"Hey! You're on with Leo..."

Kids know him from Disney Channel and Kickin' It, Disney XD's latest comedy. Parents know him from G.I Joe: The Rise of the Cobra and Conan the Barbarian. His name is Leo Howard, and this is my interview with him.

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RH- My first question is can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

LH- Well, my show is Kickin' It. It's on Disney XD. And the show is Disney XD's first live-action/comedy. It's never been done before. It's a mix between a Martial Arts show and a comedy. It's great. It's about a dojo, called the Bobby Wasabi Martial Arts Academy and there's a bunch of kids that are in the dojo who are all misfits. It's like a Bad News Bears meets a karate dojo.

So, it's really great. It's about all of us coming together and just being kids and learning the twists and turns of childhood.

RH- How did you first become interested in acting?

LH- You know what? I wish I could tell you. It was just a strange, odd passion at four-years old. Actually I got into Martial Arts at four-years old which led me to acting because someone saw me at a tournament. My two passions that I've just had from early, early years [are] Martial Arts and acting. So I love them both very dearly.

RH- Wow, you've been doing that for a long time.

LH- Yes, ma'am. {laughs}

RH- You worked for a while on the Disney short, Leo Little's Big Show; how does filming that differ from filming a half-hour TV show?

LH- It's completely different ends of the earth. {laughs} I mean it's pretty much the same in which you're acting and there's a camera in front of you. It's such good experience going from different things because this half-hour sitcom is completely different. [It] takes a week to shoot, with all the rehearsals and the run-throughs and everything. It's just helped me so much get to [experience] the whole television end, because before I had only done movies. So, it's really helped me explore.

RH- Well, on you're latest project (which is Kickin' It), you're working alongside some major stars, like Jason Earles; how was it knowing that you were going to be working with him?

LH- You know, at first I was super nervous because he's hilarious. I was a little intimidated because he's so funny and he's so good at his job, you know? But I love Jason so much. He's such a great guy, and we're such good friends that it just rubs off on me. I try to pick up his comedy skills. So, we swip-swop: I teach him karate; he teaches me a little bit of comedy.

RH- That sounds awesome! What's your favorite part about filming the show?

LH- Definitely the cast and crew. People don't really get, you know, how much goes into a TV show. I mean, it's not just...All the actors, obviously, get the glamour and everything, but there's so many people that come to work at five o'clock in the morning, in the cold in the morning, and it's such a tough job. I really, really appreciate all of the crew that goes there [because] without the crew, [the show] would be nothing. You know, so, I really love hanging out with the crew and the cast, and, I love everybody I work with.

RH- So, what kind of pranks are pulled on set?

LH- There's attempted pranks. There's failed pranks.Which, Jason...We're still wanting to get Jason because we've had a few failed pranks [on him]. [It's] because Jason's so smart. I mean, he's got his biology degree. He's super, super intelligent. So, [it's] super hard to prank him.

But there's always the pranks going on, like, if someone is doing a scene, and the other person will be way out of sight, across the sound-stage, making faces at them, to try to make them laugh during the scene. So, stuff like that goes on all day long.

RH- So, have you guys begun filming the second season yet?

LH- We have not. We just finished the first season, actually, a couple of days ago. So, we were a little bummed, but hopefully we come back super soon.

RH- Well, what can fans expect on upcoming episodes from the first season?

LH- Way more of what you've expected. Absolutely! Because there's so much action and it's hilarious. Just, Jason, I mean, if you've ever seen Hannah Montana, Jason is hysterical. Jason Earles is fantastic, and the action is phenomenal. The stunt coordinator, everyone just...The awesome flips off the tables, it's just super exciting.

RH- You've had some roles in some major Hollywood films, like G.I. Joe (The Rise of the Cobra) and Conan (The Barbarian); tell us about those experiences.

LH- Actually, Conan is actually one of my movies that I've done, because it took a mix of really heavy drama acting and the Martial Arts, again. It was such a great experience. Just a whole different culture.

RH- Do you ever get star-struck when you see who's going to be starring alongside you in a film, or who's going to be guest-starring on Kickin' It?

LH- I don't get star-struck. I get more, I get really anxious to meet someone. If I'm working alongside, let's say, Ron Perlman, I'd feel a little intimidated at first, because, you know, I have to hold my own with Ron, you know? I just know [that] whoever I'm with, I become such good friends [with them], you know, that everything [else] just goes out the door.

RH- What advice do you have for any aspiring Martial Artist or actors?

LH- I know it's really cliche' to say, but follow your dream. Always. Because, it may not be your dream if it's just something that you want to do over the summer; but if it's really your passion, go for it. You know?

RH- Okay.

LH- Alright.

RH- Is there anything else that you'd like to tell your fans before you go?

LH- Just, my Twitter. {laughs} @iamLeoHoward. I am. Just I am and then, Leo Howard, my name.

RH- Alright!

LH- Awesome! Thank you!

RH- You're welcome, and thank you for taking the time to do this.

LH- No problem. Thank you so much!

RH- You're welcome.

***

We only spoke for about ten minutes, but after those ten minutes I feel that I can say that Leo Howard is one of the sweetest and most polite people I have ever interviewed. I had a lot of fun talking to him. He is extremely likable and I am really happy that I was asked to do this. If I were to promote anyone in Hollywood, it would be Leo. Keep your eye on this kid. I know it's a cliche', but he's going places.