It’s a good time to be Dakota Goyo. The 12-year-old actor has been earning wild praise for his role in Real Steel, the current No. 1 movie in America, in which he more than holds his own against co-star Hugh Jackman and a bunch of giant CGI robots. He also shared screen time earlier this year with Anthony Hopkins, playing the younger version of Chris Hemsworth in Thor.
This weekend his path to stardom makes a pit stop on The Hub, where he will star in “Flight,” an episode of R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour airing at 5pm Saturday. Goyo plays Josh, a young man taking his first plane ride, whose already jangled nerves are tested further when he learns there is a dead body being transported on the plane. Things get more supernatural from there.
In our phone chat earlier this week, Goyo came off nothing like the brash, confident characters he’s played on the big screen, displaying a kindness and courtesy some might playfully refer to as downright Canadian. It makes sense, given that the Toronto native still attends a public school in his hometown, and is genuinely appreciative of all the good fortune that has come his way.
So, congrats on the No. 1 movie in America. This last couple weeks must have been a whirlwind for you. How are you holding up?
Dakota Goyo: My last couple weeks, it’s definitely been different, ’cause obviously my movie had just come out a week ago. I’ve got a lot of different responses. People have been so proud of me and so happy for me, it’s just been such a great experience and I never thought I’d get this response because it’s such a big movie.
Are you still able to fit in at school, and have a normal life so far?
DG: Yeah, I go to a regular school still, and I have the normal life of a regular kid. When I’m Los Angeles, it’s work. That’s what I’m there for is work. But when I’m at home I’m just a regular kid with a regular school hanging out with regular friends. Getting the opportunity to be a regular kid but also work at the same time, it’s pretty unbelievable.
You were also in Thor earlier this year, so when did you film your Haunting Hour episode?
DG: I think I did The Haunting Hour … right after Real Steel I was doing a little bit of Rise of the Guardians and Thor, and Haunting Hour was my latest project yet. I had so much fun working on it. It was a week of working on that whole series, which is pretty good if you ask me, for just that time.
I’ve been able to talk to quite a few young up-and-coming actors who have been on The Haunting Hour. Is it a pretty popular show among young actors?
DG: It’s definitely something I would watch on my own. It’s scary but it’s not scary enough where you’re going to be like scared to go to sleep. It’s good to watch with your family. It’s so fun, and you always want to know what happens next. That’s the best part of it. Getting to work on a scary show for I think the first time was really a great experience.
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What was it like working on something that’s scary?
DG: They brought a real plane from all the way in Los Angeles. They would put all this makeup on the person who sits next to me, and all around there’d be all this makeup, but mostly on this guy beside me. They put a lot of scary makeup on him. I haven’t gotten to see it yet, but I’m looking forward to it definitely. It’s pretty scary.
Tell me a little about your character and what kind of situation he finds himself in?
DG: He goes on a plane for the first time, and … he’s going to see his dad … and his adventure starts from there. There’s a coffin on the plane, and it starts with a bunch of scary stuff from dead people, and that’s when the creepy stuff starts to happen to him and he gets really, really scared.
What kind of kid is your character? Is he confident, like the characters you play in Real Steel and Thor?
DG: Yeah, I mean, Max [from Real Steel] and Thor, they’re both very, very confident kids, very street, very independent. I think Josh is obviously a little bit nervous to get on the plane because it’s his first time ever flying, let alone going by himself. On top of that, he’s got all this creepy, really freaky, weird stuff happening to him. It adds up to a freakiness that he’s scared of.
Do you watch a lot of scary movies?
DG: I do watch a lot of scary movies with my brother, especially around Halloween, so around this time, Octoberish. I love watching scary movies because you always wonder what happens next, and that’s what’s going to happen on The Haunting Hour, you’re always going to want to know what happens next. Every part is a really important part, so it’s great.
Tell me a little just in general about the differences in working in TV versus movies.
