Tell us about your new movie, Up…
Up is about a young wilderness explorer called Russell. Russell needs his last wilderness explorer badge – the Assisting The Elderly Badge – so he goes to his elderly neighbor, Mr. Fredricksen, to see if he can get it.

What happens when Russell meets Mr. Fredricksen?
Mr. Fredricksen has just lost his wife and he is about to lose his house, so he decides to go on an adventure by attaching balloons to his home. He sails into the sky, but Russell accidentally goes along for the ride.

What is Russell like?
Russell is an active, enthusiastic and determined 8-year-old boy. He loves animals and he loves the wilderness, so he has a great time exploring when they land near Paradise Falls. Russell is a funny, helpful and smart boy – and he wants to get this last badge to please his father.

What is Mr. Fredricksen like?
Mr. Fredricksen is grumpy and he doesn’t like going outside. Russell loves being outside and he loves running around, so they’re opposites. Russell has only been to museums. He’s never experienced the forest for real, so this is his first trip into a wilderness.

What do you like about Russell?
I like the way that he’s funny. He makes a lot of jokes – and he sometimes shows off what he knows from his wilderness explorer camp. He shows Carl – Mr. Fredricksen – different knots and the different calls of animals.

How similar are you to Russell?
We both love animals and I’m pretty determined at getting things that I really want. I’d love to explore the wilderness too!

How did you get the part of Russell?
The principal at my school sent out an email to all students saying there was a audition for 9 and 10 year old boys. My brother was 9 years old at the time and he went to the audition, so I went along with him. Even though I was only 7 years old, I was allowed to do the audition too. I did several auditions after that – and finally, I got the part!

How difficult was it to record your voice in the sound booth?
It wasn’t very difficult, but I had to repeat the same lines over and over again. I also had to stand for a long time, so it was a little tiring. The director – Pete Docter – tried to make it easier for me, so I took a lot of breaks. I had a lot of fun recording the voice!

How did you prepare for the recording sessions?
Before some recordings, I’d do jumping jacks or I’d run around the studio to pump up my energy. When I needed to be excited, Pete would make obstacle courses for me to run around too!

What was your funniest moment from the recording sessions?
There was one time when I needed to laugh, so Pete held me upside down and tickled me. That was really funny.

How weird is it to hear your voice coming out of a cartoon character?
It’s pretty weird, but it’s cool too.

What do your friends think of your new fame?
They are all very excited for me. We went to see the movie together on opening day. They like the movie a lot and they think that I’m very lucky.

Have you always wanted to be an actor?
It wasn’t my plan, but I really enjoyed working on Up.

What other films would you like to star in?
Toy Story would be a great movie to work on. My brother and I have always liked Toy Story. I think it’s really cool when the toys come alive and have their own adventure.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to swim and play basketball. I also love judo. I like the drum and the guitar!

Russell heads off to South America in the movie… Where in the world would you most like to visit?
I would like to go to Africa. I want to go on safari and see the wild animals, like the cheetah. That would be very cool!

Disney Pixar’s Up is available on High-Def Blu-ray and DVD November 10th!

Up tell the story of Carl Fredricksen, a soul fascinated by the possibility of adventure and exploring undiscovered lands.  When Carl is a young boy he meets a high strung young lady named Elie, who like him, lives for adventure.  The two of them form an unbreakable bond and spend their entire lives together, but never quite find the time for the adventure that they promised themselves they would one day embark on. Upon Elie’s passing, Carl takes a leap of faith and decides to use his house as a giant hot air balloon that he raises off the ground using the helium balloons he sells at his day job.  Only Carl has a stowaway, Russell, a wilderness explorer trying to earn his kindness to the elderly badge.  Carl’s plans are instantly changed and he is forced to reevaluate his what is actually important.

There is no possible way that I could illustrate just how incredible a film Up is in a simple review.  I enjoyed every second of Carl’s journey and was touched by the solid writing and sense of wondrous possibility it created.  Edward Asner was perfect as the voice of Carl, and Jordan Nagai and Bob Peterson also rocked as the voices of Russell and Dug.  Do yourself a favor and rush out to see this amazing killer film as soon as you can.  You won’t be disappointed.  

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars