stories
and movies? Favorite ones?
Malcolm: This is my first exciting thing, my first TV show like that.
A long time ago, I used to watch "The Twilight Zone".
TeenTelevision: Have you seen any movies since you've been back on
the mainland?
Malcolm: I went to see Four Brothers.
TeenTelevision: What was your favorite episode that we've seen so far?
Malcolm: Well, I'd have to say the last episode [of the season]
because I'm more in that one. That one's cool.
TeenTelevision: So what are you up to during your break?
Malcolm: I'm just chillin' and trying to catch up on some school
work. I'm just relaxing. I'm going back to Hawaii next week.
TeenTelevision: What kinds of music are you into?
Malcolm: Rap, hip-hop, R&B and I'm getting into Jazz a little bit.
That's really cool. I really love everybody. No favorites.
TeenTelevision: What actor or actress are you dying to work with?
Malcolm: I'm really dying to work with Chris Tucker. I've wanted to
work with him ever since I started acting.
TeenTelevision: Will we see a bit more of Walt being sort of psychic
or of you making things "appear" by just thinking about them?
Malcolm: Oh yeah. There's some weird stuff. It's gonna be good. [And
that's all he would say].
TeenTelevision: How did you get the part of Walt on "Lost"? A lot of
auditions?
Malcolm: I only had an audition and a call back. They called me back
a week later and told me I got it and I was goin' to Hawaii. I was
excited. It's so far away and everything.
TeenTelevision: When you got the role in Antwone Fisher were you
jazzed about it? How was working with Denzel?
Malcolm: They told me it was going to film in Hawaii and I was
stoked about that so I went in there and put on my "A" game and tried
to come out being the best and kind of conquered that. Denzel is a
cool guy and a great director
TeenTelevision: In You Got Served, did you have to learn about that
world of the street dancers or gang members?
Malcolm: I already kind of knew about that. It was already in my
mind. I didn't have to dance in it but there were some good dancers
in that.
TeenTelevision: Can you tell me about your TV movie with Ted Danson?
Like did you know how to play chess before?
Malcolm: It comes out in November I think. My character's name is
Jimmy and he's 10 years old. He's not that rich or poor. He's a class
clown and he gets picked on by bullies and beat up and stuff but he
tries to look through it just trying to live his life. The teacher
introduces chess to his life so he got used to that and started
liking it and getting his education together so he could play chess.
That really inspired him and he had fun with that.
TeenTelevision: So did you know how to play chess or have to learn?
Malcolm: No. They gave us a week to practice chess but it was fun. I
still play chess today so that was cool. I love chess now.
TeenTelevision: Is there something on "Lost" that you haven't gotten
to do that you would like to?
Malcolm: There are so many things. I haven't really worked with
Evangeline Lilly a lot or with Dominic Monaghan. I'd like to work
with all the cast members and be like maybe a monster. Yeah, I'd like
to be the monster; something crazy like that.
On this show, you never know. Malcolm may have been giving us a hot
tip!
***
Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment
actor Malcolm David Kelley took time out to chat with us about
playing Walt, the only kid on the island on the show and what it's
like to be isolated in Hawaii with a bunch of adult actors. We tried
to get some show secrets out Malcolm, like will we see those
weird "others" pirates who grabbed him at the end of last season but,
on orders from his producers, he couldn't spill the beans. The young
actor did admit that he'd love to play a monster on the show. Hummm.
We've learned that cast members, including young Malcolm, don't have
any idea about the show's secrets. They only learn new things as they
shoot each script…and they are told not to reveal what they do know.
Malcolm just finished shooting a TV movie with Ted Danson for A&E
that will air in late 2005. The project is called "Knights of the
South Bronx" and is about a white teacher (Ted Danson) who teaches
his disadvantaged students to play chess to divert them from joining
area gangs. But, let's get back to "Lost". Picking up from last
season's exciting wrap up episode…..
TeenTelevision: That last scene where you are kidnapped by "the
Others", how was shooting in the water like that? Was it in a tank or
really out in the ocean?
Malcolm: It was really in the ocean. I've never been on a boat like
that before so that was my first time and I was kind of freaked out
the first time we did it. But, I was cool. We were pretty far out
there too. I didn't get in the water but just in case I fell in in
between takes, they gave me a life vest.
TeenTelevision: Do you have a favorite theory about the secrets of
the show? What do you think is really going on?
Malcolm: A lot of people say they think we're all dead or it's really
just dinosaurs or something like that but you have to tune in to find
out what happens.
