Australian teen actor Kodi Smit-McPhee is on the road to stardom
There's another Australian actor making his mark on Hollywood, but Kodi Smit-McPhee is a little different. He's 14. Smit-McPhee burst onto the scene last year with a serious performance opposite Viggo Mortensen in John Hillcoat's film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."
There's another Australian actor making his mark on Hollywood, but Kodi Smit-McPhee is a little different. He's 14.
Smit-McPhee burst onto the scene last year with a serious performance opposite Viggo Mortensen in John Hillcoat's film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."
On Friday, he stars as a bullied boy who befriends a mysterious new neighbor, played by Chloe Moretz ("Kick-Ass") in "Let Me In," Matt Reeves' remake of the Swedish chiller "Let the Right One In."
Smit-McPhee spoke to the Daily News this month at the Toronto International Film Festival. While he has never been to Philadelphia, the avid skateboarder was very familiar with LOVE Park and hopes to visit.
Q: So what made you decide to be an actor?
A: I never really decided, and it was never a thing that I really wanted to do. It was just there. I grew up with it because my dad is an actor, and my sister, so it was just kind of normal to me. My dad had asked if I wanted to do a short film, just a student thing, and then I kept doing it for fun, and I got into a TV-movie and it took off from there and I got my first feature film. After that it was kind of like I guess I'm going to be an actor.
Q: Has your life changed at all since starring in "The Road"?
A: It hasn't really, I just got another film and I would like to get more.
Q: Your first two features here have been a bit grim. Would you like to do something lighter?
A: I'd love to do comedy and other different things, just to show off all the different stuff I can do.
I'm doing an animation now called "Paranorman" - it's about this boy Norman who sees ghosts and it's funny. It will be coming out here in 2012.
Q: Have you officially gone Hollywood?
A: It's not really official, but I pretty much live in L.A., because I've got my jobs there and auditions and then I go back to Australia for family.
Q: There's a story about you that you got into acting to make money for skateboarding?
A: That's weird.
Q: How did you prepare for your role in "Let Me In"?
A: It's the same kind of process but different every time. I work with my dad, and we make up the whole character - everything he does. Where he goes to school, what bus he catches, who his friends are. When you have all that in your head and you've read the script four or five times, you just have knowledge of everything about that character and everything you need to know so you can just be in the moment.
Q: Your role in this film is the quieter, less showy of the main parts. Did that appeal to you?
A: I really like the quieter roles because you have all these emotions going on inside and show it through your facial expressions. I think it's a lot more fun.
Q: You love to skateboard and ride scooters and motocross. Do your movie producers get nervous?
A: My dad makes sure I don't ride anything while I'm in the midst of a film.
Q: Any goals?
A: My goal is just to be successful in what I do and still love it when I'm older.