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We're Hangin' With..... HALEY JOEL OSMENT by: Lynn B.
Haley
has finally grown into that enormous acting talent of his. He's now
15, tall, lanky and very cute. AGW: Both you and Michael Caine were up for Best Supporting Actor Oscars the same year. Was it weird to be working with him in this film? Haley: I think whenever Michael and I talked about the Oscars it was with good memories of what it was like because that was a really fun season for both of us. Michael's speech, when he gave thanks after he won the Oscar, it honored me more than if I won the Oscar myself so we were on good terms. AGW: You come from a very close-knit family. Is it sad to think of a character like yours whose mom just leaves him with uncles he doesn't know? Haley: Yeah it is tragic because he's missing out on the way he should be growing up and that's what makes the transition so much happier when he meets these two old men. He's so low at the beginning of the story and he makes this great turn-around. You have to sympathize with the character. AGW: Do you have any great uncles or grandpas in your family? Haley: I don't have anybody that would rival the two uncles for pure outrageousness but I did draw on some experiences spending the summer with crazy relatives and stuff. I have a fairly large family. AGW: Last time we interviewed you, they had to sit you on a couple of phone books. When did you get this big growth spurt? Haley: [laughing] It was pretty gradual. It happened over the last year and a half pretty much. The change is going to be noticeable in this film. Physically, I change a little throughout the film. The voice and the personality is the biggest physical change for the character too and that's sort of because of what I was going through at that time. My voice was really changing so it was oddly good timing with this film. AGW: What's important for you in a script? What makes you want to do a role? Haley: The story has to be strong. The characters really have to come alive for you. As an actor you need information about the character before you play him. If a character is one-dimensional in a script, it's nearly impossible to make up for what's missing. The script for Secondhand Lions is what made all the difference for me in doing it. It was amazing. There was so much life in every page. That was the biggest appeal. AGW: Are you the kind of guy who would be comfortable out in the sticks with no t.v. and no phone like your character? Haley: After this film, I'm definitely more comfortable with it but that's one of the good parts about life is learning to enjoy yourself without being occupied by technology. Texas was fun, I found things to do. AGW: There is a lion in the film. We hear you were great with it. Haley: Yeah, I think I was the only person on set who had no fear of the lion. I was ready to go jump in a cage with it. They were obviously pretty nervous about that. They took a lot of precautions to make sure everyone was safe but it looked like it wasn't really necessary. The lion would walk around on a leash like a big cat. AGW: What has been the biggest moment of success for you? The Oscar nomination (for The Sixth Sense)? Haley: I think there have been different types of moments. Success is not really what's the most important to me. I guess there are moments that make you feel good about what you've done. Oscar night was definitely kind of a weird reward. There are times when you get these bonuses. That was one of the most exciting things I've done. AGW: You are known not to be a snobby Hollywood actor. Do you have chores at home? Haley: Definitely. I've got to work around the house, taking care of the dogs, taking out the garbage, generally cleaning up is something that is expected of me. I've got two dogs, Golden Retrievers. I've got a leopard gecko, a very long-lived animal, almost 30 years so I'll have him for a while. We've got a turtle. My sister has a Guinea pig and sometimes we have to take in my mom's classroom animals too. She's a teacher. I'm not a big fan of vacuuming. I keep my room pretty clean. But the above and beyond cleaning I'm not too much a fan of. Me and my sister are expected to pull our own weight around the house. AGW: Do you have your learner's permit for driving yet? Haley: Oh, yeah. I've been waiting for a long time to get to drive. I'm in driver's ed right now and hopefully by junior year I'll be driving myself around. Every teenager wants a really cool car but there's the question of whether or not that's going to happen. AGW: How do you handle schooling? Haley: I go to a regular private school but I have a tutor when I'm on a set so I can keep up with my class back at home. School is pretty much constant. I'm learning the same things as everyone at home. AGW: So do you get time to hang out with your classmates?
