Have you ever seen a Broadway show starring child actors and thought to yourself, “What would it be like to be a kid acting on Broadway?” Or perhaps you’ve wondered, “How CAN I be one of those kids?” Well, Henry Hodges is the guy with the answers for you. Henry, now 19 years old, literally grew up on the Great White Way. He made his debut as Chip in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and went on to play roles in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins, 13, and Macbeth. And this doesn’t even begin to list his Off-Broadway and countless regional theater film and television credits. Even at a young age, Henry is truly a master of the business and craft.
Lucky enough for anybody who dreams of a career like Henry’s (or maybe even just bringing a bit of professionalism to your local community theater), Henry is a fountain of information about his experiences. He has recently compiled it all into a brilliant book entitled “How to Act Like a Kid.” The book covers everything you could want to know, from how to build a proper resume, to getting an agent, to simply how to present yourself and your attitude.
Recently, I sat down with Henry to discuss his life, career and of course, his new book. In the interview, you’ll find a multitude of interesting stories and advice, and Henry’s experiences dealing with being dyslexic, a boy working in theatre, and a little kid with a big drive.
Chatting with Henry Hodges
Chase: So, you’ve been in the business for a very long time. You were four years old when you started, right?
Henry: Yes, that’s correct.
Chase: And obviously at that age, it wasn’t initially your choice to begin this whole career in show business. So, how did it all start?
Henry: Well, it started with a doctor’s appointment with my mom, oddly enough. I was in the waiting room with her, and the doctor came over and started talking with us and started talking with me. He mentioned that his aunt was a manager and that I reminded him of the kids that used to come into her office. And he said that I should act and model. My mom sort of thought about it and whatever, but then basically forgot about it. But later on she saw a notice in my school for open auditions for a manager. So thinking back to the doctors appointment, she thought, “Why not?” Also, I was small, so I wasn’t very good at sports, and I wasn’t very interested in sports. Plus, school was hard for me, so it was important for me to find something to do. So, I ended up going in for the audition and there were about a hundred kids.
Chase: And this was a manager for TV? Stage? Modeling?
Henry: Yes, this was a manager for everything. Well, it was a small town manager. But, I sang my ABC’s, which is crazy because I actually couldn’t write my ABC’s at the time. I could sing them, but I couldn’t write them the right way around. Anyhow, I got the manager. I think there were two or three kids that got chosen, and I was one of them. And that’s how my whole career started.
Chase: At the doctor’s office.
Henry: At the doctor’s office.
Chase: And from there, you started doing a lot of commercials and such?
Henry: Yes, from there, I mostly did print work, ads, industrials and small films here and there. When I was little I actually didn’t know the difference between a job and an audition.
Chase: Well, that’s a great attitude to have.
Henry: Yah, it was all fun! I would get to skip school, always a plus, and take these train rides… Then, I would be in the room for maybe ten minutes with casting agents. But, of course when you’re smaller, auditions are not stressful, especially at that time. Because an audition and a job was the same thing.
Chase: It’s more difficult now than it was as a child.
Henry: Exactly. All they wanted then was for you to be happy, and smiley, and pretty… and cooperative.
Chase: Just be the cute kid.
Henry: Exactly. So, those were my first days of auditioning.
Chase: Okay, now jumping ahead. I know you did various productions along the way… The King and I and such…
Henry: Yes.
Chase: But then, playing Chip in the national tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was your first mainstream commercial theater project?
Henry: Absolutely. I had done A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theatre, which was big, but doing the national tour was huge. It went from a hobby that paid sometimes to a full career.
Chase: It became your life.
