Interview: Alex Ferris from ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ and ‘Supernatural’

We had the pleasure of talking with Alex Ferris who you can catch in Diary of a Wimpy Kid on March 19th! We had a lot of Supernatural questions for him since we have such a huge fan base for the series here. Fans submitted questions – and we asked them! Check out the interview below!

What did your friends and family think of you playing the role of young Sam Winchester?

Alex Ferris: A lot of people I know, including me, LOVE the genre of science fiction. So naturally I was extremely excited when I learned that I was to play the role of Young Sam Winchester. Supernatural is a really popular show with my friends so it was great to play the younger version of such a well known character.

What experience do you think you gained playing this role?

Alex Ferris: Acting in Supernatural was a really fun experience. It was the first major popular TV show that I was a part of so it was a big deal. A fun part of working on Supernatural were the exotic props. I remember walking into the studio and seeing the props area. There were so many odd props, I couldn’t even recognize what half of them were!!!! On my particular episode I almost got devoured by this really creepy witch – when I first ran into the witch on set it was quite a shock! All in all, I am happy to have been able to work with such great actors, on such a great TV show.

What was the Supernatural set like?

Alex Ferris: The set was amazing. They had all of these rooms and houses built inside their huge studio. Occasionally you would just see someone walking around in a horrifying monster costume, I found that really cool. I also found all of the stunts incredible. I remember in my episode my father shot a monster. I expected that they would simply film this seen using mostly special effects but they didn’t. It was really fun to watch.

Tell us a little bit about your character in Diary Of A Wimpy Kid?

Alex Ferris: My characters name is Collin Lee. Collin is a snappy dressing Republican type (although here in Canada we would say “Conservative”) who does all he can to strengthen his friendship with Rowley, while attempting to destroy Rowley’s relationship with Greg (aka The wimpy kid). In the movie, Rowley and Greg have a fight – due to the fact that Greg extremely selfish, and self centered. Eventually, to Collins satisfaction, Rowley decides to turn away from Greg for good, and become best friends with Collin. My character is very kind to Rowley, and they are best friends until one day Greg apologizes, and Rowley forgives him. Collin is angry with this decision and, he ceases to be friends with Rowley.

What’s been your most challenging role?

Alex Ferris: Every role that I play I find difficult in different ways, but if I had to choose one in particular that stands out, it would be Young Henry in Time Travelers Wife. We were shooting nights so that means we generally shot until around 2:30 am every night. We were also filming outdoor scenes in Toronto during the winter, so it was really cold, and it was snowing. It was a real challenge.

Why did you decide to become an actor?

Alex Ferris: I would not be acting today, if it were not for a few major coincidences that happened all at once. The story goes like this: I had never given acting any thought, but in March 2004 my family and I were on vacation in Hawaii and I met a little boy, who, happened to be from Vancouver as well. A few days after befriending the boy I learned that he was an actor, and that he had done a commercial for Match Box, and gotten to keep the toy cars after filming was done. At the time I was extremely obsessed with cars, so hearing this was unbelievable. I decided that I wanted to be an actor, so I began to beg my Mom. She told me no, acting would take up too much time and that I wouldn’t like it as it required tremendous patience, which at the time was not a strong point of mine. Luckily, I wouldn’t take no for an answer. After days of begging my Mom said, “I’m sorry Alex but even if I let you be an actor you couldn’t because you don’t have an agent.” So the next day I went up to the boy and asked him who his agent was. When we got back to Vancouver, I wrote a letter to the agent all by myself. I had just turned 7 so my letter wasn’t very articulate. I think it said something like, “I am smart. I am cute. You should hire me.” My Mom reluctantly let me mail it off. I was lucky because the agency was hiring people of my age at the time, so they hired me, and sent me on an audition. I had a great time and booked my very first audition, at the age of seven. I had an even better time filming the project, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and my career took off from there.

What types of films or TV shows would you like to do?

Alex Ferris: All genres have different things about them that I enjoy. For instance, when working on a comedy, you often get to work with incredibly hilarious people. When I worked on RV I got to watch Will Arnett, Cheryl Hines and Robin Williams goofing around. Very funny people! With drama, you often get to play interesting characters, and when working on Sci-Fi movies or T.V shows, you often get to work on incredible sets with insane props.

What do you like to do when you’re not acting?

Alex Ferris: My life is very hectic. Not only do I act, but I attend public school unlike many young actors who are home schooled. I also enjoy playing numerous sports such as, golf, tennis, soccer, football, baseball, volleyball, basketball, and rugby (which is my favorite). I am glad to have so many pastimes which I enjoy.

What are working on right now? What’s next for you?

Alex Ferris: In a few weeks I am going down to L.A for the Young Artist Awards. I have been fortunate enough to be nominated in categories; best supporting actor in a feature film (Time Travelers Wife), and best actor in a movie of the week (Living out Loud). I have recently been auditioning for a few different things so I will have to wait and see what is next!