AGW: Now that you are older are you getting scripts that are more for teens, not kids? Haley: Yeah. That's what we want to focus on now is age-appropriate roles. I'm past that time where I'm getting younger roles. I can't go backwards. After growing up I can't go back to a kid role. It wouldn't even work now with this voice. It's important to keep progressing in age. Soon I'll be an adult actor and I have to spread out my options. AGW: So do you want to be cast as Hilary Duff's boyfriend now? Haley: [laughs and smiles] It's all about what I'm old enough for now. AGW: Have you met her? Do you want to? Haley: No. I haven't met her. [He just grins and almost blushes]. AGW: Where do you want to be when you are 20? Haley: I don't know. I definitely plan on going to college but career-wise, I'll see what roles are available. I just want to progress in the complexity and age of characters. When I'm 20, the only thing I hope for is to still be doing it and with a more varied body of work by that time. I'm aware of the difficulty of transitioning into being an adult actor but as long as the right roles are chosen I expect to do okay. AGW: You were nominated for an Oscar. Do you still have to try out for roles, especially now that you are older? Haley: You always have to prove yourself to the director and show them what you are capable of doing with the character. This film was so important for me because it's changing what people remember of me being in films before. The worst thing that can happen to an actor is to be stuck in one place, associated with one character. AGW: Do you have a favorite of your roles? Haley: Some experiences have been really enjoyable. A.I. was really amazing because it was a very long and in-depth shoot. This film too was, in it's own way, really enjoyable being out in Texas on a really great, close set. Everyone got along really well. AGW: Was it kind of intimidating acting with two show biz legends (Michael Caine and Robert Duvall)? Haley: I pretty much just watched what they did and reacted off it. That's pretty much what the character is. Walter is just reacting off these two incredible old men. For me, with these legendary actors, it was just watching what they did and staying in character. I haven't seen all their films but I've seen as many as I could. Both have great films and that's what made it exciting on set with them. AGW: Do you give any advice to your sister (Emily Osment was in Spy Kids 2 and 3). Haley: I'll help her when she lets me. It's mostly up to my dad to do that. She's been having a lot of fun with the Spy Kids films. My biggest advice would just to be having fun on the set, enjoying the acting. Everything else just comes as a bonus. AGW: Are you writing any scripts? Haley: There are always some ideas that I think might be fun. I haven't completed a script yet but it's something I'm definitely interested in later. AGW: Who would you really love to work with? Haley: Recently, Johnny Depp has been really interesting to me because I really admire his philosophy with films. He's one of the assortment of people I'd like to work with. AGW: There is a lot of buzz about female teen actresses like on the cover of Vanity Fair but the guys don't get as much. Is it harder being a guy? Haley: It's definitely different the type of attention you get. It's different historically in acting. I think what we're going to see soon is an increased respect for actors and actresses. I remember when Nicole Kidman got her Oscar she said she really admired the writer of The Hours because he really saw that there are a lot of interesting roles for women out there so I'm thinking we'll see a varied assortment of roles to be played. We have a lot of young actors and actresses that will fill these roles as we get older. I have hope for both actors and actresses. As for the attention we get, I think it's going to be a lot more equated in the future. It doesn't bother me that the girls get attention. It's expected. I don't feel like I need the attention. AGW: If it's not attention, what is the big perk for you? Haley: Just the whole environment just being able to meet the people you work with and go to the places they send you to to promote or shoot a film. I've been to some pretty exotic places as a result of this business. It's the great bonus of acting. AGW: Are people still coming up to you and asking if you see dead people? Haley: [laughs]. Not so much anymore. I'm not as recognizable now. Maybe that will change with this film. AGW: You've done heavy drama and Secondhand Lions has some good comedy moments. Now, would you like to do an action hero role? Haley: Yeah, that would sure be fun if the right script came along. As a kid I've always liked that genre. I'm an Indiana Jones fan so if the right film came along I'd love to do something like that. AGW: Do you play sports in school? Haley: Yeah. I've run cross country six days a week all summer. We have training in the Fall. Our team is pretty good and that's a big commitment for me. I'm on the soccer and golf teams as well. I haven't been a part of any school clubs yet. AGW: Any idea where you will go to college? Haley: There are a lot of schools out there that are interesting because of their drama programs or their film school that are appealing to me. This year I'll be seeing what's out there. I'll have to wait and see. There is always more to learn. Of course working with Steven [Spielberg] was unforgettable and wildly beneficial to me as an actor but I think college is a whole different environment. I wouldn't be concentrating on only one thing. I've always been a big history fan. I'm taking a lot of that this year in high school. AGW: What do you hope people will get from Secondhand Lions?
AGW: Who have you personally learned from? Haley: I've had a multitude of people that I've learned from being on the set but primarily it would have to be my parents, just the effort that they put into raising me and the added effort because of the acting. My dad goes with me wherever I have to go. AGW: Do you have false friends who try to get into your life? Haley: It's really easy to tell who is genuinely your friend or not and I've been lucky enough to have a really solid group of friends. It's not based on who I am as an actor but as a person. AGW: How do you stay grounded? Haley: It's all about making sure I understand the importance of staying grounded. I think my parents concentrate on letting me keep myself in line. The most important thing they've taught me is to learn what is right myself and the film has some of that as well. AGW: What music are you into? Haley: Old as well as new stuff. Today, Coldplay, Incubus, REM and old stuff would be Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Jimmi Hendrix. Rock on, Haley!
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He's
a sophomore in high school, runs track, plays golf and soccer but he still
blushes a bit when asked if he's now ready to play Hilary Duff's boyfriend
in a film. You'll next see the young actor starring with pros Michael
Caine and Robert Duval who play his eccentric retired uncles in the new
film 
Haley:
Yeah. This summer I'm spending a lot of time with my friends just relaxing.
There is a really good group of kids in my school. It's all about who
we are as kids. They all see beyond all the movie stuff so I can just
really identify with them just as kids. 
Haley:
The message of the film is what men teach boys, the importance of having
someone to look up to and passing on the knowledge of your elders. I think
we demonstrate that through example, not just telling everyone a message.
Watching Walter [Haley's character] grow as a person because of these
two old men, we see the importance of what that does for him.