Ross Anderson, 7, and his 5-year-old sister Parker pose with Ross' co-star Liam Hemsworth. Ross filmed a scene with Hemsworth for the upcoming movie ''Empire State.'' (Special to the American Press)
Young actor from Southwest Louisiana hitting big screen
Last Modified: Thursday, August 16, 2012 3:56 PM
By Ashley Withers / American Press
A 7-year-old from Southwest Louisiana will soon hit the big screen, appearing alongside famous actors Liam Hemsworth and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Ross Anderson of Lake Charles has a small speaking role in the upcoming film “Empire State.” His scene was filmed in New Orleans and takes place with Hemsworth, who plays the movie’s main character.
“I ran across the parking lot, and my fake mom had to grab me and say some pretty mean stuff,” Ross said. “I said, ‘Hi, Officer,’ and he (Hemsworth) said, ‘Hey, hey, hey, watch out.’ ”
Ross said Hemsworth was “tall” and “very nice.”
Acting is something Ross does for fun, said Rachel, his mother. Ross also enjoys playing baseball, football and soccer.
“Bob (his father) and I look at this as something fun for them to do while they enjoy it. If they are successful in it, then that’s even better. He’ll do it as long as he’s having fun, but if he gets to the point where he doesn’t like it anymore, we don’t have any problem with that either,” Rachel said.
Ross first got into acting at the suggestion of some of his mom’s friends.
“People always said, ‘Oh your kids are so cute. They should be on TV or in commercials,’ ” Rachel said. “We decided to give it a try.”
Ross has two sisters, Lauren and Parker. Lauren, 12, was already involved with the Lake Charles Little Theatre when Ross and Parker, 5, decided to try their hand at acting. Rachel said this helped them get their foot in the door.
Family friend and comedian Jen Kober also helped Ross get his start. She set up the family with a photographer for headshots and a talent agent. All three Anderson children signed with Louisiana Talent Agency back in February.
Ross’ first audition led to a role in a Schwinn bicycle commercial.
Ross said he only gets “kind of nervous” before auditions.
“It’s not hard because you have your mom or your dad there,” he said.
Rachel said they are still learning the ins and outs of the audition process.
“When we went for that Schwinn commercial and then when he got that callback, we just thought that was standard process,” Rachel said.
“But when we got on set that day, other parents were there with their kids and they asked how long we’ve been doing this. I told them that we just started and that it was his first audition, and they were like, ‘You’re kidding! We’ve literally gone on 50 auditions, and he’s never even gotten a callback.’ ”
“Empire State” was Ross’ second audition.
“For the movie, too, we were just like, ‘Yay, he got another one. This is fun,’ ” Rachel said. “I’m trying to keep that attitude. Ross is really laid-back about it.”
With his work on “Empire State” complete, Ross has auditioned for several other films, including “Hangover III.”
“If I get the part, well, lucky me,” Ross said. “I think it (acting) is fun. You get to go to so many new places and see so many new people.”
“Empire State” is expected to be in theaters June 2013.
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