Monday, July 30, 2012

Dylan Snyder - TV




Dylan Snyder - TV

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist
Dylan Snyder
Kicks Out The Laughs!



Dylan Snyder M&H Photo
       The Disney XD Channel broke new ground last season when they premiered a teen martial arts comedy titled “Kickin’ It.” The show’s theme is based on a strip mall martial arts studio which is the worst dojo in the Bobby Wasabi Karate school nationwide chain. To make matters even worse, the entire Bobby Wasabi  nationwide chain is under-performing. The dojo consists of six lovable but whacky teen misfits who make up their competing karate team. The show is now in its second season.


     One of the team members is Milton, an honors student who enrolls in martial arts to defend himself after being bullied for taking French horn lessons. He is oblivious to his own shortcomings and has an awkward sense of confidence. Milton is played by fifteen-year-old Tuscaloosa, Alabama native Dylan Snyder. As a child, Snyder was inducted into acting almost at birth by virtue of the fact that his mom was involved in local theater as was his older sister who took him everywhere she went which included auditions, rehearsals and plays. After early training and some local stage appearances, the family moved to New York where at age nine, Snyder won the role of young Tarzan in Disney’s Broadway hit “Tarzan.” He also secured roles on the soaps “Guiding Light” and “One Life To Live.” Then came the inevitable; the family relocated to Los Angeles. 

L-R Olivia Holt, Dylan Snyder, Christian Jones, Jason Earles, Leo Howard & Mateo Arias. Cast of "Kickin' It"  Disney Photo
      Before we got into the meat of the interview, I had to clear up the difference between regular Disney and XD Disney for those who don’t know. Snyder explains, “The original Disney Channel is more centered toward girls. That’s the way its always been. They wanted to branch out and make a channel specifically for the boys. So the boys would be like oh yeah, well I’m watching this show about skate boarding and the girls don’t have to watch it. XD is more extreme; skate boarding, karate, that sort of thing.”

Dylan on set Disney Photo
     In describing his character Milton, Snyder runs it down, “He is an awkward but very smart kid and very good in school but he just doesn’t connect well with others. The way he does connect and become social is through his karate because he goes to the dojo and he opens up and he becomes really good friends and popular among his clique. He gets confidence from his karate.” Most martial arts shows and movie involve the actors taking theater combat training so they can look authentic fighting on camera. Has Snyder had any real life karate training outside of the studio? He lights up, “I have. Actually tonight I’m going. I haven’t done a whole lot of it but what little I have done, its all for fun. We’re just doing it to keep in shape and make sure that our fights look the best they can.” 

     Of course, you have fans who have difficulty separating the on camera fantasy from real life reality. With that being said, has Snyder run across a nut case that actually expected him to be like his character and karate chop something? He laughs, “Not always. I have gotten one offer for a fight but I turned it down saying no, I’m OK.” This is why Snyder has done his best to project a normal persona for Milton on camera.  As he puts it, “With Milton, I try to make him not a sit-com nerd. I try to make him a normal lid. He’s a geek of sorts, he likes school, he likes normal things he just doesn’t connect well. There are more of those kinds in the world then there are sit-com nerds and that’s what I’m trying to go for.”

L-R: Top; Olivia Holt, Leo Howard, Jason Earles, Bottom: Mateo Arias, Christian Jones and Dylan Snyder Disney Photo
     When it comes to changing things, Snyder even got rid of his southern accent when he went to New York to make the adjustment go easier. Having a New York theater background coupled with the LA TV show has made Snyder a well balanced actor. He is one regular teen dude who likes to hang out with his friends, listen to music and play video games.

Kickin' It airs Monday nights 8:30 PM - 9: PM EST on the Disney XD Channel. 


 © 2012 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm 
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