Flight 29 "Parties" Down – Part 2

Okay, transport yourself back to the L.A. version of a tropical island where we are still partying with the cast of the new Discovery Kids/NBC show "Flight 29 Down" and their pals. After watching the first episode, we all clap and mingle and chow down. I run into cute Jeremy Kissner who plays Eric on the show. This is the survivor who keeps everything "light", always has a scam going but is good at heart.

TeenTelevision: What is it like to be the sort of "player" guy in "Flight 29 Down"? Always lookin' out for number one?

Jeremy: It's very fun. I basically get the material for him from being in school and being with those type of kids, just using that. A little bit from each friend of mine back home.

TeenTelevision: Do they know that?

Jeremy: No, they don't. They'll find out.

TeenTelevision: Anything you would like your character to do in the show that you haven't gotten to yet?

Jeremy: I'd like Eric to do anything. I would do anything. I don't care what they would write. I would do anything just to go through it.

TeenTelevision: We've heard various stories but what fun stuff do you guys do off set?

Jeremy: We go eating at a local sushi restaurant together. It's very good. We eat together a lot. We play games in each other's rooms when we're not working or watch a movie. We are always in a group the whole time.

TeenTelevision: What was the audition process like for you? Big competition?

Jeremy: I auditioned three or four times and I originally auditioned for the part of Nathan and I sucked at that! The casting director said, 'you know, you look like an Eric'. So, I got called for Eric and she called me back and I kept getting callbacks for that part until I got it.

TeenTelevision: Eric wears a crazy hat. Was that your idea?

Jeremy: That hat was suggested by Stan Rogow [co-creator and co-exec producer for "Flight 29 Down"]. D.J. [MacHale, the other creator/producer] and Sam were thinking of what could make the character different and Stan thought that I could have a hat on.

TeenTelevision: What kind of music are you listening to?

Jeremy: I am into underground Hip Hop. Not mainstream at all. You probably wouldn't have heard of any of them. We play a lot of everything at a party. I share my music with Hallee and she liked some of the music and starts listening to it. We share each other's musical interests.

TeenTelevision: Anything coming up for you during your break?

Jeremy: I'm going to be on "E.R." October 6th. It's funny. The character's name is also Erik..spelled with a "k" this time. He's very sick. Erik drank too much and is giving the doctors a hard time.

TeenTelevision: What major actor's career would you like to have?

Jeremy: Bill Murray. He does funny stuff and also great serious work.

TeenTelevision: Fave actress?

Jeremy: Probably Nicole Kidman. She's so good.

We spot dark-haired, hunky Johnny Pacar and zero in on him out in the hall. Johnny's character Jackson is a new kid in school so he's the mystery man; the cool kid that guys want to research and girls just.... want.

TeenTelevision: We hear you play guitar in real life. Do you and Corbin get together and jam at all?

Johnny: He plays the piano and other things. I play guitar, I play bass and drums a little bit but we haven't gotten to get together.

TeenTelevision: Is it fun playing the sort of mysterious, cool guy on the show?

Johnny: It's fun to an extent. It's kind of the third time I've played this [type of] character but on this show I think I enjoy it more because he's new to these kids and new to the school so I can take it to a different degree. It's almost like I can kind of boss the other characters around in a sense. It's fun.

TeenTelevision: It is fun to be with a big ensemble cast like this in Hawaii?

Johnny: Oh yeah. On the weekends we go scuba diving, snorkeling, whatever. Just hang out and do whatever. The time of year we were there it was the greatest surf season so it was a good time.

TeenTelevision: Is there an episode that you like that you kind of shine in?

Johnny: There's one where I take a different step in a different direction. That's all I can say.

TeenTelevision: Have you ever seen "Lost"?

Johnny: Never have so no one can say I'm ripping anyone off.

TeenTelevision: What music do you like?

Johnny: I have my moods but I like a lot of harder stuff. Right now in my CD player I have a group called Strung Out. It's fast, heavy punk metal but I also like Tory Amos. It all depends on my moods. I'll listen to heavy stuff and be sick of it in a couple of days and need to mellow out.

TeenTelevision: Anything funny happen while trying to shoot the show?

Johnny: Oh yeah. A lot of people didn't realize it was a private beach and they were curious as to what this film crew was doing. They probably thought it was "Lost" so they were wandering over, people walking their dogs through the shot and another time, this parachuter just lands in frame. That was pretty funny.

TeenTelevision: What would you like to see your character do it a future episode?

Johnny: Well, this is going to sound a little bizarre but I wanted my character to get so wrapped up in everything that he sort of starts to lose it a little bit. Not permanently. In The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio, there's this scene where he thinks he's in this video game and he's out in the forest. That would be interesting but I don't think that's going to happen. Other than that, I'd like to see an attempt to go out in the water, attempt to break away somehow. Obviously we won't prevail but just an attempt.

