Actor, 13, talks about life in the spotlight

  • By Chuck Barney Contra Costa Times
  • Friday, February 15, 2013 4:44pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

When Buddy Handleson was 3, his parents tried to get him to do some modeling, but he hated it.

“I’d actually run from the cameras,” he recalled.

Buddy, who grew up in Danville, Calif., isn’t running from them anymore. Now a savvy 13, he has landed a major role in “Wendell &Vinnie,” a new live-action sitcom, which premieres at 8 p.m. Saturday on Nickelodeon.

Buddy is Wendell, a young geek who is book smart, but socially inept. “iCarly” alum Jerry Trainor plays his uncle, Vinnie, a carefree bachelor who suddenly has been thrust into the role of legal guardian for his precocious nephew. Plenty of odd-couple shenanigans ensue.

Buddy previously had backup parts in Disney’s “Hannah Montana” and “Shake It Up.” But this is a big step up for him. He took to the phone recently to field some questions about his latest showbiz adventure.

Q. So what’s the coolest thing about being a TV star?

A. Well, this is my dream. It’s my passion. I guess the coolest thing is that I actually have fans and have gotten to meet some of them. That’s unbelievable.

Q. When did you first realize that you wanted to do this?

A. During my first auditions (starting at the age of 7). Even if I didn’t get the part, I felt an adrenaline rush. I’d get lightheaded. I really enjoyed the auditions and being able to express myself through acting.

Q. What attracted you to the role of Wendell?

A. It’s a part that matches me almost perfectly. In “Shake It Up,” I played an extremely smart guy, a little too smart for me. I had trouble pronouncing some of the words he said. Wendell’s intelligence is more in the middle, and that’s just right for me.

Q. In the first episode, we learn that Wendell isn’t into things that “typical” boys are. He loves homework. He enjoys Sondheim and scrapbooking, and the closest thing to a “sport” that he engages in is calligraphy. Are you anything like him?

A. I’m like him in that I enjoy reading a lot. But I like to play video games, too, when all he wants to do is homework. I do my homework, but I don’t prefer it.

Q. Besides video games, what do you enjoy doing when you’re not busy acting?

A. I like hanging out with my friends and staying in my pajamas all day and watching TV. … I’m a big fan of “The Walking Dead.”

Q. Isn’t that a little scary?

A. When I first started watching, it was pretty creepy. I’d get a jolt when a zombie jumped out. But I got used to it.

Q. A lot of kid stars have had trouble handling their fame. How do you intend to stay grounded?

A. My parents and friends help me. My mom says that, if I ever get a big head, she’s going to pull me out of acting, no matter what. Even if I’m 18, or 25 and married. I also have a friend that keeps me in line. If he thinks I’m getting a big head, he pretends to pull out a needle and pop it while making a “whoosh” sound.

Q. You shoot your show on the Warner Bros. lot. What fun things are there to do when you get bored?

A. We’re right across from “Ellen,” so I like to see what guests she brings in. One day I went out there and took a picture of Justin Bieber’s shiny blue Ferrari. I knew it was his, because a security guard stared at me the whole time.

Q. Can you picture a day when you’re driving around in a shiny blue Ferrari?

A. Actually, I’d prefer a white Maserati instead.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.