I was the youngest Lost Boy in the movie Hook. Ask Me Anything!

I just showed Hook to my kids for the first time a couple weeks ago! I asked if they had a question for you. My 9 year old wants to know if you still remember Neverland after leaving it or whether you forgot it like Peter Pan did?

:) that's such a beautiful question. respect.

Tell him I try really hard to remember as much as I can. Somethings will stay with me for ever. But I accidentally left all my pixie dust in Never Land.

then give him a high 5 for me!

Thanks for the response! High five delivered (to her) :)

her, gotchya.

:)

You seem like a good dude.

thank you, kindly.

I hope someday you come knock on my door to play ball.

awe

Oof. That hit me right in the feels.

:)

What is your favourite memory of Robin Williams?

I'm close to the same age as his son, whom he didn't get to see much, while on set. So he would regularly come knock on my trailer door, and ask my mother if I could come out to play... and we would hang out and run around and play ball or what ever... just hanging out with him off set was the greatest.

Holy shit dude. Robin Williams was basically your dad for a little there

indeed! Thats very much how I felt growing up. He even remembered me later on. about ten years ago I emailed his agent, and a couple days after he called me. I had the chance to catch up a bit... I took his passing really hard. Felt like a piece of me was gone... thats why I posted that tribute music video for him.

I think all of us that grew up watching his films felt like a piece of us had gone when he passed. I can only imagine how much more harrowing that must have been for those that knew him personally.

Having lost friends and family members in similar fashion, there are really no words.

you're very much right. I shut myself in my room for days. I'm not ashamed to admit I cried my eyes out.

Wow! That's kind of sad, if you think about it -- the part about you being his replacement son, I mean.

yeah... I've often wondered if that was some how connected to his depression... I know I can't have been the only kid he connected to in such a way over the years. But, if nothing else, I'm happy to have been there for him. He meant so much to me, and has had a profound influence on my life.

A friend of mine went to school with one of his kids and met him several times. Said he was engaging, sincere, and one of the nicest people they had been around.

your friend is absolutely correct!

How fun was it to shoot the food fight? And how did they make Julia Roberts so tiny and then get her back to normal size after filming?

the food fight itself was great... tons of fun... it was the afterward part that sucked... the clean up.

there where like 20 or 30 Lost Boys that all needed to take showers and clean up, after getting covered in food, so we could reset and do another take... and there were only like 6 or 8 showers... and not nearly enough hot water. It took 3 days to film, and we did it over and over each day... I dont know how many time I waited in line, covered in Never Food, to take a cold shower, and come out squeaky clean...

and as for how they made Julia so tiny... Pixie dust, obviously ;)

What was the Never Food made out of? It seemed kind of goupey.

it was SOO goopey! it was whipped cream with food coloring.

Are you well recognised for your role in Hook?

What was it like being a child actor in Hook and how did it affect personal life /education?

I dont get recognized as much as I used to, now that I'm in my 30's and bearded... but when ever some one find out, they say they can see it immediately... I guess my eyes never change, lol.

I've noticed a lot of child actors have a difficult time growing up, and that stereo type is kinda true. all I wanted growing up as to fit in, have friends, and be cool. But being in something as well known as Hook tends to single you out. I ran from it for a long time... I embraced it as an adult though, and I'm glad I did.

The eyes! Yeah, eyes are always unique.

That makes sense really, I can imagine lots of kids bragging that they went to the same class as you! Haha, really glad you embraced it though, and all the best for your upcoming production. Hope it goes smoothly!

it can be a little weird some times, when some one tells me they remember going to class with me, but I dont remember them at all... I guess a thing like this tends to be memorable :p

thanks you, kindly!

some one tells me they remember going to class with me, but I dont remember them at all...

You might just suck at remembering people. I'm not famous, and the same thing happens to me! Some people are crazy good at remembering faces.

oh i totally DO suck at remembering people haha

I dont get recognized as much as I used to, now that I'm in my 30's and bearded... but when ever some one find out, they say they can see it immediately... I guess my eyes never change, lol.

I recognized you immediately, even with the beard.

No offense bruh, but you got yourself a baby face. Even with the beard. Ain't a bad thing.

lol, i totally do...

I just meant that, if you didn't already know when you see me, to look for it, than you wouldn't have noticed... or atleast, most people don't any more...

used to happen all the time, people would stop me in public all the time, lol.

This thread reminds me of the scene in Hook where one of the lost boys (was it you?) pulls and stretches Robin Williams face, then looks in his eyes and recognizes him as Peter Pan. It IS you!

that was a touching scene. I was not the one that stretched his face. right after Isaiah Robinson gave that line, "Oh there you are, Peter." I came in and said, "Welcome back to Never Land, Pan the Man!"

For the longest time I thought you called him "Panda man"

haha, im surprised how many people think that... I guess I just need to annunciate. lol.

Have you ever used your fifteen minutes to close on a gal? (Or guy, whatever.)

hahaha... It has definitely gotten me the girl a time or two (or three), whats nice though, is that I usually dont have to bring it up myself...

Rufio! Rufio! Ru-fi-ooooooooooooooooooo?

that is so dangerous!

this is the only proper response

:)

I had no idea that Dustin Hoffman was Hook until the credits rolled.

Robin is cool, but Dustin... do you have any memories of him?

By the way, my favorite scene was when he was the school master for Robin's kids and gave the lecture on "Before you came along..."

ah, yes, good ol' Dustin. I did meet him, I attended his birthday party, (he served gummy bears and cool aid, and gave out copies of "Horton Hears a Who, narrated by Duston Hoffman) ... but, in order to play the part more convincingly we was drinking every day, and always tipsy, so he tended to stay away from the younger kids away from set... I'm not knocking his performance or anything, much respect for him and his method. Thats just the way things worked out, and why he didn't have as much an impact on me... plus he is a lot more timid off camera, like he goes into his shell... where as Robin was more larger-than-life.

we was drinking every day

Now I'm really envious!!!

ha ha ha, right?!

it's not all that un common for actors when certain roles call for it.

Also when they don't

indeed :p

What's your favorite memory from filming?

during the pirate ship battle, with tons of pirates and lost boys and tons of extras, Steven gets on the loud speaker trying to get every one's attention. He's just about got every one calmed down and starts to give instructions, when Robin climbs to the top of the pirate ship, behind Steven, and moons every one!

needless to say, Steven lost control of the situation, lol

Thanks for this. I love hearing more stories about Robin. Just when I thought I heard them all...

you're welcome!

Do you still talk to Rufio?

actually yes. He and I were just talking on Facebook messenger the other day, about his upcoming prequel spin off movie.

Will you be working on that project with him?

all the lost boys will be making cameos in it... at least as many as he can get a hold of...

I thought it was funny that everyone's biggest concern was that he was going to put himself in the role of younger Rufio. The dude is 42 years old! Thankfully he showed up and put a kibosh to that nonsense.

hahaha right?! ... yeah, i saw an open casting call for it, he's looking for a 13 year old to be the new Rufio... but I figure Dante's the most fit person to make that casting decision.

On your IMDb Page It shows your acting appearances stopped in 1993 and you didn't appear in anything again until 2008. What did you do during that time? Were you still trying to pursue an acting career? Are you still hopeful to continue acting, or are you fully satisfied with being a filmmaker?

Good luck in the future!

during that time I was going to school, having a day job, and just trying to survive the real world... I mean, I left Never Land, and life outside the Never Tree is more stressful that I thought it would be :p

In 08 I embraced my passion for filmmaking, and I'd say yeah, I'm happy. I love making movies, and wish I had'nt waited so long to get back into it.

Glad to hear that, and thank you for answering my question!

One last thing, when are you expecting your series The Darkest Timeline to be released? I just followed your facebook page and I'm really looking forward to it! I love sci-fi shows of this nature!! I hope it's a huge success for you!

Awesome, thanks! I'm still casting right now. Running an Indie Go Go: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-darkest-timeline-a-web-series/x/1580530

we plan to begin filming in early May. I'd say It'll likely be released on my Youtube channel by the end of the year.

Sweet! Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. Looking forward to it!!

thank you! I am too! you can like the facebook page for updates on production: https://www.facebook.com/DarkestTimelineShow/

i remember you saying in your last one that your folks were dicks and spent all your hollywood cash on themselves. is your relationship with them OK or is it strained?

oh wow, you remember that, huh? I'm impressed, that was years ago.

I get along with my father well now, but I havent spoken to my mother in... I don't know how long. They divorced when I was 8.

Sucks to hear, man. Glad you're doing good.

eh, it is what it is.

How great are the memories of being a child on such a "magical" set, a lot of those props were real right? I imagine vast aww and wonder as a kid.

Edit* wow what a karma difference to wake up to!

It was like, the best and most elaborate play time, with the most elaborate jungle gym / play house ever.

some of the props were real, though the dagger I carried was rubber... I mean, I was 6... we don't need to give a 6 year old a real dagger haha... Rufio's sword was real though.

Exactly what I was hoping to hear! Awesome stuff thanks for being a part of a great childhood movie me for haha.

You're very welcome! I'm glad it meant so much to you :)

When did you realize that Peter was The Pan? What was Neverland like under the Rufio administration?

I knew before most other Lost Boys... in the argument scene, when Rufio draws a line in the sand with his sword, I'm the only one that stays with Peter the entire time...

and Rufio was a lot more strict than Peter. Peter's a free spirit, Where as Rufio was more like a gang leader... but don't tell him I said that, or I'll have to suffer the machine again... oh no, he's coming! hides

The food fight scene.... Was it actually edible food? And did you eat any of it?

it was indeed edible real food, and SOME of it was okay for us to eat... most of it was covered in fly repellent and pesticides, to keep bugs off it, and treated to keep it looking nice for the entirety of the filming of that scene, which took 3 days.

That is something I never would have thought about. Hmm, TIL.

...makes you think, doesn't it? haha

I'm in the middle of watching cheers for the first time (currently on Season Five) and I TOTALLY recognized you! Fun.

Congrats on returning to your passion!

Edit: so I meant to add this to the comment above about being on Cheers, obviously, but I'm on mobile and watching cheers on the computer so I'm leaving it here.

thank you! enjoy the show, its a classic.

What was it like working with Robin Williams? What kind of person was he when the cameras were off?

I hung out with Robin off set a lot. He was like a big kid. always related to me on my level, and seemed like he was having just as much fun as I was. One of the best and funnest people I've ever been around. Not a shred of ego.

This post and all the talk about him makes me so sad. Such a great guy gone :(

you and me both.

Hook is my all-time favorite movie. I've seen it at least 30 times, and reading this brought back so many memories. I can't tell you the number of times my ex and I (it's her favorite movie, too) watched the Boo Box scene and thought, "man, that actor is so good, I wonder what ever happened to him" only to find out it was Glenn Close.

Now to the question: what did you see and learn from Steven Spielberg that made you want to direct?

Thanks for doing this. Amazing memories.

that's great about the boo box, haha... many people don't know it's Glenn Close.

Watching him work, watching him always have the answer, always knowing what he wanted. It was really inspiring. I knew then I wanted to be in charge. I knew then I wanted to one day be the director. He would have a crowd of people wanting his attention and always kept cool and always had the answer. he was such an inspiration on my life.

Can you please share more about current projects?

I'd LOVE to, thanks for asking :)

I just finished directing a short film called, "Who Dunt Dunt Dunnit?" (mondern day dinner party murder mystery) which is a proof of concept, I'm hoping to turn into a feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRxRuLhGaGo

I'm also in pre production on a sci-fy / comedy web series, "The Darkest Timeline" which is about time travel, alternate reality, and the explanation of the Mandel Effect. https://www.facebook.com/DarkestTimelineShow/

currently running a fundraiser for the web series: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-darkest-timeline-a-web-series/x/1580530#/

and heres a video from my youtube channel talking about the Mandela Effect, and how it relates to the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcsbLIlRimc

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wow... well I'm glad to speak to some one who understands this from my point of view. I would ask you, if you're willing, to talk to me privately on facebook or something, so we can talk about this, being something we can both understand.

