First News Interviews Avan Jogia From Nickelodeon's "VicTORIous"

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First News interviews Avan Jogia from Nickelodeon's VicTORIous

Canadian-born actor Avan Jogia plays Beck Oliver in the Nickelodeon hit series Victorious. We hung out with him to talk about school, hot tubs and the crazy things that happen on the set of the show…

You’ve played Beck since the beginning of the show. How has he changed?

I think I want to change characters, actually. I’d like to be Jade next year. Then maybe Mr Sikowitz! No, seriously though, I think Beck and all the characters are starting to find their relationships more, which is a really cool thing. I’m excited to see how far we can take Beck’s acting, I hope we really push it in the coming seasons. In season one Beck played a cockney guy, then there was an episode where he wore a dress. I’d like to try as many characters as we can!

You’re an actor, playing an actor – does that ever get confusing?

You know what, no. What excites me about playing an actor is the wide variety of characters I get to play as Beck. I get to play Beck playing a character. We can do anything with him.

Are you used to doing crazy things for work now?

Yes, very much so. I am becoming completely numb to the craziness, seriously. Just the weirdest stuff happens. In the second season I was in a dress. I wore heels as well and ran in them. I had to shave my legs too. I really went for it!

Tell us about one of the craziest things!

We filmed a scene in a hot tub. That was fun to do. They made the hot tub so they were nice enough to make the water hot. It was kind of relaxing, being in a hot tub when it was quite cold outside, then you realise you’re in a parking lot on a busy street in Hollywood. There was a big stunt too, with lots of people falling into the hot tub, which wasn’t very big. Just an average day, getting people thrown at me in a hot tub!

What is it like being part of a show with a huge cast like Victorious?

It’s really cool. It is like a family. Honestly, it’s not some made-up line where we say we’re like a family and we secretly hate each other. We are like a family. I’ve known Victoria for a long time, since I was 15, so it is nice to have a friend there as well. I lived with Matt Bennett, who plays Robbie, for almost a year. We rented a place together. I think a lot of us came from out of town, so we kind of clung to each other because we didn’t know anyone else!

Beck is a performing arts student. What were you like when you were at school?

What was I like at school? Good question. Well, I was home schooled from grades seven to eight and then in eighth grade I went to high school. I showed up at school in a top hat, tails, cut-off gloves and riding boots. That went down well. So I moved schools again at grade nine and I was there for a few years. I dropped out of school at grade ten to act.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

It’s half and half. I think I should have stuck with high school, but acting and what I was passionate about became a possibility for me at a young age, so I took the opportunity. As soon as this show is done I want to go back to studying. Generally my advice to a grade ten me is to be patient. I’m quite young still but, when you are younger, you have that mentality that nothing comes quick enough and it can be really frustrating. I’d tell myself to relax and things will happen when they will.

Do you feel like you’re getting to relive high school through the show?

Yes, I think it’s the most young environment I’ve ever been in. In high school I wasn’t really hanging out with lots of people. I was always the kid who hung out with the adults and on all the shows I worked on previously I was the only kid. This is the first show I’ve worked on where I’ve been with teens and kids my own age. So that is really an interesting and fun experience for me, to spend so much time with like-minded kids.

What is the big plan for you? What do you want to achieve?

I want to make stuff. I want to make movies and direct stuff and produce stuff and write stuff. I want to go behind the scenes as well as on screen. I think you have to make your own destiny in this world. You get given an opportunity and that is the jumping board; from there you have to build your own path.

Watch brand-new episodes of Victorious every Monday at 6pm! Nick.co.uk/victorious

First News chats to Avan Jogia and Ariana Grande from Nickelodeon's "VicTORIous"