TeenTelevision: Is your character going to hook up with one of the girls?

Johnny: I don't know. It could be Melissa [played by Kristy Wu who couldn't attend the party]. It could be Taylor. Who knows. We'll see.

Over in the corner with his parents is adorable (hunkdom in about 10 years) Allen Alvarado who plays the youngest castaway, Daley's little bro, a brilliant kid who often saves the day. We go over to chat.

TeenTelevision: You are super smart on the show. Are you pretty smart in real life?

Allen: I'm a little bit above average. Just a little above normal.

TeenTelevision: Do you hope your character will be more of a hero next season?

Allen: I think already knowing what the island is going to be like, he's going to be more of a hero than the first season.

TeenTelevision: Who is your fave cast member to hang out with or do you all hang out together?

Allen: We all really hang out together on the set and play Boggle between takes. I feel accepted even though they are older.

TeenTelevision: Was it hard to get this part?

Allen: We had just come out here a second time. I'm from Illinois. We got an audition call. I thought we'd try our luck. I was going against a couple of boys and at that time they were thinking of casting girls because they couldn't find anyone. They were going to make the character a girl with a different name. I got a call back. I did two then I'm back in Illinois. We'd just gone grocery shopping and got a phone call and they said I got it. When we first went out, it was a shock that we would film in Hawaii.

TeenTelevision: Did your family come to Hawaii with you?

Allen: I had a tutor on set but my mom and dad came out for the whole entire time. They were very supportive. My aunt and grandpa and grandma and another aunt and uncle came out. For one week we had them all on set and go out to dinner. It was really nice.

TeenTelevision: Wow, a real family vacation.. only you were working. What do you wish you could do on the show that your character hasn't gotten to do yet?

Allen: What I'd really like to do is stick fight like Donatello (a Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtle), like a ninja almost.

TeenTelevision: Any action stuff so far?

Allen: Well dragging the plane was pretty heavy! I almost fell down a couple of times.

Standing around chatting with everyone was cutie Zac Efron who played Cameron on the "Summerland" TV show. He turns 18 in October. We asked him what he's been up to since that show.

Zac: I am on a new show called "The High School Musical" for the Disney Channel. It's a movie and I play Troy Bolton and he is the school super jock cool kid. The plot is two star-crossed lovers meet on vacation and when they get home, they discover that they go to the same school. They don't hang in the same crowd and this causes a lot of tension. They have to overcome a lot of problems to be together. In the end they do and the whole story is told through music and dance.

TeenTelevision: So you have to burst into song?

Zac: It is a full on musical so yeah. The story is told through music. Everyone knows the words and the dance and we just go. I did a lot of musical theater when I was younger so that's how I started. That's my roots. Songs and dance on small stages all across the central coast of California.

TeenTelevision: Are you a California boy car-wise? What are you driving?

Zac: I'm looking to get an Infinity G-35 if not that then a new Civic.

TeenTelevision: What music do you listen to?

Zac: Coldplay, The Shins, Postal Service, a lot of them and I like to listen to musicals too. I have the Avenue Q soundtrack in my car right now.

Wow, somebody has grown about a foot since he starred in the recent big screen movie Peter Pan. We catch up with Jeremy Sumpter, who is 16 now, on his way to the refreshment tables.

TeenTelevision: Hi, man you got tall! Are you friends with some of the "Flight 29" cast members?

Jeremy: Yeah. I'm here to support my friend Lauren who is starring in the show. It looks like a great show and I can't wait to start watching it.

TeenTelevision: What are you up to now?

Jeremy: I just finished a project called The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang by the same people that made Napoleon Dynamite and I'm writing a script right now that I'm hoping to get made.

TeenTelevision: Who would you love to act with that you haven't yet?

Jeremy: Mel Gibson. I did a show for Mel that he produced. I didn't get to meet him. He's my favorite actor.

TeenTelevision: Would you like to be in a big ensemble cast like this one?

Jeremy: Yeah. There are a few movies coming out with big ensemble casts that I'd love to be in. I'm just relaxing right now, getting a lot of scripts. Haven't made a choice yet. I'm home schooled and I've just been busy getting ahead in school lately.

Another friend in attendance was perky 14-year-old Amy Bruckner who plays Pim Diffy on the Disney Channel's comedy/Sci-fi show "Phil of the Future". The show will be shooting a second season soon and we had a great conversation about "baddies" in film and TV. When Amy first read for the Pim role, she was told they were looking for a Wednesday Addams type. Her audition focused on just being quirky, not really dark and she was in. She thinks of "Phil" star Ricky Ullman as her big brother in real life and is looking forward to starting the show's next season.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.