Hi, my name is Ryan.

I am an elementary school student and love acting, dancing and singing!  I have been interested in acting ever since I was 3 or 4 years old. I've been in almost 30 community musicals and plays. Some of my favorite roles are Jack in "Into the Woods," Lefou & Cogsworth in "Beauty & The Beast," and Winthrop Paroo in "The Music Man." This year I'm playing the role of Smee in "Peter Pan."

Q: What do you do for fun when you’re not shooting Into the Outdoors?

A: I like to go see movies, hang out with friends and act in musicals or plays for community theatre.

Q: How do your friends and family feel about you being a host on Into the Outdoors?

A: Most of my friends didn't even believe me at first, but once they noticed I was gone, they believed me and were happy for me. My family couldn't have been more supportive; they were so happy! My teachers were also really excited for me.


Q: What is the best part about being on Into the Outdoors?  And the coolest thing you’ve ever gotten to do on a shoot?

A: I love learning all this cool stuff and participating in the activities that are going on. The coolest thing I've done on a shoot was probably learning how to build an actual igloo!

Q: What did you learn about the shooting process of Into the Outdoors that you didn’t know before you did it the first… second… or third time?

A: I learned that if you mess up, it's all right because you can always do it again, unlike live theatre.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?  And do you listen to it between shots or locations on a shoot?

A: I like show tunes/Broadway musical songs, and rock. I don't listen to it on the set, but I had my iPod with me in the car for the seven-hour drive up to Manitowish Waters from my home in Illinois.

Q: What is a normal shoot for you like?  Do you stay in a hotel the night before or after?  Do you have to wear make-up or special clothes?  Who decides these things?  Do you hang out with the crew?  I have so many questions I don’t know where to start… tell me everything?

A: So far, I've only gone on one shoot. That time, I did stay in a hotel the night before. I didn't have to wear make-up, and I just wore regular clothes – under about three layers of winter clothes.

Q: Is it hard to make up school work when you have to miss class for an Into the Outdoors shoot?  When do you make up the work?  And, would your parents still let you be a part of the ITO cast if your grades started to go down?

A: No, it's not too hard to make up school work because I either ask for it beforehand or just make it up during school. If my grades started to go down, my parents would definitely not let me do Into the Outdoors until my grades went back up.

Q: Of all the Into the Outdoors episodes you’ve done, which one is your favorite?  Why?  Was the segment’s topic really interesting, or did you just have fun with the crew?

A: So far, I've only done one episode of Into the Outdoors. I learned how to snowshoe, how to build an igloo and learned about different animal pelts. Not only was the topic interesting, I had a lot of fun with the crew!

Q: What is your favorite movie… and your favorite part, of course?

A: I'm a HUGE movie watcher and so are my friends. We've seen so many movies, we don't even have a favorite. SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM!

Q: If you could be ANYTHING in the world when you grow up, what would it be?  What’s so cool about it… and have you always wanted to be one?

A: I would love to be an actor when I grow up. I honestly love everything about it and have always loved it!