Little Manhattan
An Interview With Josh Hutcherson

A decade my junior, it took 12-year-old Josh Hutcherson all of a ten minute interview to make me feel inferior about my own accomplishments. Before meeting puberty, the child actor already has films with Will Ferrell (Kicking and Screaming), Tom Hanks (The Polar Express) and Robin Williams (upcoming RV) under his belt. This Friday, Hutcherson will also be able to boast top billing in his own film with Little Manhattan, a romantic comedy that takes you back to your earliest memories of getting knocked around by love.

In the beginning of the film, your character preaches about the dangers of cooties but kind of takes a turn. Are you a hopeless romantic yourself?

Josh: Um, I never really believed in cooties (laughs), so I kind of never really thought they were there. I always kind of thought of girls as friends or whatever. Then, like, pretty recently, I kind of started liking girls a little bit more.

Being just a year older than your character, do you think the movie is accurate in how it portrays your first crush?

Josh: Yeah, I definitely think that around eleven, ten or eleven, is pretty accurate when you start feeling kind of those feelings.

Gabe kind of goes to some emotional extremes over this girl.

Josh: Yeah, it was actually pretty fun. He was a little obsessive, but I guess if he was really in love that’s how it would feel.

The movie follows the love story of two 11-year-olds, but kind of resonates with a lot of forgotten firsts for adults. Did you approach the material hoping to reach both audiences?

Josh: It’s kind of a family movie. It can even be a date movie like, oh remember your first love kind of movie. It can be a family movie just for everybody to go and have a good time but not animated. Because a lot of family movies and kids’ movies now are animated and it’s really cool to see a movie that everybody can enjoy.

The setting of New York was very crucial for the film. Are you from the city yourself?

Josh: No, I’m actually from Kentucky. So, a ways away from the city. It’s not a small town, but it’s just like suburbia kind of. So, it’s not really a big city. And it’s really awesome to get to come to New York and play in New York. I’m not used to a big city.

The majority of the film Gabe gets around on his razor scooter. Did you already know how to ride one?

Josh: Yeah, actually I did because I had those back home, too. Me and my friends all had them.

Talk a little bit about working with your costar Charlie Ray.

Josh: She was really, really good and it was really cool because I was involved with this movie before it actually became a movie. They were still developing the script and everything. I was there to read with all the different girls and I got to have my opinion on which girl. Yeah, the thing is, I said that Charlie was one of my favorites so that was really cool. I was so shocked when I found out that was her first audition ever because she was really so good.

How long have you been acting?

Josh: About three years.

You want to stay in the business as you get older?

Josh: Oh yeah, definitely. I want to maybe try my hand at directing, too.

That’s pretty big. Speaking of big, rumor has it you might star in the remake of The Omen. Any truth to that?

Josh: No, that’s actually incorrect. I thought about doing it but they decided to go with somebody a lot younger. They went with somebody like six or something.

Too bad. You would’ve been good.

Josh: Yeah, I know, I actually saw in the newspaper the other day, it was like, “Hutcherson lands Damien!” I was like, “What? No, I didn’t.”

Since you’re not playing a Satan spawn, what do you have next on your plate?

Josh: Um, I just finished a movie with Robin Williams called RV. I played his son. And I just started one actually in Toronto called Firehouse Dog which is about a dog who does, like, a lot of movies. A movie dog. He gets lost and I find him and he ends up becoming a firehouse dog. And I have Zathura coming out November 11th.

Real quick, Josh, settle the age old question. Who matures faster?

Josh: I think physically girls mature sooner because they’re always taller than boys until like the age fourteen, and then boys shoot up way past girls. But, mentally… I think boys are more immature than girls, too. I think girls mature faster.