Henry: Exactly. Actually, when we started doing it, my mom didn’t think that it was going to be a continuing thing. She thought we would do this for six or seven months and then we would go back to Maryland… and, you know, that would be it. But, what happened was that after the tour, we went on a vacation to the Hamptons. On the way, we drove past the Beauty and the Beast theater. And my mom said, “Well, maybe one day, you’ll be there Henry.” We all laughed about it, and then went on our vacation. When we came back, there was a voicemail on our answering machine. It was from the Disney Theatrical office, asking my mom to give them a call when we got a chance. We did, and they said I got the job. I moved right to New York, and my entire life changed.
Chase: Wow. Now, speaking of your mother, I know you talk about how she has been your rock, in a way.
Henry: Absolutely, yes.
Chase: Growing up, you obviously couldn’t have accomplished that journey without that type of support. How influential would you say she has been as you’ve continued on through your career, and how important do you think it is for somebody going through a similar experience at such a young age to have someone who takes an interest in them in that way?
Henry: Well, I think it’s different for everybody. There’s a lot of people whose parents, or guardian, or grandmother, or somebody in their life has supported their decision and helped them along the way. But, that being said, there are tons of people whose families didn’t want them to do this, and were very against it. And those people had to move here alone and rearrange their life and take all the big risks. But, I think that if you are interested in theatre, and you truly want to do it, it will attract you and you’ll find a way to do it, whether you have that initial home support or not. But, in my life, my mother has really helped me along the way. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here, and I owe everything to her, definitely. Now, my mom doesn’t take me to auditions anymore, and she doesn’t go over lines with me quite as much, and I have a manager now. But, she still takes an interest, and if it wasn’t for my mom, none of this would have happened.
Chase: Great. Okay, so I want to talk a bit about the fact that you’re dyslexic. In the book you mention that this perceived challenge actually, in a weird way, was helpful to get you started in theater.
Henry: Yah, it was oddly a positive negative, if that makes sense…
Chase: Absolutely. So, now working in the business, how did you learn to deal with it? You’ve done extremely well and you’ve made it work. But how was that learning experience for you, and what advice might you give for others that might be dealing with similar struggles.
Henry: I mean, it’s never gone away. I’ve never found some little trick that magically makes it easy. It has always been tough, and it continues to be tough. But, you know, ever year it gets just a little bit easier. You know, I’ve found… not tricks, but devices to help me… I highlight my lines- different characters in different colors. I underline words that are important. Visually words can jump for me, and so it’s common that I’ll say the line with all of the right words, but not in the right order. But, you want to say the line the way it’s written, obviously. It was written that way for a reason. So, to help, if there is a comma I’ll put in a slash because it makes more sense when I look at it quickly. Basically, I draw on the lines.
Chase: More visual cues…
Henry: Yah, and it cements it in my mind.
Chase: Do you find yourself trying to memorize things farther ahead of time than others might?
Henry: Definitely. Whenever I’m working on shows, I always go over the script a lot before rehearsals. And in most shows I’ve done, I’ve memorized my lines ahead of schedule. It helps so much.
Chase: Well, that’s certainly not a bad thing. As a director, I wish everybody would!
Henry: Right? But, of course, it also depends on the script. Some sides and scripts are very easy to memorize. To Kill a Mockingbird: It was was odd how easy it was to memorize. But things like Orphan’s Home Cycle can be very hard to memorize. I think it’s because of thought jumps. With To Kill a Mockingbird, all of my cues were very apparent. While, in Orphan’s Home Cycle, thoughts would jump, and I would have to think more as a character to get to that point.
Chase: In the vein of those two shows, one thing that I think is amazing is that you have managed to not only grow up as the kid playing all the musical comedy roles, but you’ve done a lot of classical work, and even opera. It’s very impressive at a young age. How important was that for you, so that your not pigeoned-holed early in your career?
Henry: Well, with me, it’s always been all about the work. I don’t really mind what it is, as long as I feel like I’m acting in something that I enjoy. And I think it’s so important not to single yourself out to one thing- to one avenue. Don’t ever think, “I’m good at this, and this is what I can do.” And if you don’t, it’s more fulfilling for you. It’s best to be working on something your not 100% comfortable with- because that’s how you expand and get better at your craft.
