Interview with Jonathan Lipnicki (September 29 2004)
Conducted by A. Lankester for JonathanLipnicki.com

Q: Hey Jonathan, how's it going?
A: Good! I'm watching South Park right now.
Q: What have you been doing recently?
A: I just started back at school, and I've been playing the drums a lot. My friends and I have a band and we play in my garage.
Q: What about movie-wise?
A: Right now I am just reading different projects and seeing what I like, I'm not doing anything yet.
Q: So you don't have any new projects lined up at the moment?
A: I may be filming a movie in London this coming January!
Q: What would be an average day for you when you're not filming?
A: I go to public school where my favorite class is band. My teacher is the brother of Duff McKagan from Guns N Roses. I come home from school, have a snack and watch some TV or play some video games. I practice playing the drums every day for at least an hour, and I play a lot of basketball. I like to take my dogs for night walks with my sister Alexis. It's pretty much stuff any normal kid would do, except sometimes I'll get a script late at night that I have to have ready for a meeting the next day!
Q: Do you have any details about the movie you just shot, The LA Riot Spectacular, that you can tell us?
A: Sorry, I can't disclose anything except for the fact that I had a fun time making the movie! I have no idea when it will be released.
Q: You've said in the past that you'd like to go into directing eventually. Is that still an aspiration of yours?
A: Yes. I make short films with my personal camera all the time. Usually my mom and Alexis are the ones acting in it, along with Edgar, Misty and Taz.
Q: Out of all the movies you've been in, which would you say is your favorite?
A: I can't honestly say. They were all so fun and different, I had a great time making each one. I really like Zachary Beaver because it is a coming of age story and I mature a great deal throughout the film.
Q: You've put a lot of work into Zachary Beaver. Does it feel good to have played such a prominent part in getting your movie out there on the film festival circuit?
A: Going to the festivals was great. I worked really hard to get it out there because I believe in this film, it is not like anything you have ever seen before.
Q: Zachary Beaver has had so many good reviews. Why do you think it's proving to be so popular?
A: I think the movie's received good reviews because of it's originality and the talent of the actors involved. The story treats kids as equals to adults, the characters are not dumb and cute, they are realistic teenagers.
Q: Zachary Beaver was the second time you worked with director, John Schultz. Are there any other directors or actors that you hope to work with in the future?
A: I would love to work with Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino. And I'd like to work with Cameron Crowe again.
Q: Some of your fans from JonathanLipnicki.com have sent in some questions for you. First off, how many pairs of glasses do you own?
A: About five or six, they're all different.
Q: What kind of music do you listen to, and who's your favorite band/singer?
A: I like hip hop and rock. My favorite band is Guns N Roses. Some of my favorite hip hop artists are Kanye West and Eminem.
Q: What would be your acting tips for kids that want to get into movies and television?
A: Follow your dreams. Also, make sure that you really want to be an actor because it's a big commitment.
Q: What are your favorite classes at school?
A: I'm not the biggest fan of school but my favorite subjects are band and physical education.
Q: If you were stranded on a desert island with one person and one item, who and what would they be and why?
A: I would want to be stranded on a desert island with my dog Edgar, he's smart, protective and resourceful. And I'd want to have a cell phone that gets good service so I could call and get out of there!
Q: Is traveling to different parts of America, and even abroad, an aspect of your job that you enjoy?
A: Yes, I love traveling and learning about new cultures and seeing the great sights.
Q: Do photographers ever ask you to do really stupid stuff?
A: Occasionally they will ask me to make a goofy face and once I was asked to flip him off (of course I didn't!). Maybe they were going to try to make a story out of that and cause lots of trouble! [Laughs] You never know!