I was 6 when I delivered the line, "Goodnight, Neverland!" so I had absolutely no idea the implications at the time. I have sense learned how much people quote that line.

and oh yes, I completely feel the same way. It's all any one seems to want to talk about. I went through a phase in my teenage years where I ran from it. I wouldnt talk to any one who brought it up, I did everything I could to change my appearance so I wouldn't get recognized, (even wore glasses I didn't need), and pretended it wasnt me...

there's even a rock band called Goodnight Neverland.

however I reached a point where I accepted it as a part of who I am... clearly, as I'm here doing this AMA, lol... in the hopes that it might help my future career.

I really would like to talk to you further about this, as I feel like its something no one can understand unless they have experienced it.

Probably not the only person here dying of momentary curiosity that will never be satisfied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZIlAExvneo

okay... extra cool points for that... well played.

What was it like working on something as iconic as Cheers?

It always felt so wrong little 7 year old me, haha... since it all took place in a bar... I was one of Carla's kids, I had scenes in the bar... the fact that Carla took her kids to the bar seemed so wrong to me at the time... felt like I was doing something naughty lol ;)

Have you been looking after the never-bugs?

was doing great, till I left Never Land... :p

Do certain rights (to your image, voice if they use them in toys) revert back to you at a later date? What is the smallest residual check you've gotten and cashed?

As to how the rights break down, I'm not actually sure... like if you buy the Hook bed spread, I'm not sure if I get a piece of that... but, I do still get residual checks, in varying amounts... the smallest check I've gotten was 32 cents. I was a but surprised they actually sent me a check for so little. I didn't cash that one, kept it for the novelty haha.

What did you and the rest of the cast get upto off camera? Did you torment any of the adults more than others?

hahaha, nice...

actually, the group of Lost Boys was sorta... for lack of a better word... clicky.

Rufio was the oldest at 17, and I was the youngest at 6... the age difference came into play a lot. I hung out with the younger kids... and no, we didn't really make too much trouble. just played gameboy, or went to class or what ever.

though I've heard some crazy stories about the older kids :p

We need details. You cant leave that one hangin' lol

haha... I wont give a way too many details, cause the story isnt mine to tell... but theres something involving a crashed golf cart, and a certain Lost Boy losing his virginity...

Rufio and tinkerbelle eh?

lol, I said not that... no names were mentioned... :p

Rufio!Rufio!Rufio!

Rufio! Rufio! Rufio!

Did you ever sense Robin Williams was depressed?

at the time, no... it's only after he passed that I can look back and connect the dots.

Can you elaborate, please?

well... knowing what I know now... It would make sense that his larger than life persona, and dedication to making every one around him happy, is his self defense mechanism.

Was Julia Roberts a "bitch" during filming like Spielberg said?

I didnt really get to meet her, myself... but the time she stormed out on set, in the middle of a scene, screaming at Steven cause she hated the green sequin dress they wanted her to wear, would lead me to believe she rightfully earned her nick name, "Tinker-Hell."

Was she pretty in person? Did you boys know about Pretty Woman?

the one time I saw her, from across the set, when she was angry and screaming about her green dress, she was just... scary. and I didn't see Pretty Woman till a few years later.

Did you and the lost boys hang out with Maggie & Jack (Charlie & Amber) or were they left to hang out on their own?

I hung out with Amber a lot. I have pics of her and I together.

Since you're AMA is still live, what's your favorite sandwich? :D

I love a good Philly cheese steak :)

What was it like going back to school being in a movie?

Oh, it was rough actually... I tended to stand out. I had to constantly tell myself all the kids that bullied me were just jealous. I developed thick skin at an early age. I denied my connection to the movie for a long time, cause I just wanted to fit in with my peers, and to have friends who saw me as more than just "the kid that was in hook"

but eventually I got over all that, and now it's a cherished part of my life.

Worst lost boy? Who did everyone dislike or thought was annoying?

Also how awesome was RUFFIO?

There was one Lost Boy who is only in half the movie because he was fired half way through production for misbehaving. I probly shouldnt say who, but if you watch closely you can probly figure out who...

also, Alex (the kid with red curly hair) cause people keep mistaking me for him! thats not his fault though, lol.

and yes, Rufio was (and still is) way awesome! I was just talking to him about his upcoming Rufio spin off movie. He's going to have all the Lost Boys do cameos in it.

