YOUNG STAR GETS IN ON THE BIG-SCREEN ACTION
IAIN ARMITAGE IS MAKING THE MOVE FROM TELEVISION TO FILM, AND TAKING THE TRANSITION IN GOOD HUMOUR
When Young Sheldon star Iain Armitage discovered he had been cast as the voice of courageous pup Chase in the Paw Patrol movie, he decided to really get into the role.
“I thought I could start eating my dinner in a bowl off the floor ... but Mom serves it to me that way anyway,” he says with a laugh.
“So I started taking my walks with a collar on and have begun flea treatment. It doesn’t taste too good but it’s working great!”
Armitage is just 13 but you would hardly know it when you talk to him.
He was discovered thanks to his YouTube video reviews of plays and musicals, which led to him starring in Young Sheldon, the prequel series to the smash hit The Big Bang Theory.
He plays the title character, a super-smart boy with few social skills.
While Armitage is certainly super-smart, he also has social skills to spare, as well as a quick wit. The doorbell rings during our interview and quick as lightning he says: “Package for Iain!”
He admits he didn’t know much about Paw Patrol, a favourite with toddlers and preschoolers, before going for the big-budget movie version which also includes voice work from big names such as Kim Kardashian, Dax Shepard and Jimmy Kimmel.
“I didn’t watch a lot of TV as a kid and Paw Patrol is not really for my age group. But I saw some clips and I thought it was a perfect role for me,” he says. “I have a lot of little cousins and they are excited to see it and I’m excited for them to see it.
“They know I’m an actor but they don’t really get the whole concept. They have watched some of Young Sheldon – some of the jokes go over their head.”
They were also alarmed by a scene where Sheldon is bullied.
“My grandma was putting one of them to bed and he was saying: ‘Why is that girl being so mean to Iain?’ ” he says.
“And she was trying to say: ‘It’s not real life, they’re just pretending’ but they didn’t really get that!”
On that note, Armitage says he hopes the show does help children who might be like Sheldon – super-smart but socially awkward.
“I hope they know they’re not alone,” he says.
And as for the children who come into contact with them: “I hope they learn to always approach anyone with kindness and compassion.”
So how would Sheldon have dealt with Covid? “He would’ve had it fixed in a day, worked out how to reverse the effects and come up with a vaccine. Either that or be hiding in a bunker!” he says.
And there is a lot to be said for Paw Patrol’s message that by working together we can help people in trouble.
“If we could get all the world leaders who are angry at each other in a room, give them all cookies and milk and make them watch Paw Patrol, then we’d achieve world peace!”
Paw Patrol is in cinemas not in lockdown from September 16, or look for it later on streaming services and digital download.