Hey M Girls,
Could you imagine what it would be like if your dad was the president of the United States and you got to live in the White House? That's exactly the role Benjamin Stockham gets to play on his new show 1600 Penn! Benjamin plays Xander, the brainy youngest kid of the Prez, and recently we got to chat with him about the show-- check it out:
M: Hey Benjamin! Can you tell us about your character Xander? How are you guys similar, and how are you different?
B: My character Xander is a deep thinker who questions things and looks for the solution. He doesn't seem to have a lot of friends around him. I have a small group of friends, they are all really cool and most of them are actors like me . Also, Xander wears glasses and I don't. I think the thing that Xander and I have in common is that we both really like and respect our dads. We are also both a little bit below average in height.
M: Living in the White House must feel like a really powerful thing. What would you do if you were actually the President's son, living in the White House?
B: If I were actually a President's son and could make a law I would make school days shorter and weekends longer. I think I could make a lot of friends by lowering taxes too.
M: Has your TV family become like a real family on set? Who are you closest to?
B: My TV family is like a real family, which is cool because I've never had siblings before and now I have three. I know it sounds corny but I don't want to pick a favorite because I like all of them! I think they are completely awesome and really, really nice to me.
M: Can you tell us about any behind the scenes bloopers or funny moments that have happened on set?
B: It was funny when Bill was walking with the fully set up Risk board and tipped it over. We expected everything to fall off and found out that the pieces were glued to it. Movie magic! My first blooper was when I was on my bed with a book...I'm saying my line and I pick up the book and it slid out of the book cover and down onto the bed. I was a little embarrassed but Jason the Director was super cool and said "there's one for the blooper reel."
M: We saw your pic of your puppy Pilot. Can you tell us about him? How did you come up with the name? Do you have any other pets?
B: Pilot is a Yorkie and he is almost 7 months old. He's like a yoga dog, always stretching. I got him as an early Christmas present but I've been wishing for him FOREVER! I named him Pilot because he was a cool thing that happened to me just like when I booked the 1600 Penn pilot. I don't have any other pets. Still trying to potty train Pilot.
M: Who are your favorite singers? What are the most played songs on your iPod?
B: I don't have an iPod but I have iTunes on my phone. I like Adele songs and my friend Beatrice Miller's X-Factor songs - can't wait for her album!
M: Can you tell us three random/wacky facts about yourself?
B: I wear Crozats when I'm not working and I could spend all day playing Minecraft. Also, I met a mom on the set of a commercial I was doing who liked how I drew so she asked me to illustrate her book. I also illustrated a Christmas card for her.
M: What do you like to do in your spare time?
B: Draw, draw, draw, Minecraft and draw.
Check out Banjamin on 1600 Penn tonight on NBC!
Photo: Kenneth Dolin
Let's dish:
-What do you think of Benjamin? Do you watch 1600 Penn?