Chelan Simmons, who plays Hillary on ABC Family’s hit show Kyle XY, has become a popular up and coming actress, appearing on various TV shows and films like Men In Trees and Final Destination 3.  Chelan took time off from preparing for the second season of Kyle XY to stop and talk to us at BuddyTV.


Can you tell us how you got into acting?

Yeah, when I was really, really little, I think I was like three or something, I was watching TV and I told my parents that I wanted to do “that.”  And they were like, “You want to do what?” And I was like, “That!” And they were like, “What, do you want to eat the cereal? What do you want to do?”  And I was like, “I want to do that!” And after guess after guess they finally got out of me that I wanted to be on TV and they were like “You want to be on TV?” I’m like, “Yeah, I want to do that!” 
My mom’s friend owned a modeling agency and they asked her what we should do and she said “You know, she’s way to young, wait until her sixth birthday.”  So, as soon as I turned six I was like, “Mom, I’m six, can I be an actor? Can I be an actor?”  And my mom was like, “Okay.”  So, I started out in a modeling program and I aced this little pre-teen course; I was six.  And, then it started from there.  There was an acting agent within the agency and she said “You know, this little girl has a lot of personality.  We should get her into audition for commercials.”  So my mom asked me if I wanted to do that and I was like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”  So I had my first commercial audition and I booked it and it just kept going after that. 


As you got older did you have any influences, inspirations for acting? Who did you look up to in the industry?

When I was little, honestly, my role model was Shirley Temple.  I always wanted to be Shirley Temple.  I always told my mom that.  Because she was so cute, she was so little, and the world was going through a big depression at that time and she just cheered everyone up.  She just had so much personality and she could act, sing and dance and that’s exactly what I wanted to do.  I always wanted a drink named after me as well.


Can you tell us how you got involved with Kyle XY?

I was filming a movie called Final Destination at the time.  And I got told that there was an audition for Kyle XY and I loved the script and I loved the characters and it was so funny.  And so I had like a ten minute break from filming Final Destination and I ran over to the auditioning place and April [Matson] was actually there, who plays Lori [Trager], and I read with her and our connection was so amazing, we just totally got each other and our chemistry was great.  The producers were all there and the director was there and they just kept getting me to do it in different ways and I guess everyone just thought I was definitely Hillary and it was probably a couple days later that I booked the role.


How has your experience been on Kyle XY? Did you guys have a feeling that it was going to be as big a success as it was?

We had no idea! I mean, we all loved each other as a cast and we all loved the script, of course, because we’re all very passionate about it.  But, you never know, it’s hard to keep your hopes up when you do a pilot.  You think, “Is this going to get picked up or isn’t it?”  You kind of hope for the best, but then in became huge.  And everyone was telling us when it was picked up and there was skywriting in the sky “Who is Kyle XY?” in LA and it was totally exciting.


It’s hard to come by information about your second season on the Internet, can you tell us what’s going on?

I am closed lipped.  But we start filming next week.  There’s a lot of cool stuff that’s going to be happening and we're bringing in a lot of new characters as well.


You recently had a guest appearance on Men in Trees and you’ve been on a bunch of other TV shows.  Is there a big difference between being on a cable show and being on a network show?

They're all the same, I mean, but the biggest difference is having a different cast and a different crew.  And every show that you go on, whether it’s low budget or high budget, is usually so much fun.  It depends on your character, and if you’re really passionate about your character it can be the best time even if it’s the lowest budget show, it doesn’t matter.


What’s the most fun you’ve ever had on a set besides Kyle XY?

Probably Final Destination 3.  I met my best friend through there and we just instantly clicked.  We just had so much fun.  We had to ride that rollercoaster like forty times within two days! People who can all get together and ride a rollercoaster forty times in two days, there’s an instant bond between all of you, it’s so funny.  Probably, definitely, Final Destination 3 out of all of them.


You had the honor of being one of the many to be killed in a Final Destination movie, which is known for its deaths.  How was that experience, was it exciting, was it tough?

It was exciting!  My biggest passions are comedy and horror.  Doing a tanning bed death, I thought it was so much fun because I loved the final product of it.  Everyone I talk to is like, “That was the scariest thing I ever saw, it like wrecked me for life, I’m never going in a tanning bed.”  Which is good because tanning beds are bad for your skin anyway.


Which do you prefer, film or television?

Um, that’s a hard one.  I don’t know, it all depends on the role.  If I have a really fun, fun, character and it’s on television I am going to obviously pick that over a movie.  But, I don’t know, it’s really cool to see your face on a theater screen.  There’s nothing cooler than that.  It’s definitely something that you strive for: you go and get your ticket and watch yourself in the theater and watch everyone’s reactions.  It’s the most rewarding thing in the world.


You know, I don’t know if this is true or not, but you’ve been rumored to be a part of Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake.  Is there truth to that?

I wish! I hope Rob Zombie can find out through the fans that that’s what they want.  I’d be for it.


What are your favorite TV shows right now and which would you like to make a guest appearance on?

I love King of Queens.  I love King of Queens, I love the comedy.  I love The Office. I’d love to go there and do some improv for The Office.  What else do I like? I don’t know, but I like funny stuff.  I like easy, funny comedy.  Probably those two are my favorite right now.


What do you have coming up, besides Kyle XY? 

I did a movie last year called Wind Chill and George Clooney is one of the producers of it.  It’s kind of a thriller and I have a featured role in that.  It’s very scary. I couldn’t even read the script myself.  I get scared of like, Harry Potter, so it freaked the heck out of me.  So, hopefully the audience will like that one.  And I also have a movie coming out, hopefully spring or summer, called Good Luck Chuck with Dane Cook and Jessica Alba, and I play Dane Cook’s original girlfriend.  And that one is very, very funny.  And then I did a movie for the Sci-Fi channel called Ogre, with John Schneider.  That was very different from anything I’ve ever done and it was a period piece.  It’s very neat.