Devon Werkheiser
This talented young actor has already built a steady fan base with his school guide character, Ned on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Devon Werkheiser is certainly surviving the entertainment business. He's already appeared opposite Mel Gibson in "We Were Soldiers" and as the title character of his show, Devon is proving each week he has what it takes to be a star.Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, in its third season, airs on Nickelodeon in the TEENick block, Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT
THE STAR SCOOP:
How would you describe
Ned's Declassified to someone who has never seen it before?
DEVON WERKHEISER:
It's about a kid named Ned who created a survival guide to middle school. He's got his two best friends, Moze and Cookie, and they get into some pretty crazy situations that show what to do and what not to do to survive middle school. He came up with like 10,000 tips to survive middle school and have fun doing it. It's like real life middle school exaggerated four billion times!
THE STAR SCOOP:
How is it exaggerated?
WERKHEISER:
Everyone has bullies in their school, but our bully - he's like the stereotypical bully - wears leather, loves heavy metal, always picks on us. In real school bullies aren't necessarily like that. It's just to show what the worst situation possible is.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Ned's Declassified Survival Guide has become very popular. What do you think it is about the show that everyone likes so much?
WERKHEISER:
I love that they're liking it so much. I guess that it's a show that actually helps them out. It actually gives tips that help them survive middle school in a funny and humorous way so I think that's why they like it so much. They get to laugh at personal experience. Most people can relate to it, even adults because they went through those years too.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What is an average day like for you when you're filming?
WERKHEISER:
Get up really, really, really early. I normally have a seven o'clock call time. So that's one thing but you know you get used to it. Then go through the works - get my makeup and hair done all the "make me look pretty" stuff. Then the rest of the day is spent having fun on set or doing school. We have to get our three hours in, so when we're not filming, we're in school.
THE STAR SCOOP:
So how did you end up the show in the first place?
WERKHEISER:
I went out - I think it was my second year in LA - I'm from Atlanta, and it was my second year in LA just going out on auditions and this came along and slowly it progressed and now we're doing second season.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Do you watch the episodes?
WERKHEISER:
Oh yeah. I have to wait until they air to see them. Every now and then we'll watch, like after we wrap, we'll watch an almost finished copy of one but I rarely get to see the episodes until they air so every time a new episode was on, I'd watch it.
THE STAR SCOOP:
So what's your favorite?
WERKHEISER:
My favorite episode is "Day Dreams" because in that one I got to wear a tux and I got to act like James Bond, drive a Mercedes around the school - not really drive we had grips push us. But it was really fun and the episode turned out great, the special effects looked great.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Has your life changed any since you've been doing a show?
WERKHEISER:
I don't have a social life during the week. On the weekends I'm still a regular kid; I go out and have fun. During the week as soon as I get home from work I sit home, play guitar or play X-BOX and then go to sleep because I can't do anything else. It's all worth it. Another thing that has changed is I have to leave Atlanta where I still live but I have to leave that for most of the year to go film. But it's all worth it, I love doing it.
THE STAR SCOOP:
And you got to go to the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. How was it?
WERKHEISER:
That was a blast. I got to introduce Simple Plan with Amanda Bynes. We went last year, but no one knew who we were - it was a sneak peak I guess. This year was so much fun. We walked down on the orange carpet and there were bleachers of fans and they just started screaming. Once we got inside I barely had time to watch the show because we had been prepping and all that stuff and I was sitting backstage and in the backstage room I met Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, which was awesome, Adam Brody from the O.C - which is a guilty pleasure of mine, love that show. And Amanda Bynes who is such a nice girl. Introducing was such a rush because we were out in the middle of the audience and it was so awesome to do that and then after that we did press and then the after party which is always a blast.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Complete this sentence as best you can. My show has just finished shooting and I can't wait to...
WERKHEISER:
My show has just finished shooting and I can't wait to...have my summer. Shooting is a blast and I can hardly call it a job but it's tiring and when summer comes I love going on vacations to the beach.
THE STAR SCOOP:
You're starring as the title character on a show. What's the best thing about that and what is the worst?
WERKHEISER:
The best thing is I get to experience so much that [others] don't. When I come home, I see all my friends and they're just doing the same old thing because they don't get to go out to LA and film. I think that's the best thing that I get to see so much that a normal 14 year-old wouldn't. The worst - I'm sort of missing out on a normal childhood. I wouldn't trade what I'm doing for that but it's sort of a bummer that I miss some of that stuff.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Do you have advice for someone who wants to break into this business?
WERKHEISER:
Make sure it's what you want to do for the rest of your life because you have to give up a lot to do it. And you have to go through hard stuff. The rejection in auditioning is awful. And you've got to be really strong and you've got to be really passionate about doing it and if you want to don't give up no matter what happens - just don't give up and keep plugging away.