WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – When Buddy Handleson was 3, his parents tried to get him to do some modeling, but he hated it.
New Nick series a big step up for young star
Buddy Handleson gains a leading role in "Wendell & Vinnie."
By Chuck Barney, McClatchy News Service
"I'd actually run from the cameras," he recalls.
Handleson, who grew up in Danville, Calif., isn't running from them anymore. Now a savvy 13, he has landed a major role in "Wendell & Vinnie," a new live-action sitcom that airs Saturday evenings on Nickelodeon.
Handleson is Wendell, a young geek who is book smart, but socially inept. "iCarly" alum Jerry Trainor plays his uncle, Vinnie, a carefree bachelor who suddenly has been thrust into the role of legal guardian for his precocious nephew. Plenty of odd-couple shenanigans ensue.
Handleson previously had backup parts in Disney's "Hannah Montana" and "Shake It Up." But this is a big step up for him. He recently fielded questions about his latest showbiz adventure.
Q: So what's the coolest thing about being a TV star?
A: Well, this is my dream. It's my passion. I guess the coolest thing is that I actually have fans and have gotten to meet some of them. That's unbelievable.
Q: When did you first realize that you wanted to do this?
A: During my first auditions (starting at age 7). Even if I didn't get the part, I felt an adrenaline rush. I'd get lightheaded. I really enjoyed the auditions and being able to express myself through acting.
Q: What attracted you to the role of Wendell?
A: It's a part that matches me almost perfectly. In "Shake It Up," I played an extremely smart guy — a little too smart for me. I had trouble pronouncing some of the words he said. Wendell's intelligence is more in the middle, and that's just right for me.
Q: In the first episode, we learned that Wendell isn't into things that "typical" boys are. He loves homework. He enjoys Sondheim and scrapbooking, and the closest thing to a "sport" that he engages in is calligraphy. Are you anything like him?
A: I'm like him in that I enjoy reading a lot. But I like to play video games, too, when all he wants to do is homework. I do my homework, but I don't prefer it.
Q: Besides video games, what do you enjoy doing when you're not busy acting?
A: I like hanging out with my friends and staying in my pajamas all day and watching TV. I'm a big fan of "The Walking Dead."
Q: Isn't that a little scary?
A: When I first started watching, it was pretty creepy. I'd get a jolt when a zombie jumped out. But I got used to it.
Q: A lot of kid stars have had trouble handling their fame. How do you intend to stay grounded?
A: My parents and friends help me. My mom says that if I ever get a big head, she's going to pull me out of acting, no matter what. Even if I'm 18, or 25 and married. I also have a friend that keeps me in line. If he thinks I'm getting a big head, he pretends to pull out a needle and pop it while making a "whoosh" sound.
Q: You shoot your show on the Warner Bros. lot. What fun things are there to do when you get bored?
A: We're right across from "Ellen," so I like to see what guests she brings in. One day I went out there and took a picture of Justin Bieber's shiny blue Ferrari. I knew it was his, because a security guard stared at me the whole time.
Q: Can you picture a day when you're driving around in a shiny blue Ferrari?
A: Actually, I'd prefer a white Maserati instead.
about the writer
Chuck Barney, McClatchy News Service
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