Alex Pettyfer: From "Number Four" to Number One in the Near Future

Recently, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Alex Pettyfer in the YH Studio, and I have to say, although he plays Number Four in his new film, I Am Number Four, he is surely going to rank high amongst the Number Ones in Hollywood.

U.K.-born Alex comes from a family of entertainers, with his father being an actor and his mother a model; his half-brother James is a top-ranked tennis player (an entertainer of sorts!). Alex began his career as a child model doing commercials before he was discovered by Ralph Lauren himself at only 8 years old! (His mother threw away Lauren's card, and it wasn’t until later in life when Alex realized who it had actually belonged to.)

Pettyfer began acting at 15 and gained popularity by scoring the lead role in the British film Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, co-starring with heavyweights like Ewan McGregor, Mickey Rourke, and Alicia Silverstone.  But he nearly missed his big break. As director DJ Caruso relayed to us, Alex walked out of the audition for I Am Number Four before he even spoke a word of of his script, standing up and declaring, “Don’t worry, I’m not right for this.” With encouragement to come back, Alex was called in two weeks later for a screen test, and before you know it, Steven Spielberg gave him the go, and the rest is history. Alex even performed 98% of the stunts and lived to tell about it. I Am Number Four is now in theatres and hit number two at the box office in its opening weekend. Go check it out!

With turning 21 on the horizon, Alex has two other major films set to hit theaters soon, including Beastly, which is modern twist on the classic "Beauty and the Beast" tale, which also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Neil Patrick Harris. Also on the slate, another  sci-fi flick, Now, which features Justin Timberlake, Oliva Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, and Cillian Murphy. He also admits to dabbling in producing because it appeals to his "control freak side"; it makes sense, as we watch the control he has over his career as it takes off.

Check out my interview with Alex below and see just how he and his nerves are adjusting to celebrity!

Xtranormal Makes Animation Accessible

If you’ve ever sat through a movie and thought to yourself, “Self, I should make movies,” then you definitely need to check out Xtranormal.com.

This amazingly innovative Website can provide you with the tools you need in order to put your creative ideas in motion. And, folks, there is no time other than now to take advantage and get involved. All you need is the ability to type and a little imagination. After picking a set and choosing characters, your movie is already well on its way. You can use the site to help with school projects, storyboarding films, greeting e-cards, or just plain entertainment. Once you have a finished your movie, you can post it to other sites like YouTube or Facebook and share your brilliance with the world!

With over 9 million projects created so far – ranging from Obama spoofs to scary movies and even cuddly animals carrying on conversations about acting – there is not much that this site can’t do to assure you a great animated project. Everyone needs a creative outlet, so plug into Xtranormal!

“The Social Network” Aims to Face(book) the Facts

It was probably inevitable: Facebook has revolutionized the way people communicate in the same way Alexander Graham Bell did when he invented the telephone. Bell got his share of flack, and so has Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Facebook. These two fellas have in common not only their wildly successful inventions but they also share controversy – both have been accused of stealing their idea from someone else.

This controversy is what’s explored in the highly-anticipated film, The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg. Facebook has done so much to not only bring people together but also help performers, artists, and business professionals such as myself grow and expand our brands to a seemingly infinite audience. So, I’m more than curious to see this film and how Facebook may (or may not) have gotten its start!

I’m also excited to see Jesse Eisenberg’s performance. The young actor recently stopped by the YH Studio to talk about his Sundance success with the indie film, Holy Rollers– check it out below:

And judging by the trailer for The Social Network, I think this will be the film that makes Jesse a household name – just like Facebook!

The Social Network opens October 1.

YH Gets a Thumbs Up from Nic Cage

It's no secret that our new Studio at Four Seasons has been a success - getting an endorsement from an Oscar winner is pretty sweet too!

In all sincerity, Nicolas Cage is a very cool, down-to-earth guy and getting the opportunity to interview him was a major highlight for me and YH. It was a pleasure!

Check out my interview with Mr. Cage and his Sorcerer's Apprentice co-star, Jay Baruchel, below: