I had the great opportunity to interview Challen Cates who plays the mom, Mrs. Knight on Nickelodeon’s hit show, Big Time Rush. We asked her about her experience on the show, working with the guys (and gals) as well as some personal, real life questions. Here’s what she had to say:
CTB: How long have you been “in the business”?
CC: Hmmm I guess if you wanted to get technical… I would say since I was 8 years old, but my love of the business didn’t surface until I was in my early twenties. When I was a kid, I thought it was a good way to play hooky, plus it was a way to express myself. When I got a little bit older I realized, “Hey I actually like this, and surprise it’s a lot of fun!”
CTB: Is acting always what you wanted to do? If you weren’t acting, what would you be doing?
CC: Definitely!!! At first, I was afraid to tell my family because they thought I would be a successful businesswoman (little did they know!) . Luckily though, when I finally broke the news about my dreams they were completely supportive!
If I weren’t acting I would probably be in the fashion or jewelry business.
CTB: Is it hard to remember your lines? What type of technique do you use to help you remember them?
CC: Good writing is easy to memorize but bad writing is really hard to memorize. It helps if I read my lines out loud with a friend, that’s what makes it stick for me. If there is a lot of dialogue I use this technique called, “Intention Work”, where you learn the lines by what you are intending to do to the other person. It also helps that my husband is also an actor and a great acting coach. You can check him out at: aaronmcpherson.com
CTB: How is it working with “the guys” on Big Time Rush?
CC: It is incredible fun to work with the cast of Big Time Rush. The boys are so great! They are really hilarious on set and off set with endless amount energy. They are also great with my real kids when they visit me on set. And Ciara (Katie) she is such a living doll. I also have fun with Tanya (Kelly), Stephen (Gustavo ) and Dave Higgins (Bitters).
CTB: What is a normal day like on set?
CC: When I arrive on set I check in with our 2nd AD and then report to hair and makeup. After makeup we do a rehearsal then the crew lights the scene and makes any needed set changes. While the crew is setting up I get into wardrobe and then head back to set to shoot the scenes. We have 2 sound stages that we go between. One has the pool and the Palmwoods lobby. The other is Rocque Records and The crib/our apartment.) Mid day we break for lunch and sometime do a table read for next weeks episode. Then it’s back to set to finish our day.
CTB: If you can share with us, what can we expect to see in the new (2nd) season of Big Time Rush?
CC: This 2nd season is going to be full of new surprises. The boys return from a concert tour to find things have changed a bit at the Palmwoods. You will see more relationships in this season, dating, breakups and makeups. For all the Big Time Rush Fans you will also see a lot more new songs coming out. The album will come out in October and we are all really excited about it.
And our more personal questions about you…
CTB: Do you have any charitable causes you support and why is it important to you?
CC: I am a supporter of an organization called Darkness to Light which seeks to protect children from sexual abuse. I am a survivor a childhood sexual abuse so it is very important to me to help prevent and educate people about child sexual abuse.
For more information you can check out my website: challencates.com
CTB: Do you have any children or pets?
CC: I have two children. My son is almost 5 and his name is Colton. My daughter, Jasper will be 2 in September. We also have 2 dogs. A German Shepherd and a Golden Retriever. Then newest addition to the family is a bearded dragon named Spike.
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