Chase: Wonderful. Okay, let’s touch on something that you mention briefly in the book: Growing up as a guy doing theatre. Of course, I feel that it’s not a big deal in New York City at all. But, considering there are many people growing up in all parts of the country, many in places where a guy in the performing arts might carry some sort of stigma, what advice could you give as somebody who has really defied this ridiculous perception through your life.
Henry: Yah, well when I started out, I left traditional school right as that sort of judgement was about to begin with kids. I mean, I got made fun of for taking ballet or whatever. But, it wasn’t anything big. Though, I think it would have become something bigger if I had stayed there longer. So, I was lucky to avoid that negativity. But, that being said, I think it’s essential that you stay who you are, and if you enjoy the art then pursue it. There’s no reason not to. And I think people are starting to understand that more… with TV shows like “Glee”…
Chase: It’s cool to break out in song now!
Henry: (laughter) Well, it’s slowly becoming more acceptable I think… and I hope.
Chase: One thing that really struck me as I read your book was that you seemed to find the perfect balance between understanding that the discipline of working in the theatre is a 24-7 job, not just when you are on stage, yet still managing to have a fairly ‘normal’ life outside of work. How do you find and maintain this balance, especially at a young age?
Henry: I think it’s all about what you want to accomplish, and for me, what drives me to get better is just enjoying it. I want to take tap lessons. I want to take ballet. I want to get better at that, and that sort of end goal is good. But, finding the balance is all about you. You know, I know people who work a lot harder than me. But, if I worked as hard as they did, I would drive myself insane. It’s being aware of how much you want to do, and to what point you can do it until you become exhausted. And I feel like that’s with anything- any sort of work- just knowing what your breaking point is.
Chase: Great. Okay, let’s talk a bit about your book, How To Act Like a Kid. How did the idea to write the book come about?
Henry: Well, there was a meeting with a bunch of the Disney kids with Thomas Schumacher, the President of Disney Theatrical, and Ridley Pearson, who’s a writer.
Chase: He wrote the original Peter and the Starcatchers, right?
Henry: Yes, that’s right. Surprisingly, you’re actually the first person to say that. Anyhow, the point of the meeting was really to get a feel of what it was like to be a child performer. And, at the end of the meeting, I thought about it some more and I thought that I didn’t make as many points as I wish I had. So, I wrote an email to both of them, which when Tom got, he was really enthusiastic about it. He asked me if he could put it in his book, How Does the Show Go On? Of course I said yes, and it was amazing that that email became, “A Day in the Life of a Child Performer” And from that point, it sort of progressed into these ideas and little thoughts of things that I would one day put in “the book.” Then, my co-writer, Peggy Engel, and I were approached by Disney to actually do it. At the time, I was too busy and so I put it off. But, once I wasn’t busy, we said we would do it. Peggy Engel was a friend of the family, and she helped us with a draft and getting it all together. Then we pitched it to Wendy Lefkon of Disney Editions, and she liked the pitch, and Disney liked the pitch. So, we started working. Then, it was a lot of going back in my mind and thinking about the things that I wish I had known when I started in the business, and the things that are obvious to me now and obvious to most people working in the theater. But, we forget that when we first arrived here, we didn’t know any of it. We had to learn this from somebody, and from experience. So, the hope for the book for me is to give people insight on the business and also to help streamline their journey. Because, it’s not easy to do, and it’s just those little things that really make a difference.
Chase: Would you say that the book is applicable even to somebody who isn’t thinking about aiming for Broadway, but perhaps just performing in their home town’s community theater?
Henry: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the book isn’t targeted for Broadway kids or just kids who want to be on Broadway.
Chase: That’s just your story.
Henry: Yah, exactly, it’s my story. I mean, the idea for the book is that anybody that is interested in theater can look at it and learn from it, and put it into their own context and what they need. Also, the book is good for stage parents, and hopefully for camps and schools. It’s a ‘how-to’, but it’s also a story.
Chase: And a very inspiring one at that. Okay, so a few random and fun questions. Dream roles?
Henry: Oh, dream roles… Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera.
Chase: Of course, it will still be running when you’re old enough.
Henry: Right? Okay, anything in Cabaret.
Chase: Nice.
Henry: Otherwise, it’s hard for me to talk about dream roles because, you know, it’s all about what moves me that minute when I read that script. Plus, I don’t like getting my hopes up! So, I try to concentrate on what’s in front of me, and what I know I can do, not something that may or may not ever happen.
Chase: Okay, moving on. You have a bunch of the most wonderfully random hobbies and talents. What attracted you to these various skills and pastimes, and have they been able to play into your performing career at all? Or, to go further with it, would you suggest to others in the performing arts to have some unique skills in their back pocket/ on their resume?
Henry: Yah! When I started acquiring these different skills, I guess… unicycle, Waveboard, juggling, magic, sleight-of-hand, lock-picking, knife-throwing..
Chase: Knife-throwing!? Where in the world do you practice knife-throwing?
Henry: Oh, in Maryland! Definitely not in New York City…
Chase: Yah… that might cause some issues.
Henry: Oh, God… Archery is another one. The next thing I want to conquer is unicycling archery. They have equestrian archery, but it’s expensive…
Chase: And you have a unicycle! It’s going to be huge, I’m sure.
Henry: Exactly, I’m sure it will be in the Olympics next year.
(laughter)
Henry: Anyhow, it all started out probably with my Razor scooter. I used to ride it all over the city- doing tricks, jumping stairs- and I loved it. Then, I went to FAO Schwartz one day and I found a Waveboard. So, I learned how to ride that. Then, I learned the unicycle.. then came juggling and all these other things. But, I never did them to put them on my resume. I didn’t learn them so I could have these little skills. But, I have to say, they’ve come in handy. I’ll go in and juggle for an audition, or do some magic tricks. And last year in Sacremento, for The Little Mermaid, I got to ride the Waveboard as Flounder, which was a lot of fun. Tom actually asked me about it when they did it on Broadway originally. They had me come in and demo the Waveboard, though they went with something else in the end. So, some of them have paid off. And I can’t tell you how many readings I’ve done where people talk with me about incorporating my unicycling or juggling into the show. But, I mostly do it to have fun, and I like things that are a little different or a little out there because you get to compete with yourself. I think that transitions into any skill and also into theatre.
Chase: It goes back to the discipline.
Henry: Exactly. When I was younger, it was easy to fall into the idea of “I’m doing the show, and I’m doing it better than the kid before me… so that’s good enough!” But, you learn that it’s all about competing with yourself and trying to make every show better than the last- the best you can be.
Chase: Okay, well we should probably wrap this up. Now that everyone is going to go out and pick up their copy of How to Act Like a Kid, is there any last thing you want to say, or any last piece of advice you want to give?
Henry: My one bit of advice that I always give, and I think that a lot of people will give, is just keep trying. You know, it’s corny and everybody says it. But, everyone says it for a reason. It’s not an easy business to make it in, and of course for some people it’s not about that even. It may be about doing that part, working backstage, or whatever it may be. Whatever it is, just keep trying. Especially in this field, just roll with the punches. I mean, you’re going to audition I don’t know how many times before you get the job. There are actors who have been auditioning their entire lives, and then they don’t really do anything until they’re 26, and then they make their break. You just never know. So, just roll with punches. That’s what my mom always said to me. Roll with the punches.
Me: And buy the book.
Henry: Yes, and buy the book!
Chase: Well, thanks Henry, and best of luck to you.
“How to Act Like a Kid: Backstage Secrets of a Young Performer” is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. For more information about Henry, visit HenryHodges.com
Photo credit: Keil Studios