Suite Life’s Matt Timmons; Casting a Kid with No Credits

Imagine…  I have a Headshot in my hands at a casting session.  I flip it over to read the resumé on the back of the headshot…it’s one line.  It read “played a bale of hay in ‘Robin Hood’ in 6th grade.” Seriously!  That was the extent of Matt Timmons’ credits, who you remember played Woody on THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK.  

He came into the casting room, raw, green with no acting experience…but boy, was he committed.  During his audition, his comedic choices were right on target. The Dray Meter soared.  My fellow producers and I had in mind a young John Belushi type for the role of Woody and Matt fit the description completely.  He was Woody.  But how would we get the network to sign off and agree to have him appear as a recurring character with no credits to his name?  We convinced the network to sign off on Matt Timmons because he was prepared, he was the part, he took chances, he knew funny and was fearless in his comedic ability.  That’s how it can happen folks. He was a “type;” he knew it and I knew it.

So, kids, it can happen to you.  Believe in yourself.  Parents, believe in your kids.  In this business we call show…dreams can come true.

Dray