NEWSOK Next Big Deal: Meet the Awesome Aramis Knight of Ender's Game
The Ender's Game cast is full of tons of brilliant actors, both older and younger. On the younger end, there's stars Hailee Steinfeld and Asa Butterfield, along with up-and-comers like Aramis Knight, 14. We chatted with Aramis to see what it was like hanging with all those kids and who he looks up to.
OK!: Tell me about your character in Ender's Game.
Aramis Knight: Bean is an interesting character and really the fan favorite. He's kind of a sarcastic little guy, very feisty. He's the underdog. He definitely has had a troubled childhood, but he makes his way to the top to go to battle school, and to get as far as he got is pretty amazing. He's the little guy, the youngest, and I could definitely relate to him because the other boys and girls on set were much older than me, so I had to prove myself quickly just like Bean had to.
OK! News: Read our interview with Aramis' pal Khylin Rambo!
OK!: What was it like working with the other kids? Did you make friends with anybody?
AK: Oh, heck yeah. Friends is an understatement. We all became family. We all say 'I love you' when we get off the phone. Kylin Rambo comes over to my house every day. He's coming today and staying over. Even Asa, obviously he's in England but we try to iMessage as much as possible, and Skype. Whenever he's here, he stays at my house. We're all super duper close. I met people I think I will be best friends with for the rest of my life.
OK!: What's the coolest thing you got to do for the movie?
AK: They sent us to Space Camp for five days, in Hunstville, Alabama. That's where we all really bonded and became brothers. We gave each other nicknames and created inside jokes and pranked each other. It was really fun, and definitely a learning experience too. It changed me a lot, mentally and physically. I grew a lot—I was 4'8 at space camp and now I'm 5'6. I've grown almost a foot!
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OK!: How did you get your start in acting?
AK: I started when I was about 5 years old, but I didn't know what was going on. My mom is a real estate agent, and she had a client, and her client's mom had a boutique agency. She said, 'You should get him into acting,' and we thought it would be a couple commercials. I was with her for about a year, and I booked 6 or 7 shows back to back. We thought, There's something here.
OK! What do you do when you're not acting?
AK: Oh, basketball! I don't even have to think about that one. If I'm not watching basketball, I'm playing basketball. As we speak, I'm playing on my mini hoop in my room. If I didn't have acting, the NBA is something I would strive for. I'm starting to grow a little bit, so who knows.
OK!: What would your dream project be?
AK: Definitely not a TV show, but another big movie. Leonardo DiCaprio is definitely my inspiration in acting. He's such a good actor, and he seems like a good person, too. He's never in the tabloids, he's never creating drama... plus, he dates super models! I kinda look up to him, and I'd love to reach his level one day.
Did you see Ender's Game? Were you familiar with the original? Which actor in Hollywood do you look up to? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @OKMagazine.
