TFK Chats with Matt Prokop By Vicki An
April 12th, 2010

The High School Musical 3 star leaves the classroom and heads to the forest in Furry Vengeance

Don't mess with nature, because nature might fight back! In the new movie Furry Vengeance, Dan Sanders (played by Brendan Fraser) learns this lesson the hard way. Sanders' real estate firm wants to build a new neighborhood and shopping center. To do so, they will need to chop down an entire forest. When the animals that live there realize what's happening, they team up to save their home from being bulldozed. Will the critters win the battle? Find out when Furry Vengeance hits theaters on April 30.

High School Musical 3 star Matt Prokop plays Sanders' son, Tyler, who sides with the animals. TFK spoke to Prokop about his new role as a champion for woodland creatures everywhere.

TFK: Can you talk a little bit about the film, and about your character, Tyler?
It's is a man vs. nature family comedy in which Brendan Fraser, who plays my dad, Dan Sanders, is the head guy on a construction site. He is taking out a portion of the forest to put in a neighborhood. But then his evil boss decides he wants to take out the entire forest and build houses and shopping centers. The local animals don't like that and do whatever they can to stop Dan. When that doesn't work, a local environmentalist named Amber opens Tyler's eyes to what's really going on. She and Tyler team up with the animals to take down his dad.

TFK: What do you mean by "team up with the animals"?
Tyler and Amber are able to give the animals a voice and show the locals in town what's really going on. The animals are doing the behind-the-scenes dirty work, like scaring Dan into a port-a-potty and trying to destroy the construction plan.

TFK: There's a green message to the movie. Can you explain?
Respect what's around you. Many animals are becoming extinct and others you can only see in zoos because humans have destroyed their land. The movie reminds us that we need to respect our surroundings. We're not the only ones living in this world.

TFK: Were there real animals on set and did you get to work with them?
There were real animals on set. I didn't get to work with them as much as Brendan did, mainly because he was being "attacked" by them. [Laughs]

TFK: Kids are turning out to be the true crusaders for the environment. Why do you think they're so excited to be involved?
It's one of those things where kids nowadays [are realizing that] their voices can be heard. We're the next generation, and there are certainly things that we can change.

TFK: What are some things that you do yourself to be green?
I recycle, and I try not to drive too much. My friends are always car pooling. Those are the two things I do on a daily basis.

TFK: What was the most memorable or funniest scene for you to film?
I definitely have to say when the animals get their revenge. It was pure chaos. For the festival scene, the filmmakers brought in a bear to scare everyone. There were more than 600 extras running down the street. That was one of my favorite days during filming.

TFK: Were you scared of the bear?
I loved the bear! He wasn't huge and really scary, but he was big enough where I didn't trust him that much. I always had an eye on him. [Laughs]

TFK: What was it like to have Brendan Fraser play your dad?
It has been my favorite moment in my career so far. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Brendan's. When I found out he was playing the role of Dan Sanders, I was star struck. And then I found out Brooke Shields was playing my mom, and I was like, OK, I can retire after this movie. Then as Dan's boss, they got Ken Jeong, who is my favorite comedian. Working with Ken was a riot. He is hilarious.

TFK: What was it like to be one of the new guys in High School Musical 3? Was it intimidating?
Yeah, it was definitely intimidating the first day. [Director] Kenny Ortega told the original cast that we were the new guys and to make us feel at home. Literally, the next moment, we were all up in Corbin Bleu's room watching movies and playing video games. They welcomed us into their little family.

TFK: Do you have any advice for kids who want to be actors?
If it's something that you truly want to do, I say go for it. I'm never one to shoot down anyone's dreams. Try your hardest, and don't give up.

Source: TIMEForKids.com (link)

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