CONWAY, Ark. (AP) - A 7-year-old Conway native is finding his way among the stars.
Bobby Batson, son of John and Rachel Batson of Savannah, Georgia, was born in Conway in 2008. According to his mother, the boy’s newfound acting career has taken off in a short time, landing him in two feature-length films, the Log Cabin Democrat (https://bit.ly/1RaKWZS ) reported.
Bobby’s path to the big screen all started because his older siblings blazed a trail for him, his mother said. His 11-year-old sister, Maggie, appeared on a PBS show and a Nickelodeon game show. After two television appearances, agents sought her out and also became interested in her brother, John, now 9. He began acting as well.
When Bobby turned five, he filmed his first commercial, a spot for Catholic Charities, his mother said.
“It was so cute, him giving a cookie to Santa Claus,” she said.
Later he had a small feature role in “The Fifth Wave,” a full-length feature film coming to theaters in January, Rachel Batson said. Bobby had a scene with the main character, she noted.
Most recently he played a role in “90 Minutes in Heaven,” starring Hayden Christensen and Kate Bosworth, she said. Bobby and another 6-year-old boy play twin sons of Don Piper, the main character. The film is set in 1989.
“Bobby had to wear shirts tucked in and belts. He wasn’t so sure about it at first. He’s never worn a belt,” Rachel said.
Asked about the experience of filming “90 Minutes in Heaven,” Bobby said, “Who I played was Joe Piper, and the basis of the movie is like, my dad in the movie is in a horrible car wreck, and is in heaven 90 minutes.”
He also added, “It’s very good. I made new friends. My favorite part is at the end, we ate free food from McDonald’s.”
His mother said Bobby is an affectionate, outgoing, happy child.
“He’s a little bit hyper, but when it is time to be an actor, he gets into character, and it is shocking,” she said. “I guess it’s because he loves it.”
Rachel said the family might move home to central Arkansas when her husband, who is stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, gets out of the Army. However, they have been receiving some calls from agents in Los Angeles, and they have been told once the feature films are released, the interest in Bobby will increase. She said she is not sure moving to New York or Los Angeles is the right move.
“I don’t know if we’re ready for it as a family. We’re playing it all by ear,” she said.
Whatever the case, Rachel said she knows her son will continue acting.
“He loves it. He loves to memorize his lines and loves being in front of the camera. I know he’ll stay with it.”
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Information from: Log Cabin Democrat, https://www.thecabin.net
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