BANGARANG! Is that spelled right?

yup :)

what's your favorite Robin Williams memory?

It is kinda awesome that the first two question were about Robin :)

I had the best time hanging out with Robin off set, more than anything that was actually on set...

that, or the time he jumped on the top of the pirate ship and mooned the entire cast and crew, while Steven Spielberg was trying to gain control of the crowd... chaos ensued :P

It makes me simultaneously elated and heart-broken, knowing that my biggest hero was so wonderful, but now he's gone, forever.

you are not alone in that feeling.

How were you treated in school after Hook?

differently... being a Lost Boy made me stand out. There's a stereo type about child actors growing up, and it's more or less true.

Were you negatively impacted?

It can be pretty lonely and isolating, but in the long run I'm glad I was able to develop thick skin at an early age. Certainly made adult life easier. On the other hand, my taxes and income were miss managed, so... I'd say there are definitely some negative impacts... but also some positive ones.

Did your role in Hook instill a sense of magic in you as an adult or did it wear off as you grew up?

Well, I left Never Land... I shouldn't have done that :p

life outside the Never Tree isn't what I expected...

but, there is still certain things from the set that inspired me, and are still with me. For example, I was in awe watching Mr Spielberg work, and thats why I'm a director now.

Working with Spielberg must have been amazing! Do you have any standout memories of him on set?

time and time again I would just watch him work, see people swarming for his attention, and he always had the answer and always remained calm. He knew what he wanted and how to get it. I remember seeing that and telling my parents I wanted to be a director when I grow up. That stuck with me, and now I am a director.

Cake, or Pie?

depends on the kind of cake and pie

Generic Vanilla Cake versus Generic Apple Pie.

um... If I HAD to chose between only those... I suppose generic apple pie is less boring than generic vanilla cake, lol... though in that circumstance I'd probly take neither.

Favorite flavor of ice cream?

anything where the ice cream itself is flavored something other than vanilla... as apposed to just vanilla ice cream with stuff in it...

like, if the ice cream itself is cherry, or cotton candy, or animal cracker or something, then I'm down!

Whenever I saw Robin Williams doing interviews, there was always this positive attitude about him. His loss really affected all of us.

My question is was he always going out of his way to make people happy while filming?

Also, to have the likes of Williams, Hoffman and Roberts doing this film, was there any life lessons you were able to take away from the experience?

oh totally! Robin was dedicated to making every one around him happy. and he did so in spectacular fashion. he gave and gave of himself.

life lessons? well, I was inspired by Steven to become a director, and I was inspired by Robin to become a comedian. and I was inspired by all the kids that bullied me growing up, because of hook, to have thick skin.

If you're granted the chance to travel back to the past again and be on the set of Hook as a kid, what would you do differently?

woo, good question...

Probly try to stay in touch with Robin over the years... I dunno if I coulda helped ease his depression, and save his life, but I would have wanted to try.

What was Julia Roberts like in person? Do you have many memories of her? Was Bob Hoskins also drunk like Dustin Hoffman? haha

actually, Julia was the only person I did not get to meet. She had a stalker at the time, so her personal security was really tight. pretty much the only people that met her we Robin and Steven...

although, i do have a memory of her... her first day on set they had a green sequin dress for her to wear, that was closer to what tink wore in the disney cartoon. she hated it. she angrily stormed out onto the set, in the middle of filming another scene, wearing the green dress, and demanded Steven redesign the dress. and thus the brown outfit that's seen in the movie was born... she earned the on set nickname, "TinkerHell."

and Bob was pretty cool too, but no, he wasnt drinking on set, lol.

You're the "Oh there you are Peter" kid right?

no... in that scene I said, "Well, welcome back to Never Land, Pan the Man!"

while trying hard to do a convincing laugh, and failing haha.

Oh nice dude, I remember exactly who you are. "Pans gots kids?"

yup, thats me! "Goodnight, Never Land!"

What is darkest timeline gonna be about, Facebook page is empty?

the facebook page is empty? thats no good, lol... I just checked the link and it worked for me... but here's a video from my youtube channel about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcsbLIlRimc

time travel, alternate time lines... and the Mandela Effect... was it the BerenstEin or BerenstAin?? ... how you answer determines you fate!