TeenTelevision: Oh, we will. Is your dog on the show a buddy? Do you
have pets at home?
Malcolm: It's a female dog which is pretty cool. She's tame and
everything so it's really cool. It's my first time working with a
dog. I had a dog. It was a Dalmatian but she died. Her name was Lucky.
TeenTelevision: [Okay, now we feel bad. We made him think of his lost
pet. We'll just change the subject]. Do you feel like one big family
on "Lost"? Who is your fave cast member to hang out with?
Malcolm: Yeah. We feel like one big happy family. We don't know
anybody else out there. We're out there by ourselves and everything.
We hang out all the time like on the weekend or, whenever we're not
working, we try to get together. We have fun. I hang out with Harold
Perrineau, the guy that plays my dad on the show. I hang out with
him, his wife and his daughter all the time.
TeenTelevision: Do your parents go over there with you when you are
shooting?
Malcolm: I had a guardian go there with me and for a little while, my
grandma went out there with me and my mom and dad will come back and
forth twice a month or something like that.
TeenTelevision: What is the coolest thing about shooting in Hawaii?
And what isn't so cool?
Malcolm: Well, I don't know anybody. I'm the only kid in the show and
I don't have nobody to talk to or anything like that. But everybody
is cool. All the people there are nice. The scenery is beautiful.
It's wonderful out there.
TeenTelevision: Do you go to school on set there?
Malcolm: I have a tutor actually. I'm going into the 8th grade.
TeenTelevision: Before "Lost" did you like sci fi or mystery stories
and movies? Favorite ones?
Malcolm: This is my first exciting thing, my first TV show like that.
A long time ago, I used to watch "The Twilight Zone".
TeenTelevision: Have you seen any movies since you've been back on
the mainland?
Malcolm: I went to see Four Brothers.
TeenTelevision: What was your favorite episode that we've seen so far?
Malcolm: Well, I'd have to say the last episode [of the season]
because I'm more in that one. That one's cool.
TeenTelevision: So what are you up to during your break?
Malcolm: I'm just chillin' and trying to catch up on some school
work. I'm just relaxing. I'm going back to Hawaii next week.
TeenTelevision: What kinds of music are you into?
Malcolm: Rap, hip-hop, R&B and I'm getting into Jazz a little bit.
That's really cool. I really love everybody. No favorites.
TeenTelevision: What actor or actress are you dying to work with?
Malcolm: I'm really dying to work with Chris Tucker. I've wanted to
work with him ever since I started acting.
TeenTelevision: Will we see a bit more of Walt being sort of psychic
or of you making things "appear" by just thinking about them?
Malcolm: Oh yeah. There's some weird stuff. It's gonna be good. [And
that's all he would say].
TeenTelevision: How did you get the part of Walt on "Lost"? A lot of
auditions?
Malcolm: I only had an audition and a call back. They called me back
a week later and told me I got it and I was goin' to Hawaii. I was
excited. It's so far away and everything.
TeenTelevision: When you got the role in Antwone Fisher were you
jazzed about it? How was working with Denzel?
Malcolm: They told me it was going to film in Hawaii and I was
stoked about that so I went in there and put on my "A" game and tried
to come out being the best and kind of conquered that. Denzel is a
cool guy and a great director
TeenTelevision: In You Got Served, did you have to learn about that
world of the street dancers or gang members?
Malcolm: I already kind of knew about that. It was already in my
mind. I didn't have to dance in it but there were some good dancers
in that.
TeenTelevision: Can you tell me about your TV movie with Ted Danson?
Like did you know how to play chess before?
Malcolm: It comes out in November I think. My character's name is
Jimmy and he's 10 years old. He's not that rich or poor. He's a class
clown and he gets picked on by bullies and beat up and stuff but he
tries to look through it just trying to live his life. The teacher
introduces chess to his life so he got used to that and started
liking it and getting his education together so he could play chess.
That really inspired him and he had fun with that.
TeenTelevision: So did you know how to play chess or have to learn?
Malcolm: No. They gave us a week to practice chess but it was fun. I
still play chess today so that was cool. I love chess now.
TeenTelevision: Is there something on "Lost" that you haven't gotten
to do that you would like to?
Malcolm: There are so many things. I haven't really worked with
Evangeline Lilly a lot or with Dominic Monaghan. I'd like to work
with all the cast members and be like maybe a monster. Yeah, I'd like
to be the monster; something crazy like that.
On this show, you never know. Malcolm may have been giving us a hot
tip!
***
Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment