Actors in real life at the Hugo press conference

When you see actors in movies, they almost seem unreal, up on a big screen, usually playing fictional characters.

But when you see actors — movie stars! — at a press conference, they’re sometimes very different. And sometimes, what they say is really interesting because it’s unscripted. 

I covered the press conference for the new movie Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. The story centers on a 12-year-old orphan named Hugo who lives through an adventure in the 1930s in a Paris train station.

When I walked into the press conference, I was shocked at how many chairs were set up for reporters (and how many were already filled). "Are there really going to be that many reporters here?" I wondered. I felt pressured. What if I don’t get to ask any questions? What if the stars don’t notice me because I’m just a kid? 

What-ifs chased each other round and round in my head.

When the stars finally arrived, I felt ecstatic. There they were, right in front of me! Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Asa Butterfield. They looked so different in real life — no make-up and, in the case of Hugo, no “period” costumes.  And of course, Asa and Chloe are a bit older now. 

A reporter asked Asa, as an actor, to describe his relationship to Hugo, the orphan he played in the movie. In other words, was it difficult for a non-orphan to play an orphan?

“I found it quite hard to relate to him because of all the hardships he’s gone through in his life,” Asa said. “So I just had to come up with a false past for him that was similar to mine and relate to him in that way.” 

Relating to a character was also a challenge for Sir Ben Kingsley, who played the role of Georges Melies, the film’s mean and dour shopkeeper with a secret past who is saved from sadness by Hugo (Asa Butterfield). Unlike the film’s fictional characters, Melies was a real person, a star actor, dancer, and director of early silent films, whose brilliant career was ultimately crushed and forgotten.

Sir Ben was asked by a reporter how he got into Melies’s character?

“In a sense, I worked in reverse,” he explained. “What I focused on was how glorious his life was, and then I had an appreciation of the loss of that glory. So my preparation was in his body, how his body had to let go of being basically an athlete and a dancer." 

Finally I was called on to ask a question to American actress Chloe Grace Moretz, who also plays a child orphan in the film.  When she tried out for her role, Chloe had faked a British accent and fooled director Martin Scorsese into thinking that she was British — and therefore perfect for the role. I asked her how she was so convincing.  

“I was fully British from meeting Marty to the end of the audition, where I went back to my American accent,” she explained. “The whole time he totally thought that I was a British actress because he had never seen any of my other movies. So by the time that I left, I was like, ‘Okay, thanks, Marty. See you.’  He was like, ‘Whoa.’  He was, ‘So you’re American?’” Chloe also told me that when she worked on her British accent, she tried to mimic Asa, who actually is British.  It paid off. “You fooled me, kid,” Scorsese said. 

All-in-all, it was a good press conference for a great movie.

Check out Kid Reporter Grace McManus' report from the red-carpet premiere of Hugo! 

—Kid Reporter Grace McManus

Photo: Director/Producer Martin Scorsese (center) discusses a scene with Asa Butterfield (left, as Hugo Cabret) and Chloë Grace Moretz (right, as Isabelle) on the set of Hugo, from Paramount Pictures and GK Films. (Credit: Jaap Buitendijk, © 2011 GK Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved.)

Behind the scenes of the CNBC Republican debate

When I first received the assignment to cover the Republican Debate at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, I didn't know what to expect. I had covered political events and political figures' speeches in the past, but I had never attended a debate.

The day before the CNBC debate, I visited Oakland University for a media meeting. I was given the opportunity to get a look at the “Media Filing Center,” a large auditorium filled with hundreds of desks and workspace for journalists. At the meeting, I found out that members of the media would be listening to the debate through television screens.

When I got home, I prepared the materials I needed: a laptop, camera, microphone, tape recorder, press pad, and credentials.

I arrived at the debate four hours before the start time. I prepared my article, spoke to other journalists, and observed the busy filing center. From campus newspapers to international news stations, hundreds of reporters, anchors, and production crew surrounded the auditorium.

Large lighting structures and cameras were precisely positioned throughout the area. My desk was situated between MSNBC and FOX News. Periodically, a reporter would be given a cue to do a live shot. It was very neat to watch what happened behind the scenes!


At exactly 8 p.m., the debate began. The lights and cameras turned off, but the reporters were still in tune. They carefully watched the debate, taking note of the powerful replies and flaws of each candidate.

When Rick Perry couldn’t name the third department he would eliminate as President, a few reporters laughed, while others took notes of the incident.

As the debate came to an end, members of the press made their way into a small section where the candidates would come and speak to the media. Texas Governor Rick Perry was the first person to arrive.

Producers, reporters, and photojournalists ran towards Perry. The first words that came out of his mouth were, “Whoa, easy.” It just goes to show you how aggressive some journalists’ can be!

After speaking to Perry, former Senator Rick Santorum, and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, I packed up my belongings and headed back home. By the time I left, it was midnight.

The Republican debate showed me how fast-paced the job of a journalist can be. I learned that a journalist has to be a person who can ask tough questions, adjust their fast-paced schedules, and never take “no” for an answer. As my editor told me, “Keep your head on a swivel and keep your eyes and ears open – you never know what you might see or hear!”

Be sure to check out Charlie's story from the CNBC debate! 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: What issues do you think are the most important in the 2012 Presidential election? Let us know in the comments section! 

Photos: Texas Governor Rick Perry takes questions after the CNBC debate in Michigan; a view of the work stations set up backstage at the debate. (Photos courtesy Charlie Kadado)

Nature's Halloween trick: Snow!

"Look outside!" my cousin shouted from the window in an astonished tone. It was around 5 p.m. on October 29, and I was spending the weekend with my cousins. I automatically began thinking of possible issues, but never would I have guessed the true commotion. I made my way to the window, ready to see something useless, when I saw what he was looking at — SNOW! I had heard here and there that there would be early snow, but when is there ever snow in October?! The reality of this abrupt change of weather hit me hard. Not even 24 hours ago, the birds were chirping in the sunlight filled sky! I had never seen snow fall before Halloween! 

Soon after the snow discovery, we lost power. Sitting inside, you could hear the crackling sound of falling trees. After about two hours, I ventured outside to see how bad it really was. I was surprised. There was so much snow and damage! The snow was halfway between my knee and my ankles — a lot considering it had only been snowing for a short period of time. Since we were in an area with a lot of trees, naturally many would fall down. Because most of the leaves haven't fallen, let alone changed color, the extra weight of the snow caused the trees to fall. It was quite scary seeing so many trees all over the place. I was tempted to build a snowman, with the snow the perfect blend of crunch and iciness, but quickly brushed that thought away after learning that there were many electricity polls had fallen and could cause electric shock. I then went inside, and fell asleep longing for a sip of hot cocoa.

Immediately after waking up I rushed to the window. It was still snowing! I reached for the light switch to find the power was still out. With the morning light, I could see that the snow had risen higher. It was a few inches higher that it was when I went to sleep. My aunt informed me that the storm had already claimed 25 lives. I was astonished, and decided to stay inside for safety. I also learned that Worcester, Massachusetts, where we were, was the hardest hit city and that more than 800,000 homes were without power. According to the weatherman, this was the worst snowstorm to ever hit Worcester!

Today, almost a week later, thousands of houses are still without power. Schools have been closed and some might not to open until next week. As for Halloween, it has been rescheduled in Worcester and many other badly hit cities for Thursday, November 3.

—Kid Reporter Wanjiku Gatheru

Photo: A large tree falls on top of a car after an early snowfall in Worcester, Massachusetts, October 30, 2011. (REUTERS/Adam Hunger)