Ryan Ochoa was born on May 17, 1996 in San Diego, California, USA. The young star is best known for his hit Disney Show Pair of Kings (2010) and appearances on Nickelodeon’s iCarly. Now he’s staring in RL Stine’s Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend. I recently did an email interview where we talked about his latest flick, social media and his favorite TV show. Good thing this was an email interview I could have talked his ear off over my new obsession – ABC Family’s The Fosters, which he said was his favorite show. I can totally see him as a love interest for Sophia or Marianna – get on that Ryan!
Can you talk a little bit about the movie and how you got involved in the project?
Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend is a fun adventure movie great for the whole family! There is an all-star cast including Bella Thorne, Madison Pettis, Calum Worthy, Roshon Fegan, Eric Allan Kramer, Gigi Rice, and Joan Rivers! My casting story is incredible cause I actually landed the role in exactly 24 hours! I was at a performance with my brothers and got a call to meet with the director Pete that day, and by the next morning I was already at the table read with the cast! I am so proud and thankful to be apart of such a great movie with such talented people and a series that already is well known!
What attracted you to this project?
For one the story is fun, adventurous, and has lots of funny moments but overall the cast and crew that were attached with Universal behind shows that it was going to be an awesome film from the start.
Besides being able to see Ghosts, what else makes Max special?
What I really enjoy about Max is his passion and love for everything and everyone he cares about. Throughout the film, he is helping out his friends, family, and trying his best to get Cammy to like him and doesn’t give up on what he feels strongly about.
How do you manage the transition to other projects after being on successful shows like iCarly and Pair of Kings?
I think it’s one of the hardest transitions for a young actor coming out of Disney and Nick. It’s really all about finding the right roles that won’t mature me too much or too drastically! I want to make the transition but the right one.
Social media is big with today’s young Hollywood, can you talk a bit about how you use it and what advice do you give stars who refuse to jump on board?
I honestly believe it’s one of the most important parts to my career. I can’t talk for everyone because some don’t have it but I love the fact I can communicate with my Ryanators every day and let them know my next projects and get them excited about what is up next for me and how excited I am they can be right here with me on my journey.
What was the most difficult scene to shoot and why?
I can actually say none of the scenes seemed difficult to me because I enjoyed every minute of filming! Working with animals can be tough and there was one take where the cat didn’t want to poke it’s head out of the backpack but hey even the cat was a professional! Haha
What elements do you think make a great teen show and what are you watching now?
It definitely has to be either very funny, action packed, or lots of drama! Haha The Fosters is my favorite show because all the storylines are good and there is endless drama. Under The Dome is also action packed and some drama which makes for a good show to me.
What can your fans look forward to next?
Get ready for Mostly Ghostly on DVD on Sept. 2nd and me and my brothers actually have a song in the movie and on the soundtrack which actually comes out the same day as the movie. I’m very busy and dedicated to The Ochoa Boyz and we have been traveling a lot performing and headed to the Bay Area next on Sept. 13th! Good stuff on the rise with acting and music.
How did you go about building chemistry with your co-stars, did you all spend a lot of time hanging out?
Haha that really all came before we even started shooting! We all were already friends before the movie so on set it was like a bunch of friends getting to film a movie together! There was definitely hanging out after hours and going to dinner almost every night!
How long did it take you to shoot the closing dance number and are you a natural dancer?
The dance number actually didn’t take that long because it was at night and we had minors (including my brothers haha) who had to be wrapped so we shot a few takes different angles and were done! I’ve grown up dancing and now that I dance with my bros it made that scene easier but even more fun to look forward to!
Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend will be available on Home Video and various Streaming services September 2nd. You can follow Ryan on Twitter at @ryanochoa.