Inspire Magazine | Online Teen Magazine

Simon Curtis

Hi, Simon! How are you?

Fantastic! Thank you.

It must have been an incredible 2008 and 2009 so far, how has your life differed from being in “Spectacular!”?

Well Spectacular! was my first big role, and it has really opened some amazing doors for me; from the auditions and meetings I am able to get now, to the people who want to work with me, Spectacular really has changed a lot of things for me for the better!

Before booking Royce, did you learn who was already attached to the movie?

I believe Victoria was the first one cast after all of our final network screen tests. The producers called Nolan and I about five minutes apart when they made their phone calls to share the good news. We really all found out at about the same time.

What was your reaction when you first heard you received the role?

Well, I found out on my birthday, and I'd been such a nervous wreck all day that it kind of ruined all the birthday festivities my friends had planned! They all took me out to a nice dinner and started writing "We hate Nickelodeon!" on their napkins because I was too anxious to eat anything, but needless to say, by the time I got the phone call, their tune had changed! I jumped and screamed in the middle of the restaurant and couldn't stop smiling the rest of the night. (And, for the record, we all really love Nickelodeon and they’ve been great to work with!)

Because it is a musical, how long was the filming and training process?

The entire process took a little over two months, from recording the soundtrack in LA, to flying to Vancouver to prep, to rehearsal, and through the shoot. It was pretty intense.

Did they require you to do any extra voice training?

No, I've been singing ever since I was little, so it was second nature for me. Both Victoria and I whizzed through our recording sessions much faster than expected. We recorded all three of our songs in two four-hour long recording sessions! We like to think they were impressed. Haha.

Could you tell us which scene was your favorite and why?

I really liked shooting the scene when Royce tries to come back to Courtney and ends up fighting Nikko, because it was my first time to really get to act on film. And I loved all of the musical numbers. Shooting them was such a fun experience.

We always want to know what the food is like! What goodies did the craft team serve?

Well, I kept myself on such a strict diet throughout the shoot, I didn't really get the chance to partake like everyone else did! But the food was amazing, each day it'd be a different ethnic food; Indian, Moroccan, Mexican, etc. We'd get to the point that even if we weren't working on a particular day, we'd still run over to the set to eat! Haha.

You seem to be close with Victoria Justice now, how is she like off camera?

Victoria and I were very fortunate in that we really found friends for life in working together on Spec. She's my little sister. I'm so protective of her and we just have so much fun together. Vic, Avan Jogia, our friend Josh Hutcherson and I all live within less than a mile from each other, so we have a super tight family group now that we are all so grateful for. Vic reminds me a lot of myself at that age, with how mature she is and such. She has a great head on her shoulders, is so humble and kind, and I honestly think she's going to be a superstar. Couldn't love her more.

Her Sweet Sixteen just passed, did you make or purchase her a gift?

I did, but I’m super late in giving it to her (it is March 13th, and I have yet to give it to her!), but I got her a journal that I wrote something in especially for her. So don't ruin the surprise!

You are a Leukemia survivor, how rough was that just knowing you had something that would lower your capability to do what you love? It didn’t stop you, right?

What's funny is that I actually started performing when I was the most sick. I made my mom sign me up for my very first audition when I was in the hospital getting a blood transfusion after school one day. I always just had this innate desire to prove myself when I got sick, and that was a big part of it. Through that desire, I found my biggest passion in life, my calling. Finding that helped me through my battle more than anything in the world ever could have. It gave me a sense of purpose, and saw me through.

You gave an incredible speech to a school recently, what did the students to say to you?

It was great to see that what I had to say made an impact with them. Some of them had sick relatives and thought it was cool that I was sick too, and so many of them were just grateful that I took the time out to come talk to them. Spreading a message of hope and inspiration to sick kids is one of my biggest goals in life. I am so grateful that Spectacular! gave me such a platform on which to share that message.

When we think about Leukemia, there has always been one movie that immediately pops into our heads…and that is, “A Walk To Remember.” It may be a total chick flick, but it resembles a lot of what Leukemia or any life threatening disease can not only do to you, but those around you. Have you seen the movie? Any takes on it?

I have seen that movie in fact. It was really quite sad actually, both of my parent's first spouses died of Leukemia, and although I've never seen my father cry in a movie, he had to excuse himself because it really struck a chord with him and kind of left him a bit of a wreck. It was rather painful to see my parent's reaction to that movie.

You are a cross country runner! What was the longest run you ever ran?

The longest I've ever gone to date has been ten miles. Back when I lived in Oklahoma I just hit the trail one evening and went for it. I've had to cool it a bit with the running lately because I keep injuring myself. I want to be dancing well into my old age, so I think I need to switch to swimming, despite how much I love just going outside and running.

And your fastest mile time?

Well, I only know this because Nike recently gave me a ton of gifts for helping them with a Livestrong benefit (Lance Armstrong's cancer support group that is partnered with Nike), and one of the gifts was this Nike+ bracelet, which is basically a cool pedometer that links up to your iPod and shoes and gives you these incredible graphs of all the data of your runs when you finish. Now that I am using it, I've discovered that I normally run about an 11.5 minute mile. I am so addicted. It is the coolest thing ever! -- The “This or That” questionnaire: - Filming a movie with Victoria Justice or Jessica Alba? Vic of course!

Singing or dancing?

Both

Nike shoes or Adidas shoes?

Love my Nike

Chick Flick or Action film?

Depends on which is better, quality chick-flicks like Love Actually beats stuff like Alien VS Predator, but good action like Kill Bill beats pretty much everything else!

Britney Spears or Mandy Moore?

Britney. I miss popstar Mandy Moore, not into college-folk-indie-light Mandy, haha.

Star in the show 90210 or Gossip Girl?

Gossip Girl

Chicken Salad or Chicken Burger?

Chicken Salad Sandwich ;)

Sleep at 10P.M. or 12P.M.?

Oh I am nocturnal, I'd be asleep at 12 PM for sure

Have an organized schedule, or be spontaneous?

I have a distinct aversion to organization I've discovered. I hate making plans, booking plane tickets too far in advance, etc. I need spontaneity. - Ride a bike or drive a car? Drive a car. I need my music.

Be in a broadway musical, or a musical movie?

Musical movie!

Last, do you have any advice for struggling survivors and for your fans?

To any young person struggling with Leukemia like I did, or any other disease, hold your head up high, put a smile on your face, and chase down your dream like there is no tomorrow. You are capable of achieving anything your heart desires, and nothing can hold you back. Learn what lessons you can from your trials and tribulations, for one day you will take a step back and realize that they are the most precious gifts you will ever, ever receive, no matter the dire price at which you received them. Hold on to your optimism tighter than you've ever held on to anything before, as it will fuel your light when times grow dark. Pray every day. Smile, laugh, and LIVE. Tomorrow will be a brighter day. I went from the same hospital bed you're laying in now, to the orange carpet at the Kids Choice Awards...you can too.