Mika Boorem Talks About "Sleepover"
Though only 16 years old, Mika Boorem?s already established herself in films, having appeared in more than a dozen movies since the mid-90s. Boorem?s career includes such well-received movies as ?The Patriot? where she played Mel Gibson?s daughter and ?Hearts in Atlantis? alongside Academy Award-winner Anthony Hopkins.
Now Mika Boorem?s working on a little lighter fare, the teen romantic comedy ?Sleepover,? co-starring Alexa Vega of ?Spy Kids? fame.
On the set of ?Sleepover,? Mika Boorem made some time between scenes to talk about this light-hearted film, working with teen actors, and relating to her character.
Can you tell me about your character in this movie? When you read the script, how did you know you wanted to play this role?
When I first read the script, she was my favorite character because she sort of supports Alexa?s character the whole movie. She?s the encouraging one. She has the most confidence. And out of the popular girls and the unpopular girls, she?s the most mature. She could be on the popular side but she doesn?t want to be because she?s comfortable with who she is.
Did that remind you of yourself?
Yes, it reminded me of myself, and someone that I would like to be. I thought it would be fun to play it.
Do you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories?
When we first started the show, there were classroom-type things. We have two separate classrooms; Alexa has her own classroom and then me with the other girls. And so Alexa had her classroom decorated first - they had all these posters up.
We went in and stole her posters. She came and stole the posters back and Saran Wrapped the classroom.
Can you describe the scene you?re working on today?
So for the movie, we all have a scavenger hunt. We have a scavenger hunt ? us against the popular girls. We have to go in and take pictures of different tasks. One task is we have to go dress up mannequins in our own clothes, inside the store. So we get there and all the girl mannequins are already dressed up and they locked the display case. We have to go dress up the guy mannequins in our girl clothes. We are trying to fit tube tops on them, and we?re trying to do it as fast as we can so we can beat the other girls. As we?re doing it, security comes up. It?s the same security guy who is throughout the whole movie, and he?s chasing us. So security comes up, we?re freaking out, [and] he actually comes inside the display case where we are. We run out and we lock him in [by] putting a mannequin arm in the door.
Is this movie more enjoyable to do because you?re acting with kids your own age? Does that make a difference?
Compared to just different films, it?s just really different. This type of movie is really different from a lot of films I?ve done. I?ve done a lot of drama, which I really enjoy doing drama. It?s a totally different experience and it?s hard to compare them. It?s fun being on the show because there?s me, Alexa [Vega], Scout [Taylor-Compton] and Kallie [Flynn Childress] and we?ve just all bonded so well. We get along really well. It?s been fun because we always joke around and stuff.
Did you know any of these girls before?
I kind of knew Alexa. We did a commercial together when we were really young, but we never kept in touch that much.
Who do you think will be able to enjoy this movie - besides teenage girls?
Teenage boys.
What?s in it for them?
There?s a lot of girls in it (laughing). I think other people are going to like it a lot, too, just because it?s such a fun movie. I think the parents are going to like it. It?s going to have a good rating on it, too.
Have you had to deal with the whole popular/unpopular cliques in real life?
No, not really.
Are you in a regular school?
Right now I?m doing homeschooling, but I?ve always gone to a regular school. I?m used to the regular school atmosphere.
And you?ve got ?Havana Nights? coming out early next year.
Yes. They did testing for it and the audience wanted to see more of me, so they added me into it. I was just back in Puerto Rico about two weeks ago filming more scenes.
What?s your character in ?Havana Nights??
Same sort of the thing as ?Blue Crush.? I?m the younger sister and I have problems with my older sister. We get into a fight and in the end, we end up getting along.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Alexa Vega, Director Joe Nussbaum and Steve Carell Interviews
?Sleepover? News and Resources
Mika Boorem Interviews and Movies
Now Mika Boorem?s working on a little lighter fare, the teen romantic comedy ?Sleepover,? co-starring Alexa Vega of ?Spy Kids? fame.
On the set of ?Sleepover,? Mika Boorem made some time between scenes to talk about this light-hearted film, working with teen actors, and relating to her character.
Can you tell me about your character in this movie? When you read the script, how did you know you wanted to play this role?
When I first read the script, she was my favorite character because she sort of supports Alexa?s character the whole movie. She?s the encouraging one. She has the most confidence. And out of the popular girls and the unpopular girls, she?s the most mature. She could be on the popular side but she doesn?t want to be because she?s comfortable with who she is.
Did that remind you of yourself?
Yes, it reminded me of myself, and someone that I would like to be. I thought it would be fun to play it.
Do you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories?
When we first started the show, there were classroom-type things. We have two separate classrooms; Alexa has her own classroom and then me with the other girls. And so Alexa had her classroom decorated first - they had all these posters up.
We went in and stole her posters. She came and stole the posters back and Saran Wrapped the classroom.
Can you describe the scene you?re working on today?
So for the movie, we all have a scavenger hunt. We have a scavenger hunt ? us against the popular girls. We have to go in and take pictures of different tasks. One task is we have to go dress up mannequins in our own clothes, inside the store. So we get there and all the girl mannequins are already dressed up and they locked the display case. We have to go dress up the guy mannequins in our girl clothes. We are trying to fit tube tops on them, and we?re trying to do it as fast as we can so we can beat the other girls. As we?re doing it, security comes up. It?s the same security guy who is throughout the whole movie, and he?s chasing us. So security comes up, we?re freaking out, [and] he actually comes inside the display case where we are. We run out and we lock him in [by] putting a mannequin arm in the door.
Is this movie more enjoyable to do because you?re acting with kids your own age? Does that make a difference?
Compared to just different films, it?s just really different. This type of movie is really different from a lot of films I?ve done. I?ve done a lot of drama, which I really enjoy doing drama. It?s a totally different experience and it?s hard to compare them. It?s fun being on the show because there?s me, Alexa [Vega], Scout [Taylor-Compton] and Kallie [Flynn Childress] and we?ve just all bonded so well. We get along really well. It?s been fun because we always joke around and stuff.
Did you know any of these girls before?
I kind of knew Alexa. We did a commercial together when we were really young, but we never kept in touch that much.
Who do you think will be able to enjoy this movie - besides teenage girls?
Teenage boys.
What?s in it for them?
There?s a lot of girls in it (laughing). I think other people are going to like it a lot, too, just because it?s such a fun movie. I think the parents are going to like it. It?s going to have a good rating on it, too.
Have you had to deal with the whole popular/unpopular cliques in real life?
No, not really.
Are you in a regular school?
Right now I?m doing homeschooling, but I?ve always gone to a regular school. I?m used to the regular school atmosphere.
And you?ve got ?Havana Nights? coming out early next year.
Yes. They did testing for it and the audience wanted to see more of me, so they added me into it. I was just back in Puerto Rico about two weeks ago filming more scenes.
What?s your character in ?Havana Nights??
Same sort of the thing as ?Blue Crush.? I?m the younger sister and I have problems with my older sister. We get into a fight and in the end, we end up getting along.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Alexa Vega, Director Joe Nussbaum and Steve Carell Interviews
?Sleepover? News and Resources
Mika Boorem Interviews and Movies