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Web Exclusive Close-Up: Asher Book

Alternative Press - Tim Karan on 9/11/09 @ 10:53 AM - altpress.com

In case you've always wondered what it would be like to attend a high school where singing and dancing all day was the norm, the remake of the '80s classic Fame hits theaters Sept. 25. AP caught up with Fame star (and V Factory vocalist) ASHER BOOK to learn about the differences between actually going to acting school and acting on an acting school set, and why he owes his whole career to a Walt Disney princess.

INTERVIEW: Eric Hoffman

Which came first, singing or acting?
I don't know; I think I was doing both. I guess I would say more the singing was bigger for me.

So then what made you want to start acting?
I think it was just growing up--one thing just kept moving into the next. And the different opportunities I was blessed with at a young age just kept opening me up to different opportunities. So when I moved to New York City, I think a lot of my Broadway opportunities basically opened me up to the acting world. And I think it was just a natural thing.

How young were you when you first started singing and playing music?
I was turning 7 years old. That was the first time that I booked Beauty And The Beast.

Being in the entertainment industry from an early age, how excited are you to be in the Fame remake?
Oh, my gosh, so excited. It's such a huge opportunity, and I'm so lucky to be in it. I kind of put off acting to focus on music for a bit, but I told my manager if something comes up that you think I'm right for, or something that just stands out, that's different, let me know. I had passed on a lot of acting projects that year, but Fame was the only one that I felt good about that I didn't [pass up]. So I got back to L.A. and auditioned for it and I was like, "What do I got to lose?" So I did, and I got a call back the following day, and then six months later, I'm still fighting for the role. Two tests later, I finally get the offer at the second test. And that was that. So it was definitely a lot of work involved, but it was definitely worth it in the end.

Geez, that sounds like quite a process.
It is, it's a big process. So I definitely went through a lot in that six months.

How much are you like your character in Fame?
A lot. There's a lot of similarities. We both went to the original Fame school. We both have been kind of singing our whole lives. There's a lot of similarities with my humor, the way he talks to girls, and his confidence level. But I had a lot to bring to the character, but it definitely helped having so many similarities.

Before you started filming, had you seen the original movie?
Yeah, I had definitely seen the movie, but it was such a long time ago that I definitely had to refresh my memory. I went out and rented the movie and saw it with my family again.

The edginess and rawness was a little unexpected; I just kind of forgot about that when I was sitting with my family. I was like, "Wow this is really edgy." It's a great film, it has a good message. That's what we tried to emphasize in our [version of the] film. The true meaning of fame, what it really means, and what you have to go through as an artist. It was definitely great to see the movie again. It's a great film.

When you were filming, was it ever overwhelming to work with so many young, talented people?
No, if anything it made my job that much easier. Going to set and working alongside such talented kids... We all took this very seriously, but yet we still had so much fun shooting it and working together 'cause we all really wanted this film to work and make it as real and as awesome as possible. We kind of just vibed off each other, and all of the relationships you see on screen are really real. It's very true to what it was off set. So I think we brought a lot to that.

How did the performing arts school you went to compare to what we see in the movie?
You have to audition to get into the school, so it's kind of a similar process you have to go through. You wouldn't be surprised going down the hall and hearing someone vocally warming up, or seeing some girl stretching for dance. It's pretty much what it was all about. The whole school was full of talented kids that were involved in the industry.

Did any of the other actors in the movie go to a performing arts school?
Yes, actually there was three of us that went to the original Fame school. It was me, Paul McGill and Paul Iacono. So it was really ironic and very strange that we had all gone to the same school.

So did you guys felt right at home?
Yeah, it was cool. We actually shot a scene at the school that I went to--the rooftop scene where I break up with my girlfriend in the movie. It was funny being done with that scene and going down the stairs and running into an old music teacher I had. Just weird stuff like that. So it was definitely cool to be back at my middle school.

Who are some of the artists that inspired you to sing and act?
Growing up, I listened to a lot of the classics like Elton John, Billy Joel and the Beatles. I love Stevie Wonder's music. A lot of people like that inspired me with the creative side of things. Looking up to them was definitely a help for me growing up.

How did V Factory get started?
It's funny. It just kind of came about very naturally. I was going through my freshmen year of college, and I was contacted through the A&R of Warner Bros. Basically he had found me somehow through this vocal coach that I was still coaching with in L.A., and they were looking to replace the lead singer as they were putting this band together. The whole process kind of came about when they confronted me with it, showed me the music, I met all the people that were involved, and I don't know... It was just one of those things that I liked and vibed off of, and I really liked the environment of it. So they flew out and met me; I was in the studio doing demo work, and I pretty much auditioned for the group. From then on I was in this group making the music that we've been doing. It's been fun. It's been a good two years.

What are you guys currently up to?
Traveling. MGM actually teamed up with our group, we're doing this Six Flags Tour and doing a lot of shows with that. Doing a lot of spot dates right now. We just got back form Canada. But we're also getting ready to drop our second single. So, that will be good too.

You've been touring a lot now with your band; but you were also on the road with Beauty And The Beast. What was it like to be a little kid on tour?
It's a crazy experience being 6 years old, not ever having any training before, never being in a show, not even knowing what an audition is. Going from that to basically my next-door neighbor telling me about this huge open call audition, and saying that I should go on it. She kept pushing me and pushing me. I guess as a kid it sounded exciting or it sounded fun, so that's really more of what it was. It just felt right. I went to the open call audition, almost feeling like I was totally out of my league, not knowing why I was there. But it was a meant to be thing I guess. At the end of the day, I booked it, at this huge open call, and that's really what started my career. One thing just kind of kept leading to the next.

So which would you say is more important to you, singing or acting?
They're both important. They've made up so much of who I am, and they're a big part of my life. Both of them I like so much, so hopefully I'll be able to continue them. People ask me which one are you going to be doing more of--for the next few years it's going to be kind of tough to be doing both. But it's timing, and I'll know what's the right fit, and when to kind of branch off for a little bit. Hopefully I'll be able to keep doing them both for a little bit.

Do you have any other movies on deck?
I'm reading some scripts right now and taking some great meetings. So definitely there's some things in the air, but nothing set in stone right now. I'm kind of being really specific on what my second film is and what I want it to be. We're definitely working on something. alt

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