DG: This series is shorter, obviously, it only took about a week. Real Steel took three and a half months film. So it’s much easier if you ask me because you don’t have to stay away from your family and friends. It’s [just] a week and you get to go home. Also, it was shot in Canada, in Vancouver, so it wasn’t too bad. I wasn’t too far from my friends. Getting to work on TV is easier because you get to see your family.
I imagine the pace is a lot quicker when you’re shooting, too, right?
DG: Yeah, you do a lot more takes on movies.
How do you manage living in Canada and working in Los Angeles? Sounds like it could get hectic.
DG: Well, when I’m home, it’s myself just being a regular kid, like I said. Then I go to L.A., and I’m following the colder weather, because I usually work a lot for some reason around fall, and it’s not snow but it’s still really, really cold. Working in Canada, I’m a Canadian boy, but I don’t really like a lot of Canadian stuff like the [Toronto Maple] Leafs. But just getting to work here and have regular friends that really like me for who I am, ah, it’s great.
You’ve really been getting lots of praise for your Real Steel performance. That’s got to be flattering, but is it strange to all of a sudden have this onrush of fame?
DG: It is strange, I went to go see the movie with my friends at a movie theater so they could see it, too. Then I came out and got lots of support from just a bunch of people. Before I didn’t really get much notice. But then I walk out of that theater and there’s something close to like 200 people who wanted pictures, autographs. So it’s a different response, it’s a different experience. I kind of like the feeling. I’m getting used to it. It’s already happened quite a bit. I’m happy I have fans, obviously, they’re such great people. When I’m on Twitter and Facebook, they say such nice things that I really appreciate.
Did everyone know you were in the theater beforehand, or did they just notice you during the movie?
DG: Well, I had a hoodie on, but I think they started noticing me when I stood up. I was talking to my friends and they started shaking my hand and saying, “Nice job.” Then my family was kind of hugging me and saying, “Good job.” So I think they started noticing from that point on.
Are you a confident guy like a lot of the characters you play?
DG: The only thing I have in common with Max is his dancing and his video games. I didn’t know I could dance before it, but I got to do a lot of dancing with our choreographer Anne Fletcher, and I’ve always played video games. So just lots of dancing and videogames. … He’s very independent, I’m not very independent. He’s very streetish, and he’s got a really bad mouth. So I’m not like him in many ways.
Yeah, he does say some bad words. But that’s OK, it made for a good movie.
DG: (Laughs) Yeah.
One review that stood out to me is someone compared you to a young Christian Bale. What do you think of that?
DG: Now he is the guy who plays Batman, right?
Yes he is.
DG: He’s been so successful that I’m just really honored to be rated a young Christian Bale. That’s pretty exciting to me. That’s a pretty good accomplishment.
About how often are you in Los Angeles?
DG: I’m in L.A. a lot of my time, ever since I started acting really. I’ve been in L.A. a lot. I’m in Toronto around like six months a year, but the rest I’d be in L.A. working, so it feels like I’m always living in L.A.
Aside from your family and friends, then, are there other things you miss about not being in Canada?
DG: I am kind of a snow [fan], so when I’m in L.A. I miss the skiing and skating and stuff, but just mostly I miss my friends, my family and my two dogs.
Do you know a lot of other young actors?
DG: Actually, in my movies I rarely ever work with other kids. It’s usually all adults. Resurrecting the Champ, Emotional Arithmetic, Real Steel, Thor. … I just kind of realized that after you asked me.
Was that the case on The Haunting Hour, too?
DG: Haunting Hour was all adults. I was the only child on that.
Do you see yourself always being an actor?
DG: I want to [go into] directing. I want to direct for the rest of my life. I’d like to do both, direct and act. I want to direct a movie. Because every movie I work on, they teach me things about directing. All the camera crews, the lighting, the sound, they all teach me a little bit on every set I’m on, so I’m really grateful for that.
