Ricardo Hurtado – School of Rock

By starrymag | September 17, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I just wrapped Season Two of “School of Rock” and I’ve just been in the process of auditioning for stuff.

Q) How does your version of Freddy compare to the film version?

A) The new Freddy is kind of similar to the Freddy in the movie. They are both kind of a cool, rebel kid always trying to break the rules. They are actually not that different.

Q) Was there anything you added to the role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) In the first season, Freddy was kind of the cool guy, but I added the aspect of the hair. If you look at Season One and up to Season Two there are all these comments about Freddy’s hair just being awesome. So, I guess I added that. In the makeup trailer, I’ll always ask, “Is my hair okay? Is my hair okay?”

Q) Did you know any of your costars before you started working on the series with them?

A) I got to know everyone the first day. I hadn’t heard of anyone or met them before so it was cool to get to meet these awesome people. They are super cool and super nice. We always hang out.

Q) How familiar were you with the movie before auditioning?

A) I had seen it when I was a little kid so getting the audition I remembered the movie. During the process, I watched the movie constantly and went over Freddy all the time. So, I got familiar with the movie.

Q) Did you have to learn the drums to portray Freddy?

A) I actually played drums for two years before I auditioned for it so it really worked out!

Q) Talk about working with Tony Cavalero.

A) Tony is hilarious! He is like a jokester. He’s always being funny whether it be doing funny accents or cracking jokes. He’s just an awesome dude to be around and super funny all the time. After we have done a scene a couple times, he’ll start to improv and throw some things in. Sometimes he nails it! He totally makes me laugh!

Q) You have great comedic timing. Is it something that has come naturally for you or have you had to work at it?

A) “School of Rock” was my first audition so I did do theatrical productions at my old school, but hadn’t done anything professional. I guess I learned how to do that stuff at my old school through the theater productions and stuff like that.

Q) What is in store for Freddy in in Season Two?

A) In Season Two, we’re going to see the love relationship between Summer and Freddy. It’s going to be pretty crazy. There are going to be some cool guest stars like Brec Bassinger from “Bella and the Bulldogs.” She will be playing the role of Kale. Kale and Freddy might have something together…It’s cool! It’s going to be a good season for Freddy.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from filming?

A) I think the most memorable moment that I have had was the first episode because it was the first time I’d ever acted on camera. It was just a cool experience getting to work with the director Jonathan Judge. It was a really funny experience getting to do it for the first time.

Q) What is your favorite behind scenes moment?

A) I don’t think I can give one because they are all fun. There is always something crazy going on behind the scenes. Breanna [Yde] plays a lot of pranks on people. For some reason by the end of Season Two people found out that I’m really ticklish. So, Breanna and Lance [Lim] would team up on me behind the scenes and it was crazy! They would tickle me so hard that I was on the floor constantly.

Q) Is there someone you haven’t worked with much or at all that you wish you got to work with more or at all?

A) Kendall Schmidt guest starred Season One and he was a cool guy. I’d love to get to work with him again. He was super cool and funny on set. He was always cracking jokes and was just a fun guy to be around.

Q) The show was nominated for an Emmy. How did that make you feel?

A) It’s awesome! I remember I was getting some food on set for breakfast. It was just a normal day and then I hear from afar Jade [Pettyjohn] and Breanna screaming at the top of their lungs. They see me and then they start yelling at me. They are running towards me and I was scared because I didn’t know what was going on. They were like, “Ricardo! Ricardo! We got an Emmy nomination!” I was like, “Are you kidding me? There is no way? Are you joking?” They showed it to me and I was like, “That’s so cool!” So, it definitely had me happy for the rest of the day.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about what is in store for Season Two?

A) There will be some awesome extreme tricks on Freddy’s skateboard. We’re also going to be exploring more of Freddy’s musical talents aside from drumming.

Q) Do you do your own stunts?

A) I have someone that does them for me. I’m alright at the skateboard, but you see him in Season One and Season Two that it is some crazy stuff that I wouldn’t be able to do.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive to “School of Rock?”

A) Yes, definitely. I’ve been doing some YouTube covers lately so to see their comments is really cool. It helps me do better with my covers and put more stuff out that they want to see. So, it’s a lot of fun getting to interact with my fans.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you so much for supporting us and enjoying our show! It’s definitely a pleasure getting to put on such an amazing TV series for you guys. We really appreciate the support.