Ok Facebook loads fine now, sorry about that, on iPhone right now, desktop died and daughter watching super girl on laptop :)

Seems like my type of shows but how do you make money from a web show? Don't mean to talk about $ but everyone needs to eat.

Thank you

oh nice, I keep hearing good things about Super Girl, but I havent gotten around to watch it yet.

I'm a youtube partner, on a network, so some of the income will come from ad revenue, some from sponsors, and some from crowd funding.... there are a lot of in's and out's to that... I'm not doing it for the money though. I have a passion for filmmaking, and story telling, and I really want to tell this story. I feel like the time is right for people to not only be receptive to it, but also relate to and appreciate it.

I had the same problem, but it is working now.

huh... weird... well, I'm glad it's working now.

thanks for checking it out!

What got you into acting in the first place? Was it something you wanted to do as a kid, or something you were just kind of made to do?

I sorta have this thing where, when I see some one doing something, I think I can do it to, and I can do it better... I used to always see movies or shows with kids in it and think I could have played that part better than the person who did.

What are you doing, now?

well, right at this moment I'm sitting at my desk, South Park is on my TV, I've got a plate of sushi, and I'm answering questions on Reddit, lol...

but I'm an indie filmmaker now. A short film I directed just screened at a festival during LA LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRxRuLhGaGo

and I'm in preproduction on a web series: https://www.facebook.com/DarkestTimelineShow

On a personal level, what are a few of your favorite films?

-side note- I kinda how you prefaced this with "on a personal level" and this question came right after a question asking who molested me, HAHAHA... oh man, lol...

anyway... i love films, making them and watching them, so I could give a long list of my favorites, but off the top of my head: The Social Network, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (2013), Space Balls, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who : the Day Of The Doctor, Sherlock : the Abominable Bride, Back to the Future trilogy... I could go on, lol...

Do you (or did you at any point) get tired of always being associated with a movie like Hook? Did it ever become that thing where you just can't stand to have to say "BANGARANG!" one more time? Or was it always such a happy memory for all involved that it kinda never gets old?

oh, I absolutely went through a phase of hiding from it, trying to be noticed for something else, theres a lot of things I do besides that. mostly it was when i was a teenager trying to lead a normal teenager life.

now I have embraced it and wear it with pride. though it can get a little annoying once in a while when some one just quotes the movie to me then disappears. but It's cool though.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I feel like mind reading, telepathy, would be the most practical in every day life... either that or telekinesis.

Thoughts on the recent attention brought to pedophilia in Hollywood?

pedophilia in general is such a horrible thing. nothing like that ever happened to me, and I havent seen any attention on it like you're saying, but stuff like that makes me sick.

Did the Lost Boys bury Rufio or did they just kick his corpse into the water?

neither... after the battler we went back to get him, and his body was just gone. No one knows what happened...

then years later this is found on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv4RGYZLz0s

Did you have a chance to meet John Williams at all? His piece for this movie was so inspiring.

I did not, no. but I have much respect for him, he does great work!

Who is your favorite Paw Patrol pup?

um... I have no answer to this question, as I've not seen Paw Patrol...

Would you rather fight 1 horse sized duck, or 100 duck sized horses?

oh man... i feel like i'd totally be overwhelmed by 100 duck sized horses... but ducks tend to scare easily, I could probly scare away a horse sized duck.

good question!

How bad ass was Kiefer Sutherland?

hahaha... well played

How did that imaginary food taste? It looked really good.

the pieces of food I as able to eat where pretty good... but most of it was covered in pesticides to keep the bugs away, and treated so it stays fresh looking for the entire 3 days it took to film the scene... so much of it was not edible.

What was it like working on the set?

so fun! the greatest play time ever!

Many child actors struggle with addictions. Did you have this struggle?

you're right, I have noticed this trend also... I'm addicted to caffeine, but thats about it. I didn't even start drinking till I was 22, and going through a divorce.

Do you have a girlfriend?

right now, I do not. I am single.

Why didn't you use your paycheck to get braces?

theres no such thing as braces in Never Land.