Exclusive Interview with Paxton Booth of Disney’s Coop & Cami
Disney’s newest series, Coop & Cami Ask the World, follows two middle school-aged siblings who have a youtube-style show in which they crowdsource decisions that cover the silly (Would you rather stuff your face into a bowl of wasabi mashed potatoes or stuff them down your pants?) and the not-as-silly (how should they deal with their widowed mom dating for the first time, especially when it’s their principal?).
Paxton Booth, who you may recognize from ABC’s The Toy Box, lands his first series regular role as Coop & Cami’s rascally younger brother Ollie. We had the chance to speak with this vibrant 9-year-old who has a touch of derring-do, great comedic timing and loves being part of the Disney family.
You play Coop and Cami’s younger brother Ollie who often gets dragged into their escapades. Which high jinx was your favorite? I personally loved the hair gag in the pilot, although it grew back magically fast by episode 2.
It’s hard to pick my favorite, but I did get to do some really cool harness work. Without giving too much away, I can say I spent some time flying in the air! Yes, my hair does grow really fast! The pilot was a whole new experience for me in so many ways. The bald cap was my first time experiencing any special effects. It took almost two hours to put on and about another hour to take off!
Wow! I never knew bald caps were so much work. Speaking of the harness work, I understand you like doing your own stunts on-set and that you ride BMX. Are you a bit of a thrill seeker?
I think I am. I do really enjoy riding and racing BMX and also riding dirt bikes. I don’t know if you’ll ever catch me jumping from an airplane, but you might find me hiking a mountain someday! I’ve just discovered the excitement of big roller coasters. The cast and I went to Disney World and I’m finally tall enough to ride all the rides. My favorite rides were Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Everest!
Considering the premise of the show it only seems fitting to ask you a Would You Rather. So, would you rather grow up and keep acting or become a stuntman?
Definitely keep acting, with maybe a little bit of stunt work included. I really do love the stunts, but playing a character is more fun for me. It’s also quite a bit safer! I wouldn’t mind being an actor who is known for doing his owns stunts whenever possible. It is pretty fun being in a harness and flying across the set!
Coop and Cami Ask the World is your first series regular role even though you’ve been acting professionally since you were 2 ½. How excited were you to get the show? How did you find out and then celebrate?
It was a long six-months between shooting the pilot to when we started filming the show. I didn’t find out until just a few weeks before shooting began on season one that I landed the part of Ollie. It was a pretty stressful time waiting to hear if the show was picked up after filming the pilot. My mom got the call and we both just started to tear up. Like I said, it was a long wait to find out! My family all went out for sushi that night and celebrated.
I think a lot of kids dream about starring on a Disney show. What’s been your favorite part about joining the Disney family?
My favorite part has been meeting new people. Not just the people involved with making Coop and Cami, but people from other shows too. I’ve been lucky enough to go to some events where there are other Disney kids and we all talk and share our experiences. It’s like one big family.
I understand you love black-and-white 50’s horror movies. Are we talking classics like The House on Haunted Hill, The Thing and House of Wax? Or do you prefer B horror films from that time? And how did you get into these kinds of flicks?
Not really sure how I got into old horror movies, but I’ve been watching them for a few years now. I like both the classics and the campy. Everything from Vincent Price movies to Plan 9 From Outerspace. I just really like that they can tell a scary story without the gore. Most of the scary scenes are just suggested. The camera pulls away, and you just hear a scream. They leave it up to your imagination to figure out the details. Acting and shooting was so different back then. Scenes were slower and longer so those actors had to be on their game!
Absolutely! There’s been a lot of classic horror movie remakes. If you could star in any one of your choosing which would it be and why?
I’d probably choose The Last Man On Earth from the 60’s. Vincent Price was basically the only person in the entire movie. I’d love the challenge of going completely crazy on screen!
What other acting dreams do you have?
Working with Tim Burton is on the top of my list. I’m a big fan! He has such an interesting way of twisting stories to make them so creepy and different. Someday when I retire I’d also like to say I’ve done every kind of film from comedy to drama to even a foreign film!
Aside from acting, I’d love to have my own fashion line someday. I love cool clothing and like to dress as stylish as possible. Oftentimes Rebecca Metz (who plays my mom, Jenna, on Coop and Cami) and I will shoe shop on her phone in-between shots while we’re on set.
Lastly, we’re called Talk Nerdy With Us because we all have things we nerd out about. What do you nerd out about?
I can nerd out about Hot Wheels all day! I’ve been collecting them since I was four-years-old. I now have just over 1000 cars. On the shelves of my room, I have everything from original classics to rare collectibles and even some of the newest models. I also am a super geek when it comes to the history of Hot Wheels. I think I’ve read just about every book written about them!
You can catch Paxton on Disney’s Coop & Cami Ask the World and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.