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HALLIE KATE EISENBERG on
'HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS'
Exclusive interview by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor
for Radio Free Entertainment
August 17, 2006
Perhaps best remembered as the little girl in 1998's Paulie, 2000's Beautiful with Minnie Driver, and the Pepsi commercials of the time, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, now in her mid-teens, stars in the family film How to Eat Fried Worms. Based on the beloved book by Thomas Rockwell, Worms focuses on a boy (Luke Benward) who, on his first day at a new school, runs afoul of the resident bully and must face the challenge of eating ten worms in a single day--a progressively nauseating task that will earn him the respect of his classmates, if he can stomach it.
In this exclusive interview, Hallie talks about working on the family-friendly movie. We also ask about her career plans for the near future, and about the experience of shooting her amusing TV spots for Pepsi.
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The Interview
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RadioFree.com: The title of the movie might seem a little strange to people not familiar with the book. What was your initial reaction when you heard it?
HALLIE: I wanted to read the script because the title just seemed bizarre to me. And I really had no clue what I was going in for. [laughs] And when I read the script, I was very pleasantly surprised. It was great. And that's actually one of the things that drew me to it--it was just really funny.
As one of the only girls in the cast, how did you get along with your co-stars?
We were all really close. At home, most of my friends are boys, so it wasn't really anything different. And we all got along really well. It was a bunch of great, smart kids. Although most of them were younger than I am...I was the second oldest, and there were about three other kids who were my age. But we hung out with everyone.
Is it true that the environment on set was more like summer camp than a movie production?
Yeah, it was, because we all were really great friends. And Bob Dolman, the director, was great. He really made it so that we all felt like we had our freedoms to act out the character how we thought that the character was meant to be acted out. It was just a lot of fun, and really such a great environment.
We understand you pushed Bob into a swimming hole...
Yeah! We all jumped in the lake and he wanted to go in, too. So we all got up and pushed him in...I'm pretty sure it was the last day of filming, so it was a really nice way to wrap up.
How did you like learning archery for your role?
I had a great time. I was actually really nervous going into it because I'm really un-athletic. But I took a couple lessons here in New Jersey, and I took one in Texas. And I caught on to it pretty quickly. I loved it.
You just described yourself as un-athletic, yet you've been known to compete in equestrian competitions...
Yeah, I have a horse I ride every day. That's like the one sport that I could do.
How long have you been involved in that?
About three years, actually. I'm at the farm every single day, and I compete [in equestrian jumping events].
Have you won any competitions?
Yeah, actually! I haven't had a competition recently, but I have one next weekend. And the last one, I got Grand Champion, which [means] you win your division.
Is your horse Nate named after someone?
No. I got him when he was 7, and so he already had the name. But his actual name is New York Native, so I just call him "Nate" for short.
I guess I have horse names on the brain now, because last night on The Late Show, I heard Jessica Biel say that she used to ride an ex-racehorse named Fred...
[laughs] That's a cute name.
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Unlike a lot of your How to Eat Fried Worms co-stars, you didn't try the edible worms. Is it true you avoided them because you're a vegetarian?
Yes, I am a vegetarian. And the ones that they had that were okay to be eaten, like the gummy worms, had gelatin in them.
Had you been a vegetarian for long? Or was it a newly acquired trait to get out of eating the worms?
[laughs] Oh, no. I've been vegetarian for about three years.
What was your main motivation for that?
I don't like how [animals are] treated. I saw this movie [about farm animal abuse], Peaceable Kingdom...And actually, the thing that really made me become a vegetarian was I drove past the chicken processing plant. And the doors were opened, so you could see inside, and it really just horrified me how living beings could actually be treated in such inhumane conditions.
When you watch emotional scenes from your older movies like Paulie and Beautiful, can you get caught up in the sentimentality?
I don't like watching myself in things so much. But on the occasion that I do watch them, I always look back and have memories of the people who worked on it, or special times that we had while filming it. And that's really nice to have the memories...It's been such a great experience. I got really lucky.
You were only 7 when you took on the daunting role of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. Would you say that's the toughest part you've played?
Oh yeah, it was pretty much the most challenging acting role. Aside from the whole fact that I had to act like I wasn't hearing or seeing everyone around me, [there] was the emotional level on that character. It was one of the only times that I've had to play a real person. So to capture the emotion that the girl was feeling in this situation was difficult.
You got to work with a lot of interesting people while shooting your series of TV spots for Pepsi. Do you have a favorite amongst those commercials?
One of my favorites was the one that I did with KISS, because I wasn't really familiar with the group, because I was so young...But I just had such a great time being up on the stage in the outfit with the group members, and all the make-up and everything. I had so much fun!
What about the one in which you're teaching Faith Hill how to sing?
Yeah, that was my other favorite one. [laughs] She's one of my sister's favorite singers, so I knew who she was going into that. So I was so excited to meet her. And then when I found out that I would be teaching her how to sing...Yeah, I thought it was really funny. She is so sweet. She had her kids on the set with her, and in between takes, she'd be changing diapers and everything.
Which is really your favorite in the cola wars: Coke or Pepsi?
I think I'm more used to Pepsi because of the commercials. And I do like it. But I'm not really allowed to drink that much soda. [laughs] My family sticks more with juices and stuff. I can only have soda on like special occasions.
As a kid, you got to be an interviewer on the red carpet for awards shows like the Emmys and the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. How did you like being an entertainment correspondent?
That was so much fun. I had a great time doing that. Especially with the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, I got to meet some people that I knew from TV, and it was really exciting to get to meet them--and not only meet them, but interview them.
So what are your immediate career plans? Do you want to take it slowly, or jump into roles that might quickly reverse the child actor image?
Well, actually, when I get older, I want to be a doctor. I'm hoping to go to medical school.
Okay, good call. What type of doctor?
I'm not exactly sure, but possibly like a pediatric surgeon, maybe.
Do you have your eye on certain colleges at this point?
I'm hoping to go to an Ivy League school.
Would you put the acting on hold completely, or maybe do the odd role here and there?
Well, I've always loved to do it when I have the opportunity to, because it's been such a major part of my life. I mean, I've been acting since I was 4 or 5, so it's really the only lifestyle that I know. So I'd love to be able to continue with that as I get older. But if I do have the opportunity to be a doctor, that's really what I want to do.
Well, best of luck to you. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, and good luck on your equestrian competition next week.
Thank you so much. So nice talking to you!
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