Exclusive Interview: James Maslow (Big Time Rush)
It could be the next big hit show. And he could be the next teen sensation. It is Nickelodeon’s upcoming series Big Time Rush. And he is James Maslow, one of the show’s handsome and talented young stars. Big Time Rush follows the adventures of a fledgling boy band formed after a national American Idol-esque talent search, and Maslow plays James Diamond opposite Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson, and Carlos Pena. The show will premiere with a sneak peak on Saturday, November 28 (at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT), before joining the Nick lineup fulltime in early 2010. And the show itself will be just a single element in a full-on Big Time Rush assault that will also include an album and a tour.
PopStar recently caught up with Maslow, 19, who filled us in on his background, previewed the show, and addressed all those heavy-breathing young ladies who are already comparing him to Zac Efron.
You will be a fresh face to a lot of people. Where are you from, how did you get into performing, and what were some of your early experiences?
I was born in New York City, but I grew up in La Jolla, California. I began singing when I was six in the San Diego Children’s Choir. I sang with them for about six years, during which time I was blessed with the opportunity to perform with the San Diego Opera, La Boheme being one of the shows I did with them. I transferred to the School of Creative and Performing Arts in the 8th grade and continued to attend performing arts schools throughout high school, majoring in musical theater. I met my manager, Billy Hufsey, at age 14 and that is when I began to study film and TV. I used to drive to L.A. four times a week on average, and slept on a lot of couches up here in order to audition.
How did you land Big Time Rush? What was the audition process like? How many guys did you beat out?
I had my first audition for Big Time Rush two years ago! They did four national casting tours where Nick approximates they saw 15,000 kids or so. I went to three screen tests, landed the pilot, which we shot last September/October, then a fourth screen test where they recast the character of Kendall. Since then we hit the ground running and life has become crazy, but amazing.
What’s the show’s basic premise? What kind of a guy is James? What kinds of stories will we see on a weekly basis?
Big Time Rush is a show about four best friends who get an amazing opportunity to go from Minnesota, where they simply went to school and played hockey, to Los Angeles to become recording artists. The audience will follow their experiences and adventures as they go from normal teenagers, to — hopefully — successful musicians. It’s a funny show filled with lots of physical comedy and scenes around a pool. James Diamond is the character that really wants to be a pop star, so he motivates his friends to try hard when they sometimes just want to goof around. But at the same time, he needs his friends to ground him sometimes, too, as he wants fame so bad that sometimes he makes a fool out of himself.
There’s debate among fans already. Were you a band before this or are you a band as a result of the show?
We are a band as a result of this show. Every one of us played music and sang before this, but it was Nickelodeon and Sony Columbia Records that cast us individually for both the show and the band.
Either way, how quickly did you guys gel as a cast and as band mates — and how similar or different a chemistry does it take to be a good band versus a good cast?
I consider myself very lucky to have been placed with these three guys. We got along like brothers from the start, and have only grown closer since then. In the show, as our characters, we have a very high energy and let problems like girls separate us, but in real life in the band we are all much more laid back. Though we may fight over a cute girl once in a while, we would never let something like that break us up. And we all have a very different sound, which makes recording very enjoyable.
You’re recording an album as Big Time Rush and will be touring in support of the show and album. How excited are you by all of that? How’s the album coming together and how ready are you to step on a stage and play live in front of thousands of screaming girls?
The album is coming along great. We are recording with some amazing producers and songwriters, all of which are bringing something new and unique to the table. The four of us are having a lot of influence on the music, and I think it’s fair to say that we are still figuring out our sound. At this point, the music is quite pop/rock with some R&B influences. We are working hard to create something new and great, and we hope everyone likes it. I personally can’t wait to get to perform on a stage again. After all, that is how I got my start.
There’s already online buzz comparing you to Zac Efron, debating who in Big Time Rush is the best-looking guy, etc. How prepared are you to be scrutinized, to have fans and photographers follow you and blog about you and, basically, to have your life resemble what’s happening to the characters on your show?
I have all the respect in the world for Zac Efron, and those like him. I am just beginning to realize how much work and dedication it takes to make it in this business, and so I take comparisons like those as compliments. As for being scrutinized, I grew up in performing arts high school where already-dramatic kids are trained to be more dramatic. After that, I’m pretty sure I can handle anything. (laughs) I don’t plan on changing anything major about my life. I will hopefully still eat, surf, and hang out where I do now.
Big Time Rush is a huge hit. It makes you a star. You can do pretty much anything else you want to do. In what ways do you capitalize on the opportunities presented to you?
At this point, I just want this show to be great. Every day I dedicate to training to make myself better, and thus the show better. If this does lead to opportunities in the future, though, I would love to pursue films, and possibly my own recording career. Who knows?