The Star Scoop:

Tell us how you got involved with Are We There Yet?

Coy Stewart:

I had an agent in New York. He called me and said that I had an audition for a show called Are We There Yet? that was being

made from the movie. And he said that it was going to be a long shot, but that I should go for it. So I was like, “Let’s go for it!” We lived in South Carolina, so we drove from South Carolina to New York city to audition for the show, and I went in the audition and I read the part that they asked me to read, and then the person said, “Can you read some more for me?” and I was like, “Sure I’ll read some more!” So I read some more and he told me I did great. We went back to South Carolina, waiting and wondering if they were going to call me back, or if I got it. They called me back and they said they wanted to see me. So we were from South Carolina back to New York city wondering, What else do they need? Are they going to call me back? We went up there and they said that they wanted me for the part. That’s how I got it! I’m very blessed to have this role.

The Star Scoop:

How has it been so far working with the cast? Have you learned any tips?

Coy Stewart:

Yes. I’m so happy that we have this cast that’s been in the business for a while so that I can pick up from things that they’ve taught me. Ice Cube taught be about continuity, when you have your shirt zipped up in one scene, you can’t have it unzipped in the next part. He taught me that. I never knew about that before, and I’m really happy that he taught me that. Sometimes I’ll go on set and watch scenes that I’m not in and see what they’re doing, see the type of things that they’re saying.

The Star Scoop:

You play Kevin. What can you tell me about his personality and how you like playing him?

Coy Stewart:

Kevin, he’s a silly one. I love playing Kevin. He’s very alike with me and what I say is that when I’m on set, Coy doesn’t exist. Kevin is the only person that’s there. If you want to bring the best part into your role, you have to go into it fully. Kevin, he’s the bratty one. He’s the normal ten year-old messing with his sister. He helps his mom, testing his step-father to see if he’s a worthy dad in his family. Testing him to see if he can be the father that he needs because he hasn’t had that father figure in his life for a while.

The Star Scoop:

Why do you think people should watch Are We There Yet?

Coy Stewart:

I think that people should watch Are We There Yet? because it goes from Kevin’s age, which is age 10, all the way to Marilyn’s age, who plays our grandmother. People of all ages can sit down and watch the show. It’s a great opportunity to bring family shows back to TV…the whole family can go and sit down and watch. This is our chance to bring it back to life.

The Star Scoop:

Where would you like to be in the future?

Coy Stewart:

This is my first really big job, and I’m very excited to do this role. I think that I will be doing this for my whole life. Not necessarily Are We There Yet? but acting. Some people say that, Oh, I’m 11 years old, that it’s just a phase. But I think this is what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life. I can see my myself doing TV shows, movies. My parents have always taught me, since I started acting, stay hungry. Just because I have Are We There Yet? doesn’t mean I shouldn’t go out on other auditions. I always try to stay hungry for more auditions, go on every one that I can. Keep persevering. Keep trying. Every audition that an actor goes on, if they don’t get it, it’s preparation for the next shot that they’re going to get. I just try to stay hungry and try to stay humble.

The Star Scoop:

You have a lot of new fans. Do you have any advice for kids your age who might want to do what you’re doing?

Coy Stewart:

Yes. People who are out there who want to act or are in the business and things are slow right now, you have to keep persevering. My first job was actually a play in Vermont, called “A Raisin in the Sun.” My mom and my brother and I – my father stayed back in South Carolina – went to New York for the summer. We waited for auditions to come along. I went on 15, 16 auditions before I got the play. It’s good to be a child and be able to go to an audition and come back and still be a kid. Children who are out there who want to act, never give up. There’s a job out there that’s either here or coming that is for you. Everybody in there is going to get something, someday. Stay humble. Stay hungry. Just keep trying, keep trying!

The Star Scoop:

A lot of people are seeing you for the first time on Are We There Yet? What should we know about you?

Coy Stewart:

People say that, Oh, he’s new to this, he’s not going to be in this for long. I’m the type of kid who – I have a lot of options. For example, there’s children out there who are focused on basketball, focused on football. If they go and try out for the high school team and they don’t make it, they don’t have anything else to turn to. I have other things to turn to, but I know that this is what I’m going to be doing. I just want people to know that I’m very outgoing, I’m fun, and I’m just very thankful and blessed that I have this role.

The Star Scoop:

You called yourself a kid a lot. Do you get to be a kid and do fun kid things still?

Coy Stewart:

Definitely, definitely. It depends on what role you’re playing. Kevin, he’s still a kid, so it’s fun to play him because I can be myself. Me and Teala Dunn, who plays my sister…as soon as we’re finished with our scene, we’ll go play cards or something because we want to keep being kids. We don’t want to stop because if we keep doing this and we keep acting and we focus on it too much, that child out of us will be gone, and I think it’s very important that we still have that. Yes, acting is very fun for me, but I also know that it’s work. I have to get it done. You can have fun while you’re doing it. I think it’s very important to still be a child. On set, on Are We There Yet? everybody plays with me. Everybody is silly. It’s a very good environment to be a kid!

The Star Scoop:

The most important question [laughs]: When can people see Are We There Yet?

Coy Stewart:

Are We There Yet? comes on Wednesday nights on TBS at 9:00.