Q:  How old are you?

A:  I'm 26 years-old.


Q: In the film Dolphin Tale, you play an injured soldier.  How did you prepare to take on this role?  

A:  I read a ton, trying to get as much insight as possible—reading journals, visiting a VA hospital in Los Angeles, and two of my best friends are in the service.  One of my friends is now Special Forces, and he could only talk about what he could because, of course, he can't talk about things that are classified and things that he's working on.  But that’s not really what I was focused on anyhow.  I was more focused on him as a person and his day-to-day life and what he thinks about and his perception of himself as a soldier.  So, that's what I was more interested in.  

And then, once I was here in Florida, they had me connected with a diver who's a volunteer at CMA [Clearwater Marine Aquarium] who's a vet and an amputee.  And his name is Roger.  So, since day one, I asked to have my brace ready right away when I got down here and I was able to walk around with him and see the struggles that he goes through.  


Q:  What was it about this role that drew you in?

A:  I love the story.  I read the script and you get to the end and you are inspired by the amazing true story.  True story - what?  This dolphin's alive?  And then, getting here day one and having it all come to life, within 15 minutes of me being at work my first day, I was here for training with the dolphin and swimming training.  Not that I can't swim, but I had to learn how to swim like a pre-Olympian, which I didn't do, but that's what they have stunt doubles for.

Q:  Did you have a stunt double for that?

A:  Yes. We had guys that would swim, but we did a lot of swimming.  Michael [Roark] and I were in the water quite a bit.

Q:  What was your sport growing up, in high school?

A:  I was a football player.  I was football, baseball, basketball.  So, all these sports that are kind of bulky, broad where you build up instead of having the very streamlined look [of swimmers].

Q:  Are you still playing sports?  

A:  Of course, now that my knee is better.

Q:  Are you back on the football field?

A:  Not back on the football field.  I play a lot of volleyball and, of course, swimming.

Q:  That's tough on your knee.

A:  Yeah, and I run all the time.  I just love it.

Q:  So, how exciting was it for you to be working with an Oscar winner, Morgan Freeman, as well as Ashley Judd and Harry Connick, Jr.?  Did you feel like you'd kind of arrived?

A:  I feel like you're arriving all the time.  You got to always be in the moment.  Every moment's a blessing.  Every day's a blessing, so take it head-on and enjoy it.  Of course, I mean, it was the experience of a lifetime.  That might be the biggest understatement I've ever said.